Friday Letter

Friday Letter Archive | Friday Letter Alerts

November 13, 2009
26 Cheshvan 5770
                                                               Shabbat Chayei Sarah
                                                   Candle lighting on Friday, 4:23 PM.
                                                     Havdallah on Shabbat, 5:12 PM

Sat. Nov. 14^th        PA Sponsored Family Havdallah Program for
                              Gan - 2^nd Grade. 6:30 PM. See attached flyer to
                              sign up.

Nov. 16-18            Artist in Residence Joyce Raymondo – During art
                              class, students will meet with author and artist and
                              learn about the process of publishing picture books.

Nov. 16-17            5^th Grade NYS Social Studies Test

Tues. Nov. 17        4^th Grade PA Sponsored Family Jerusalem
                              Program. 6:00 PM. (Please note the time.)

Wed. Nov. 18        Rosh Hodesh Spirit Day – Yom Ramah. Senior
                              members of the Camp Ramah Berkshires staff will be
                             joining us for a morning of fun Ramah-style activities for
                             grades 2 through 5.

Fri. Nov. 20           Kabbalat Shabbat with Rabbi Richardson and
                              Cantor Black of the Jericho Jewish Center. 8:15.
                              Parents warmly welcome.

Mon. Nov. 23        5^th Grade Scavenger Hunt @ the Middle School,
                              Glen Cove.

Tues. Nov. 24       SSDS Faculty and Staff Go Passionately Pink
                             for a Cure. All students are invited to wear PINK to
                             school, in support of their teachers who are
                             participating in a fundraiser through the Susan G.
                             Komen Foundation to find a cure for Breast Cancer.

Tues. Nov. 24       Middle School Open House @ the Middle School,
                             Glen Cove. 7:00 PM. All elementary school parents
                             middle school are warmly welcome to this event, to be
                             attended by all 5^th graders and their parents. Click
                             HERE for more information.

Wed. Nov. 25        Music, Movement, Munchies and Art. For Pre-
                              School children and parents. Let your friends and
                              neighbors know! See flyer below.

Nov. 26-27            Thanksgiving – NO SCHOOL

Mon. Nov. 30       “Town Meeting" at the Jericho Campus. Board of
                              Directors will present the revised By-Laws for final
                              approval. Please preview the information in advance
                              of the meeting by checking the By-Laws link.

Mon. Nov. 30        Annual Read-a-Thon Kick-Off.

Thurs. Dec. 3         HS Drama Production: Metamorphosis. Dress
                              rehearsal performed for the elementary school
                              students, 10:15 AM. Full production in the evening, in
                              the Jericho auditorium.

Thurs. Dec. 3         Parent Teacher Evening Conferences – By
                              appointment only. If you did not request an
                              appointment time, then you have not been scheduled.
                              You must be on time for your appointment because
                              teachers will keep to the published schedule. Please
                              enter the building quietly, as the High
                              School Production of Metamorphosis will be taking
                              place.

Thurs. Dec. 3         PA Sponsored Book Fair – During P/T
                              Conferences. Volunteers needed. Contact Lahna
                              Bidner, Book Fair Coordinator at solahna@aol.com.

Fri. Dec. 5              Parent Teacher Daytime Conferences and Book
                              Fair – by appointment only.

Sat. Dec. 6              HS Drama Production: Metamorphosis

Dec. 7-11                Learning to Look – Part 2. In all elementary
                               classes.

Thurs. Dec. 10        PA Sponsored Chanukah Boutique. Here is your
                               child’s opportunity to buy Chanukah gifts, for you and
                               for loved ones. Volunteers needed. Interested?
                              Contact Dalia Lisker Jurmann, dalialister@aol.com.

Fri. Dec. 11             First Night of Chanukah

Sat. Dec. 12             New York Islanders Chanukah Night

Fri. Dec. 18             3^rd Grade Chumash Play. 9:00 AM. There will be
                               no school-wide Kabbalat Shabbat on this day.
______________________
Toiletry Collection for US Armed Forces – The 5^th Graders, in conjunction with the Major Stuart Adam Wolfer Institute, are running a Toiletry Drive, to collect NEW, unused toiletry items to be sent in care packages to US Armed Forces, serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Click HERE for more information.

Coats for Kids – Annual Coat Drive, organized by Mrs. Fields. Click HERE for more information.

Register Now for Solomon Slammers Sunday Basketball League – if your child has never before participated in our Sunday sports league, you don’t know what you and your child are missing! Our parent-run Solomon Slammers season is just around the corner, so see the flyer below for more information and to register for the basketball season.

Kindergarten for 2010-2011 is just around the corner – If you have a child entering kindergarten in the fall and have not yet received an application packet, please contact Adele Spickler, Director of Admissions, at 516-656-5500 ext. 1228. If you have friends, neighbors or acquaintances who you think might be a nice match for our program, let Adele know.

Help Our School Win $20,000 in the "America's Favorite School" online contest, sponsored by Care2.com and Great Schools.net. $20,000 would make a huge difference for our school in this economy. Please help Solomon Schechter Day School of Nassau County win by voting today. The direct url for voting for SSDS Nassau is: http://www.care2.com/schoolcontest/3613175?refer=19279.02.1255702549.723845
Care2 is the largest and most trusted information and action site for people who care to make a difference in their lives and the world. www.care2.com
_____________________

Happy Birthday, Peri!!
Love, Popsicle, Momster, G.G. and Sushi

Veterans Day at SSDS Nassau

Dear Parents and Friends of the Solomon Schechter Elementary School,

When asked to describe, “what is a Solomon Schechter education?” many of us often answer, “Solomon Schechter is the best of both worlds.” But what does that really mean? The answer is in the details of what happens in the school, day in and day out, not only in the math, writing, reading, Torah and Hebrew curriculum, but in the broader milieu of what we do as a school community.

This week’s celebration of Veterans Day is a good case in point. Throughout the week last week, classes were learning about democracy, freedom and liberty, the bedrock and foundations of our American way of life. They also learned that freedom isn’t free and that it is the responsibility of the members of the armed forces to defend democracy, freedom and liberty. The students were also reminded that at this very time, the United States is engaged in war in Iraq and in Afghanistan, and that soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines are both fighting and building in those foreign lands. Without ever discussing the political questions of these two wars, the children were engaged in reading, writing, discussion and audio-visual presentations, to learn what the American armed forces do to protect our freedom, and what veterans have done in the past.

On Monday morning, grades 2 through 5 gathered in the auditorium for a very special Veterans Day Assembly. We very much wanted to honor, in the flesh, members of the armed forces, past and present, and to give the children an opportunity to say “thank you.” Present for the program were two parents who are currently in the armed forces, a grandfather who is a veteran, our head of security and maintenance, also a veteran, and the family of a graduate, who perished in Iraq while service as a Major in the army.

The program began with the singing of the Star Spangled Banner, led by Ed Clementi, our head of security and maintenance, who served in Vietnam with distinction, and Mr. Ralph Wertheimer, grandfather of 5^th grader Alex Kristal, who served in the US Navy.

Three guest speakers then shared their stories with our students. First was Beverly Wolfer Nerenberg, a graduate of our school, mother of four, and sister of Major Stuart Wolfer z”l, whose life ended tragically while serving our country as a soldier, and leaving behind a wife, three children, 2 parents, and many loved ones. Though she did not speak to the crowd, Mrs. Esther Wolfer, mother of Major Wolfer, was also present, and was overwhelmed by the warmth, smarts, and sweetness of the children.

Beverly brought a message of cheer as she showed photos of American soldiers receiving care packages from school-aged children, as well as photos of member of “B’nai Bagdad,” celebrating Purim, Pesach, and all the other Jewish holidays. “B’nai Bagdad is a group of Jewish soldiers who gather on Shabbat and holidays in the green zone, to reconnect with their religious faith. Much of the flow of kosher food and holiday treats to reach B’nai Bagdad come via the Major Stuart Adam Wolfer Institute.

The next speaker was Lt. Col. Mary Ann Kline, mother of 5^th grader Madeline Schlesinger, who currently commands operations of an air force base out in eastern Long Island. A career airman, Lt. Col. Kline has nonetheless managed not only a military career, but to provide a Solomon Schechter education for her daughter.

The last speaker was Specialist Tara Hyman, mother of 3^rd grader Tamara Hyman. Specialist Hyman is an engineer and a member of the army reserves. She, along with the other members of her reserve unit, was deployed to Iraq and served there for nine months. She fondly remembers receiving care packages full of goodies for Jewish holidays, via the Major Stuart Adam Wolfer Institute, though she had never met any members of the Wolfer family until our assembly on Monday morning. She also spoke of building roads and school in Iraq and Honduras, sharing with our students that a large role of our armed forces is humanitarian aid throughout the world.

Throughout the program, there were also patriotic songs sung by all the children and poems and writings read by students. Approximately 150 letters and poems were written by our students during computer class during the previous week, and were sent to the Air Force and Army bases where Lt. Col. Kline and Specialist Hyman serve. Three pieces were selected to be read aloud at the assembly:

America – by Sara Balsam, 5A
This country America is where I live,
It is grand and has so much to give.
This is where all people want to be,
Because we are independent and free.
Equality and rights are what we stand for.
People’s dreams can come true here for sure.
Thanks to the military who is there to defend,
Our country will be safe and never end.

What Does Freedom Mean? – by Jared Harbour, 4A
Freedom is life, freedom is dreams.
Heroes are the ones that give us freedom.
We honor the ones who give us this thing called freedom.
Freedom is strength, freedom is courage, freedom is a thing that we need in our life.
So we thank those who give us freedom, the ones we call heroes.

I Am Proud to be an American – by Jacob Riegel, 3A
I am proud to be an American. Tons of men and women risk their lives to protect the people of the United States. Both my grandpa and great grandpa are veterans. They were both in the air force. I honor every soldier, dead or alive. I am proud to be a citizen of the U.S.A. Please protect us. United We Stand!

Toward the end of the program, a Prayer for members of the American Armed Forces was read, in Hebrew by Mrs. Esther Goldsmith, and in English, by Mrs. Swerdloff. After the assembled children sang “This Land is Your Land” and “Lo Yisa Goy El Goy Herev,” (Nation shall not life up sword against nation…”) they returned to their classes and continued their studies. Many classes took the opportunity to do additional writing of letters to soldiers.

Mrs. Esther Wolfer lingered for the next couple of hours, sitting on the bench in the hallway, reading page after page of colored copies of the “tributes to veterans” that our children had written. (The originals are being distributed to soldiers by Lt. Col Kline and Specialist Hyman.) Smiles alternated with tears as Mrs. Wolfer read, filled with longing for her son, pride in those who serve, and gratitude for the warm wishes of the children of Solomon Schechter Day School of Nassau County. I have heard people question the loyalty of day school students to the United States, since so much emphasis is placed on teaching about Israel and Zionism in our schools. Yet here is the Wolfer family, with Stuart studying at Schechter of Nassau from kindergarten through eighth grade (there was no high school yet at that time) and then going on to a career in the military. And here we have two moms in our school, who have devoted themselves to providing a strong solid Jewish and secular education for their children at Schechter, and to serving their country in the military. After the assembly, Ed Clementi told me that that this was the only time he was ever honored for being a veteran. Even when he was treasurer of his son’s public school PTA, he has no recollection that there ever were Veterans Day ceremonies. And that is in the public schools! Veterans Day was a day off from school, not a time for school children to honor veterans. Come to think of it, I also have no recollection of ever attending a Veterans Day assembly in my 13 years of public school.

As follow-up and as a way of truly showing thanks to those who serve, members of the 5^th grade, in conjunction with the Major Stuart Adam Wolfer Institute, are organizing a toiletry drive. Please support their efforts. The drive will take place beginning on Monday, November 16^th and will conclude on Monday, November 30^th, at which time the 5^th graders will pack care packages, complete with hand-written letters from Schechter elementary students. The packages will be mailed to members of the Armed Services, addresses and connections provided by the Institute.

If ever it was clear to me what “Best of Both Worlds” means, it is during this week of Veterans Day when we stop and honor those who defend our freedom. To view photos of our Veterans Day Tribute click HERE.

Shabbat Shalom,

Dr. Cindy Dolgin

Elementary School Principal

____________________________________

                                     D’var Torah
                          Parashat Chayei Sarah

The Midrash in Breishit Rabah 79,7 states:
     “Said Rabbi Yudan the son of R’ Simon: “There are three places about which the nations of the world cannot taunt Israel, saying: “You have stolen them.” And they are the Cave of Machpelah (Hebron), Har HaBayit (i.e. Jerusalem), and Josef’s Tomb (Shechem).” What is special about these three places? In each instance, the biblical text states that our forefathers purchased them from non-Jews.
One might inquire about the circumstances in the Torah portion this week. Why did Abraham insist on purchasing this cave? It was offered it to him as a free gift by Efron, yet, Abraham was adamant about paying for it.

Here are a few answers from various midrashim:
1) Hevron is a makom trashim (“rocky place”). While this may denigrate Hebron, the Midrash explains that the location’s shortcomings suggest its strengths. Its strength is not in its physical nature, but it’s deep spiritual sphere. Perhaps this explains the deep spiritual connections to the ancient city that are still held by so many to this day.
2) Another answer is derived from the literal name for the location. The Cave of Machpelah’s is kefulah b’zugot (Hebrew: cafool---literally, “doubled with couples”). The couples buried there include: Abraham and Sarah; Isaac and Rebecca; Jacob and Leah (Rachel, is buried elsewhere).
3) The Midrash suggests that this cave is the “opening to the Garden of Eden (Gan Eden).” Abraham knew the significance of this location and wanted to claim it for all future generations.

A final answer (a modern day Midrash!) comes from a letter to the editor of the NYTimes written by a local rabbi in 1988. After explaining the text, he writes:
Today, with the nations of the world still taunting Israel, I supposed it goes to show you how long you have to hold onto your receipts.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Moshe

PDF files

Chesed Corner
PA Havdallah Flyer
Solomon Slammers Registration Information
Pre-school Thanksgiving Program
Shop to Support Schechter