MDS Messenger January 4, 2013

Candle Lighting Time - 4:23 PM

Volume 12, Issue 13 January 4, 2013 פרשת שמות

בס"ד

Learning Torah in Memory of Newtown Victims By Rav Chaim Gold, [email protected]

There are tragic moments when words are insufficient,

and we are struck by the inadequacy of our ability to articu-

late our profound grief and sadness. This truth confronted us

upon reading and hearing about the great human tragedy that

befell the community of Newtown, Connecticut a couple of

weeks ago. We were informed that twenty beautiful dear

little children and six dedicated, caring, and loving educators

were murdered.

In a sense, this feeling of being overwhelmed with emo-

tion and unable to articulate sufficiently our sadness and

feelings are expressed through our tears and our cries. The

Halacha, according to many commentators, gave expression

to this need when it allowed, indeed mandated, the blowing

of the shofar in the midst of Tefila on Rosh Hashana. We

reach a point where we are overcome by the inadequacy of

words to express our regret and our Teshuva. The only thing left to do is to cry out (the sounds of the shofar) and commit ourselves

to becoming better human beings and to do acts that further this ideal.

The seventh and eighth grade students in Rav Gold’s shiur in Gemara and Dinim wanted to DO something concrete to express

our feeling of connection with the children and educators lost, and with the parents and families, as well as the community in New-

town. We therefore committed all our learning during the Shiva and donated $250 to Chai Lifeline (an organization of selfless indi-

viduals who help, in so many valuable and important ways, children and their families who are stricken with life threatening diseas-

es) to their memory. May the memories of the lost be a blessing to all of us and develop in us the ability to better ourselves and all

humanity through acts of chesed (loving kindness).



Committee Updates: Technology Committee By MDS Technology Committee

From time to time, the MDS Messenger will use this new

feature section to update our community about the many initiatives

that our Committees are involved in, led by our lay profession-

als. We are all invested in the school to make Manhattan Day School

the best place it can be.

Technology Committee Update

It is a given nowadays that technology, when applied cor-

rectly, can be a significant difference-maker in all organiza-

tions. Placing Technology high on the school’s list of priorities, Dan-

iel Posner, our new President, recently assembled a new Technology

Committee to explore the opportunities in this area. Robert Marcus,

the Committee’s leader, will be assisted by fellow committee mem-

bers and MDS parents Josh Epstein, Alan Samuels, and Daniel Solo-

mons, all of whom bring deep and varied subject-matter expertise

from the business and technology world. The Technology Committee has already met multiple times this school year, and has de-

fined its mandate as researching and recommending enhancements in three main areas:

1) Administration - using technology to aid in more efficient school operations

2) Infrastructure - ensuring appropriate networks, WiFi, security, speed of connectivity, etc.

3) Curriculum - examining current practices and exploring cutting-edge electronic content and tools, as well as hardware

that may extend the school’s ability to engage with our children and to address multiple learning styles and speeds.

All recommendations will take into account the large amount of work that has already been done in the areas outlined above. The

Committee looks forward to assisting MDS in becoming the envy of its peers, and is open to entertaining any and all recommenda-

tions that MDS educators, parents or students may want to share. Please email your suggestions to [email protected].

Remaining Afterschool Club Dates for the Fall Semester:

Mondays: January 7 and 14

Tuesdays: January 8 and 15

Wednesdays: Make up ses-

sion for Magic and Crocheting

only on January 9th

Thursdays: January 10

Fridays: January 11

The Spring Afterschool semes-

ter will start the week of Feb-

ruary 4th. The Afterschool

booklet will be mailed to you

before the winter break. The

Spring schedule is the same as

the Fall, however we added a

Shakespeare club and a Read-

ers Writers club for 4-6th

Graders.

Visit the Afterschool Clubs

page on our website for more

information!

mailto:[email protected]



Why Memorize Gemara? By Rav Chaim Gold, [email protected]

Rav Gold's talmidim are learning

Mesechet Pesachim this year. The shi-

ur engages in an intensive level of study

including emphasis on the logical-

analytical analysis of numerous topics

with the commentaries of Rashi, Rash-

bam and some Tosafos leading to practi-

cal halachic conclusions as found in the

Rambam and Shulchan Aruch. Frequent-

ly we find differing opinions, each having

a logical-analytical basis. Avichai Solo-

mons has advanced even further

by committing to memory three pages of

Gemara by heart. Memorizing the

text enables the Gemara student to gain

fluency in approaching the unpunctuated

and unvocalized Aramaic text of Gemara.

It also creates a broader expertise of Ara-

maic vocabulary leading eventually to

being able to learn Gemara independent-

ly. Avichai received a sefer halachot in

recognition of his accomplishments.

Will End to Supersizing Help Us Be Healthier? By Richie Siegel, 6B

In Mrs. Dahan’s class we read news articles and wrote summaries of them. This is

my summary of the article “So Long, Super Sizes?”

The article “So Long, Super Sizes?” is about the recent ban of soft drinks larger

than 16 ounces in New York restaurants, movie theaters, and sports arenas, and how soft

drinks and other high-calorie foods are making people obese. The ban was passed when

health experts and lawmakers are trying to address a nationwide obesity problem which is

so bad that, 1/3 of all adults in the U.S. are obese! Obesity is linked to serious health prob-

lems like health disease and diabetes. Health experts are partially blaming extra-large por-

tions for health problems. Popular menu items have gotten bigger, but soft drinks have

enlarged the most of all. At McDonalds in 1955, the only fountain soda size was 7 ounces.

Today at McDonalds, you can get a 32 ounce soda! And at other fast-food restaurants, you

can get a jumbo-sized 64 ounce soda! Not to mention, hamburgers are bigger- three times

bigger than two generations ago! All this results in hundreds of more calories and a lot

more sugar than a few decades ago. Not only this, but people are exercising less, and

therefore not burning off the extra calories. This leaves millions of Americans overweight.

In recent years, soft drinks have been the focus of other efforts to fight obesity. A number

of districts around the country have banned the sale of sodas in their schools. Nutrition

experts say the New York ban will help people make healthier choices about their food.

However, not everyone agrees; nutrition expert Julie Feldman says, “it would be more

helpful to educate families about the types of food they should include in their diet—versus

talking about all the things they shouldn’t include.” People also say that the law somewhat takes away peoples’ freedom, and that if

the consumer wants to buy a 32 ounce soda, he should be able to buy a 32 ounce soda (which I heartedly agree on!). Mayor Bloom-

berg, however, the one who proposed this law, says that the law only limits portions, and you can still buy as many 16-12 ounce sodas

as you want. “In the case of full-sugared drinks, in moderation it’s fine,” Bloomberg explained on the Today show. “All we’re trying

to do is to explain to people that if you drink a little bit less, you will live longer.” The obesity problem that is gripping the nation is

extremely serious, and while everyone has different opinions as to what should be done, something really has to be done to help kids

stay healthy.



Reading and Writing Extensions: Marsupials! By Julia Averbuch, Reading Coordinator, [email protected]

As teachers, our goal is to expand the stu-

dents’ knowledge of a particular topic taught in

class. Many of our guided reading groups have been

exposed to informational texts. The excitement of

learning is triggered by students who wish to learn

more about the topic. While learning about marsu-

pials, some students expressed an interest to explore

and learn about other marsupials of Australia. Here

is a sample of their works.

Bilbies

By Joshua Broome, 3A

In Guided Reading, we have been learning about marsu-

pials living in Australia. The Bilby’s habitat is in a desert in West-

ern Australia. Bilbies live in underground burrows. Bilbies usually

spend the night looking for food to eat. They eat ants, termites,

fruit and seeds.

A Bilby’s ear is like a rabbit’s ear. It is long and pointed.

Its fur is grayish and it has a black tail with a white tip. Like most

marsupials, the Bilby has a pouch to carry its babies. The Bilby’s

pouch opens in the back so the babies could escape from predators.

I learned many interesting facts. This marsupial likes its own

company. That means it likes to be by itself.

I did not know about marsupials before reading the book,

Where’s the Joey? in my reading group.

Numbats are Interesting Marsupials

By Marcus Moore, 3A

Numbats are small marsupials that live in the eucalyptus forests of Western Australia. The numbat has reddish-brown fur.

Its tail is almost as long as his body. Across its body are white stripes. It also has a narrow head and a long, thin, sticky tongue.

A numbat’s diet is termites. Numbats eat about 20,000 termites a day. They use their long, thin sticky tongue to catch the

termites.

Fun Facts: Did you know that numbats are one of the few marsupials that do not have a pouch? Numbats have 52 teeth

which is more than any other land mammal. There are only 1,500 numbats living.



Cayla Muschel, 6G:

A few days ago, we were all sitting on couches, shivering under blankets,

reading by candlelight or watching “Tracking Sandy” news. We were all

trying to ignore the roar of the wind and the thundering of rain right outside

our windows. From October 28th to November 2nd the storm itself and

aftermath of Hurricane Sandy was crashing down from New Jersey to

somewhere around Michigan. Lower Manhattan was pretty much com-

pletely flooded, as well as without power or water. Parks were closed, trees

were felled, people were and are still homeless, homes were destroyed. I,

personally, Monday night, was watching TV in the living room. I jumped

many times because our terrace windows were rattling so hard it sounded

like thunder. The winds were terrible, but the worst part was the water ris-

ing so high. We were very lucky considering how close we live to the Hud-

son River. The scariest part was when it came on the news that NYU’s gen-

erator failed. They had to evacuate. Patients were being carried down

stairs. I will never forget Hurricane Sandy.

Suzi Dweck, 6G:

We were all sitting down on the couch about to watch a movie, except for my dad who was outside in his car listening to the ra-

dio. When all of a sudden, the lights started flickering on and off, up and down until everything went black. That’s when I had a feel-

ing that Sandy was coming for us. We heard my dad rushing up the stairs with flashlights and candles, first scared and then calm. Af-

ter we lit all the candles and turned on all of the flashlights, we were settled. That night we decided to all sleep in my parents’ bed-

room. I was terrified that our house would be torn into pieces and wondered whether we would be safe and sound. Every couple hours

I woke up from the sound of the rain. Finally, after a long night, it was morning, and my parents decided to go to my grandparents’

apartment since they were in Florida. We rushed out of the house, and we spent the next several days in our grandparents’ apartment

scared about our home and whether the power would ever come back.

How Did You Experience Hurricane Sandy? Submitted by Eileen Dahan, [email protected]



Prayers for Peace in Israel By Chana Raitman, [email protected]

In our busy schedules, it is important to stop and recognize the ultimate Stage Manager behind every facet of our lives.

Grade 3 has been focusing on Tefillah & how it consciously makes us aware of G-d… Given the recent situation in Israel, we have

said additional chapters of Tehillim and composed our own personal conversations with Hashem.

Save the Date!

March 10, 2012

Annual Scholarship Dinner, honoring:

Guests of Honor: Deveaux Barron & Andrew Berkowitz Community Service: City Councilwoman Gale Brewer

Faculty Award: Jamie Bunin



Parsha Adventures By Yehudis Feinstein, [email protected] and Bernice Mandel, [email protected]

This week the Nursery 1 and Nursery 3 classes started learning the second book of the Torah. We are reading Parshat Sh’mot

in Sefer Sh’mot, the book of Sh’mot. The parsha tells us about the life of the Jews in Mitzrayim (Egypt).

Before this new King Pharaoh came into power, the Jewish people lived well. The new king was not nice to the Jewish peo-

ple. Pharaoh had them work very hard building cities and pyramids. We learned about Yocheved who had three children, Moshe,

Aharon, and Miriam. Yocheved worried that Moshe would grow up to be a slave like the rest of the Jews so Yocheved put Moshe in a

special basket called a “teyva” (of course we compared this teyva to Noach’s teyva) and set him in the Nile river. Pharaoh’s daughter,

Batya, was standing at the river with some friends when she thought she heard a baby crying (ask your children to demonstrate !). She

saw this little baby and called him Moshe. Batya took Moshe home to raise him in her palace. She even took Yocheved to be his

“Nanny”.

We then learned that Moshe grew up to be one of the most important Jewish leaders. We call him “Moshe Rabeinu”. The

children always enjoy our Parsha stories and focus so intently on the details of each story. To make the story even more real, we took

a small basket and put a “baby Moshe” in it. We pretended to send it floating down the Nile River.

It is sometimes hard to determine who enjoys our Parsha sessions more—teachers or students. We pray that the love and interest

that our young students show for Torah learning remains with them throughout their lives.

HaMalach HaGoel By Aviva Yablok, Early Childhood Department Director, [email protected]

This past Shabbat marked the conclusion

of Sefer Bereishit, as we read Parshat

Vayechi. Parshat Vayechi contains the famous

blessings given by Yaakov to his children. Among

those blessings is “Hamalach Hagoel Oti”, the

tefilah said each night by Jewish children around

the world. This prayer reminds us that Hashem is

watching us and will continue to watch us and

keep us safe from harm. It reminds us of the con-

nection we all have to our ancestors and the prom-

ise of a Jewish nation and a Jewish future.

It seems especially important to take note

of these words this year. We sang this tefillah at

our Early Childhood “Kumzitz” this Friday morn-

ing, along with many of our usual favorites. We

will meet in the lobby with our music teacher, Mo-

rah Karen, to sing together, alongside the fourth

grade girl’s class who has been invited to join

us. We enjoyed cocoa and read some favorite

bedtime stories together while holding our favorite

stuffed animals.



8G Devar Torah Project: Shemot Submitted by Bethany Strulowitz, [email protected]; Devar Torah written by Alissa Mackey, 8G

Have you ever wondered how all the events taking place in Mitzrayim happened so

perfectly for the benefit of Bnei Yisrael? This Parsha occurs once the whole generation of

Yoseph has passed, and a new one is born replacing the old. A new king arises over the land of

Mitzrayim, who is alien to Yoseph, and does not know him. Bnei Yisrael begin a new life in

Egypt as a happy people, practicing their religion in peace. However this tranquility soon van-

ishes, replacing it with a new era of hard, exhausting, physical labor.

The midrash explains that Pharaoh becomes increasingly worried about an inevitable event

the prophets tell him of through reading the stars. They tell of a Jewish baby who will be born

as a leader to redeem the Jewish people and ruin Pharaoh’s grand plan of ruling over a great

land filled with awe-inspiring pyramids. Pharaoh quickly devises a solution: to decree the im-

mediate death of all Jewish baby boys. Pharaoh sends two nursemaids, Shifra and Puah, to over-

look Jewish women's births and murder their baby boys. However, Shifra and Puah avoided

fulfillment of Pharaoh’s order, instead giving clever excuses to explain their failure of killing

the baby boys. But who really were Shifra and Puah, and why did they neglect Pharaoh’s or-

ders? Rashi says that under their Egyptian identities, Shifra was really Yocheved and Puah was

Miriam. Realizing his plan would not succeed through these measures, Pharaoh revises his poli-

cy, now permitting guards to enter and search all Jewish houses collecting all baby boys found,

and throwing them into the Nile.

There was a Jewish woman living in Egypt named Yocheved (according to the midrash, the

maidservant also known as Shifra), who gave birth to a baby boy during this time. This baby

was unique; according to a midrash, when he was born, he had bright glowing rays emulating

from him. The midrash continues that realizing her baby’s special qualities, Yocheved decides to name him Tuvya because he was

good. Yocheved fearing her newborn’s Nile death, quickly wove him a basket. She safely tucked him away and sent her daughter,

Miriam, to carefully place him in the Nile afloat. Pharaoh's daughter sees the beautiful baby and outstretches her arms, enveloping

him with utmost love and care. She renames Tuvya to Moshe because she pulled him from the Nile. In this moment Moshe is given a

new life; no longer will he live in poverty and fear but instead, he will grow up in the castle of the great Pharaoh right under his nose.

Rabbi Shraga Simmones explains that a problem quickly arises: what to feed the baby boy. Back then there were no milk formulas,

therefore a baby would drink from a “wet nurse.” In Moshe's case, according to the midrash, he refused all Egyptian woman, so Phar-

aoh's daughter had to find a new solution. After long search, she finally found a perfect match: Moshe’s own mother! Although Phar-

aoh declared the drowning of baby boys due to fear of a leader born, Moshe, the destined leader, grew up right under his nose. Phar-

aoh financed, nurtured, educated, and trained him right in his own home. We infer from here that no matter what the situation, Ha-

shem always has an amazing plan, hidden from our knowledge.

As Moshe soon grew up, he faced many new conflicts and troubles. To start, his adoptive grandfather, the great Pharaoh, upon

hearing that Moshe killed a Mitzry man that hit a Jew began to plot Moshe’s death. Moshe, overwhelmed by his predicament, decides

to flee to the land of Midyan. This decision proves to be quite rewarding for Moshe for while sitting near a well, he meets a woman

named Tziporah. Her father Yitro is an extremely generous man and he bestows upon Moshe his daughter as a beautiful wife. While

Moses is out shepherding a flock of sheep, he loses his way, and suddenly sees the

most uncommon sight. Before him lies a burning bush unharmed by the flames. Moshe

immediately realizes this is a miracle from Hashem, and stands alert for any instruc-

tions. God appears to Mosses from the alighted bushes that did not burn and reveals to

him that he is the chosen one: destined to free the Jewish people from the evils and

cruelty of Egypt. Moshe, who is disabled in speech, asks Aharon, his brother, to ac-

company him on this momentous occasion. Hashem commands Moshe to give his son

Gershom a Brit Mila immediately or he will kill him. Tziporah quickly gives him a

Brit and the family continues on the journey to Mitzrayim. Moshe and Aharon unite to

face Pharaoh and reveal to him what the true G-D of the universe has commanded.

Pharaoh, stubborn and arrogant, immediately refuses to oblige, and he places even

harder and more monotonous work on the poor Bnei Yisrael thus further embittering

their sorrowful lives.

A meaningful lesson we can learn from this parsha is that no matter what situation

we find ourselves in life, Hashem always has a plan of action. Along with this plan

over which we have no control, we possess two choices. We can partner with Hashem,

and enjoy all the great pleasures he gives us, or we can choose to go against Hashem

(like Pharaoh) and suffer through harsh punishments. No matter what, Hashem will do

exactly as He wishes, regardless of our beliefs. However although Hashem’s decision

may seem wrong for us, we must always believe that everything from Hashem is good.



Parsha Challenge: Shemot By Rabbi Binyamin Yablok, Associate Principal, [email protected], based on questions from Congregation Rinat Yisrael in Teaneck, New Jersey

1. (a) What halacha about the reward for talmud Torah do we learn from Sefer Shemot’s 1st verse? (b) Why did the Torah (1)

list Ya’akov’s children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren in Parashat Vayigash, but only his sons here? (2) specify that

(i) Yosef died, (ii) all his brothers died, and (iii) the whole generation died – not just say that all of Yosef’s generation died? (c)

(1) Since Hashem told Avraham that Bnei Yisrael would be enslaved for 400 years (Bereishit 15:13), why were they in Mitz-

rayim only 210 years (2 reasons)? (2) How many years before Yetziat Mitzrayim did Bnei Yisrael begin laboring (i) voluntari-

ly? (ii) as slaves? (iii) be-forech (with crushing hardness)? (Shemot 1-13)

1. (a) Shemot’s first 4 word’s 16 letters are the initial letters of the following statement – “One who learns the parasha, shnayim

mikra ve-echad targum (the parasha text twice and targum once – Berachot 8a-b) in a pleasant, straight voice, will live many long

years” (Ba’al haTurim). (b) (1) His sons were on such a high spiritual level that, as long as any was still alive, none of his offspring

could be influenced by the Mitzrim (Sforno). (2) When Yosef lived, Bnei Yisrael were elite above the Mitzrim; (i) after he died, they

equaled the Mitzrim; (ii) after his brothers died, they declined, becoming a despised minority; (iii) after the 1st generation died, their

status lowered further – the Mitzrim enslaved them (Ohr haChaim). (c) (1) The period was reduced by (i) the labor’s harshness; (ii)

the huge number of slaves, from the miraculous population increase (Mishneh laMelech). (2) (i) 193 – after Ya’akov died, when Bnei

Yisrael were in Mitzrayim 17 years; (ii) 116 – after the last of Ya’akov’s sons, Levi, died (Gur Aryeh). (iii) 86 years – when Miriam

was born (Rashi – Shir haShirim 2:11).

2. (a) Who were the midwives Shifra and Puah (3 opinions)? (b) (1) What were the “batim” (houses) that Hashem gave them

(3 views)? (2) How were they rewarded mida ke-neged mida? (Shemot 1:21)

2. (a) Yocheved and (1) her daughter Miriam, or (2) her daughter-in-law Elisheva (Sotah 11b). (3) Mitzrit converts (Midrash Tad-

sheh). (b) (1) (i) Hashem’s reward that their offspring would become the Houses of Kehuna (priesthood) and Malchut (kingship)

(Rashi). (ii) His protection from Pharoah’s wrath (Sa’adiah Gaon). (iii) Pharaoh made batim to keep them under “house ar-

rest” (Rashbam). (2) Pharaoh’s ordering the murder of only the boys did not threaten Bnei Yisrael’s continuity, since Jewish status

was set matrilineally, but since patrilineal descent determines one’s sheivet, the midwives’ saving the boys assured the continuity of

Bnei Aharon in Sheivet Levi and Beit David in Yehuda (Y.D. Soloveitchik).

3. (a) On what date was Moshe conceived? (b) Why was Yocheved unable to hide him more than 3 months? (c) What oc-

curred 8 decades after she put Moshe on the Nile? (d) Since Bnei Yisrael merited redemption by keeping their Ivri names

(Pirkei deRebi Eliezer), how did Pharaoh’s daughter give Moshe, their redeemer, a Mitzri name (4 views)? (e) What were

Moshe’s 9 other names? (Shemot 2:2,10)

3. (a) On 7 Elul, 6 months before his 7 Adar birth; (b) Pharaoh’s astrologers saw she had conceived – they came to drown him after 9

months, 3 months after his birth; (c) she put him in the ark on 6 Sivan, 80 years before matan Torah on Shavuot (Rashbam). (d) (1)

Batya converted, giving him a Hebrew name; (2) Yocheved named him Moshe – Batya agreed (Chizkuni). (3) Batya gave him the

Mitzri name Monios, meaning the same as Moshe in Hebrew (ibn Ezra). (4) The name is composed of the Mitzri words “mo” (water)

and “sheh” (drawing out), meaning the same in Hebrew (Malbim). (e) (1) Amram called him Chever (uniter), since (i) Amram reunit-

ed with Yocheved for his sake; (2) Yocheved called him Yekutiel (hoping for Hashem), since he would be Bnei Yisrael’s hope; (3)

Miriam called him Yered (descend), since (i) she descended to the Nile to watch over him, and (ii) he would bring down the Torah

from Hashem; (4) Aharon called him Avi Zano’ach (my father left), since (i) his father left his mother but took her back, and (ii)

Moshe would cause Bnei Yisrael to leave idol worship; (5) Kehat called him Avi Soko (father protected), since Moshe was protected

from the Mitzrim for 3 months. Bnei Yisrael called him (6) Shemaya (Hashem listens), since Hashem would listen to his tefilot; (7)

Ben Netanel (Hashem gave), since he would give them the Torah; (8) Avigdor (fence), since he would institute fences to protect the

Torah; (9) Tuvia (good), since, at his birth, his mother saw that he was perfect (Yalkut Shimoni, Vayikra Raba).

4. (a) Why was Yitro called (1) Yeter (2 views)? (2) Reu’el? (3) Keni (2 views)? (b) Why did Hashem (1) tell Moshe to remove

his shoes (5 views)? (2) describe Eretz Yisrael as “flowing with milk and honey,” not as “flowing with wine and olive oil” – 2 of

the sheva minim (7 species for which Yisrael is famous)? (c) How do we know that Hashem’s 4-letter name may never be pro-

nounced as it is spelled? (Shemot 3:5,8,15)

4. (a) (1) (i) Through him, the Torah has “yeter” (an additional) parasha; (ii) a letter was added to his name, making it Yitro, for his

good deeds (Mechilta). (2) He befriended Hashem (rei’a El) by converting (Shemot Raba). (3) He (i) was Kayin’s offspring (Zohar);

(ii) acquired (kana) Torah (Sifri Bamidbar). (b) (1) (i) Moshe was standing on holy earth – touching it increased his holiness

(Ramban). (ii) Before standing on the bush’s holy ground, Moshe removed his shoes where he was, since even that ground was holy

(Sforno). (iii) A shoe’s relation to the body compares to that of a body to its soul – just as shoes cover the body’s lowest part, the body

covers the soul’s lowest part, with the soul’s root extending to the upper world. Moshe, starting prophecy, was at low contact with the

Shechina, symbolized by his shoes (Nefesh haChaim). (iv) Since Hashem made man’s body from the earth’s dust, the body should be

holy but loses holiness from sins – Moshe’s contact with holy ground gained him holiness (Shelah). (v) It signified Moshe’s discard-

ing worldliness to devote himself to holiness (S.R. Hirsch). (c) Milk and honey are kosher but derived from non-kosher sources – milk

comes from blood (Nidah 9a), and honey comes from bees – so Eretz Yisrael awakens a person engulfed in non-kosher activities to do

teshuva, becoming tahor (Ohr Torah). (c) Hashem said, “this is My name ‘le-olam’” (forever) – “le-olam” is spelled without a vav and

can be pronounced “le-aleim” (to hide) – His Name’s pronunciation must be “hidden” (Pesachim 50b).



January Lunch Menu Prepared by Aleta Gelb, Director of Food Services, [email protected]



Winter Break Family Fun Days



Boys Melaveh Malkah, 2/16/13

Save the Date!

Annual Father, Son, Grandfather

Melave Malkah

4th-8th Grade Boys

February 16th, 2013



Order Mishloach Manot with MDS!



Upcoming Events...

5.5.13

Don’t miss

it…



MDS Afterschool Clubs - Now Online!

The Spring Afterschool Club info and registration is now available on the MDS website!

Contact Ester Gruenberger-Kelen, Afterschool Program Director, [email protected], with any questions.



Manhattan Day School

310 West 75th Street

New York, New York

Tel: 212-376-6800

Fax: 212-376-6389

www.mdsweb.org

Tel: 212-673-3066

Fax: 212-376-6389

Email all articles and graphics

to Yehudit Robinson,

Director of

Educational Technology,

[email protected]

…

Thank you for keeping our school

a nut-aware environment.

Please join our daily parent

tehillim group which meets in the

library at 8:15 AM.

Shabbat Shalom! By Bernice Mandel, [email protected]

In the MDS Family...

Mazel tov to Rabbi and Aviva Yablok on the Bar Mitzvah of their grandson, Izzy

Klavan taking place this Shabbat.

Mazal tov to Robert Insel, Executive Director, on the bris of his grandson Harry

(Yechezkel Tuvia) Ritter.

Mazal tov to Sharon Newman, Educational Office Adminsitrator, on the wedding

of her grandson Shimmy Goldish to Ellinor Schaffer which took place in Israel.

Upcoming Events:

January 9 Kindergarten Pajama Party

January 12 Ladies Night Out

January 17-27 Winter Break

February 16 Melave Malka

February 24 Purim

March 10 Annual Dinner

March 22-April 3 Pesach Vacation

MDS Messenger January 4, 2013

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Transcript of MDS Messenger January 4, 2013