‫שבועון למשפחות‬
A Newsletter for Hebrew School Families
Week of September 30, 2012
Carpool Curriculum by Michael Raileanu
Oh, that crazy Jewish calendar!
This Shabbat we will be reading the
special parasha for Shabbat Chol
HaMoed Sukkot, Exodus 33:12-34:26.
(The maftir is Numbers 29:23-28.)
The parasha opens with Moshe
confronting God and then moves on to
talk about the three pilgrimage
holidays.
1. This parasha opens with Moshe
saying, "Look - You said to me..."
Look? Really? Look? Isn't that a
strange word for Moshe to use with
God? Can't God see everything?
Have you ever used "look" in this
way? "Look, mom, I want...." What
does "look" mean to you in that
case? Do you think that is the same
use for Moshe here?
2. After the sin of the Golden Calf,
where this parasha is actually
found, God told Moshe that an
angel was going to accompany the
people. Moshe does not like that.
Why? Why can't God send an
angel? Doesn't God have other
things to do? Why do you think
Moshe would get so upset about
this?
3. Do you think that the change from
God to an angel means God is going
to be less involved with the Jewish
people? How would we know if God
is more or less involved? Do you
think Moshe would know? Moshe
says that if God is not going to come
along personally then Moshe would
not lead the people. Wow! What do
you think about that? Did Moshe
mean it? Could Moshe bluff God?
4. Moshe asks to see God. Why do
you think Moshe needed to see God?
Do you think there is a connection
between this request and the Golden
Calf business that came just before?
What is the connection? All Moshe is
allowed to see is the back of God as
God goes by. Why is that? What do
you imagine Moshe saw?
This Torah reading hops around
between laws of the three Pilgrimage
Festivals (Pesach, Sukkot and Shavuot)
and regular laws ("don't boil a calf in
it's mothers milk..." etc). Why is that?
Why mix them up? Why not just go
holiday, holiday, holiday and then law,
law, law? What do you think is the
advantage of hopping around? What is
the disadvantage? Does the Torah
follow the same kind of logic as a
storybook? Does it have to? Why or
why not?
MoadIm LsiMcha!
Honorable Mensch-ens (and how to earn one)
The PSJC Hebrew School strives to create a learning environment where everyone
feels welcome, safe and happy. One of the ways in which we can all help to make
this happen is by acting like a MENSCH. Over the year, when someone is “caught
being a MENSCH” they can be nominated by a member of the faculty or by a fellow
student to receive an Honorable Menschen in the Shavuon L’Mishpachot. Students
who receive honorable Menschens may also have the honor of holding the candle
during Havdallah (a very coveted responsibility!)
**The year’s first honorable menschen goes out to Elliot Horn in Kitah Gimel. His
behavior yesterday was so impressive: not only was he on his best behavior during
class, but he encouraged other students to be respectful and to engage in our activity.
He was Mature, Enthusiastic, AND Helpful!
14 Tishri 5773
Upcoming Important Dates
10/3 HS (3-7)
10/7 NO HS (3-7)-Columbus Day
10/8 NO HS (K-2)-Simchat Torah
10/10 HS (3-7)
10/14 HS (3-7)
10/16 HS (K-2) + Shorashim
resumes!!!!!
10/17 HS (3-7)
10/21 HS (3-7)
10/23 HS (K-2)
10/24 HS (3-7)/Back 2 School
Nite
10/26 Kitah Gan Shabbat Dinner
10/28 HS (3-7)/Gimel Parent
Student Study Session/Kitah Vav
field trip to the Soup Kitchen
Happy
Birthdaya
The PSJC Hebrew School wishes
the following birthdays this week
a “Yom Huledet Sameach!”
Theo C. (Kitah Aleph) 10/1
Jackson P. (Kitah Vav) 10/4
Anna H. (Kitah Gimel Madricha) 10/5
Laura H. (Kitah Dalet Madricha) 10/5
Upcoming Bnai Mitzvah
Join us at PSJC as we
celebrate the following
students (both Hebrew
School alumni) become Bar/
Bat
Mitzvah:
10/13 Martin Drob
11/3 Zoe Fruchter
6:30 PM October 8th
—Simchat Torah!
Dance with the Torah! ALL
are welcome in the main
sanctuary as
we celebrate
the start of the Torah anew.
Park Slope Jewish Center
Elisabeth Albert
Carie Carter
1320 8th Avenue
Director of Family Education
Rabbi
Brooklyn, NY 11215
718.832.5863/[email protected]
718.768.1285/[email protected]
718.678.1453/www.psjc.org
What should I bring to
Hebrew School each week?
Committee corner
Each student should bring
their
1)
class
books,
2) pencil, 3) Tzedakah 4) a
head
covering
and
5) anything your teacher has
specifically requested.
Get to know the members of our Hebrew School Committee a bit better! When you
see one of them at dismissal, say hi and find out how you can get more involved in
the Hebrew School community!
This week, we’ll get to know Catherine Drogin!
E-MAIL
Please make sure we have
your correct e-mail address.
This will be our primary
source of communication. If
you have not received
anything via e-mail from
Elisabeth check with her at
[email protected] to make
sure we didn’t make a
mistake!
Who are the members of your family? My husband Peter and son
Alexander.
What Hebrew School classes are your children in? Kitah Dalet
(4th grade)
When did you join PSJC? Four years ago.
When did you join the Hebrew School? Four years ago when
Alexander was in Kitah Gan (K).
When did you join the Hebrew School Committee? This is my
second year on the committee.
Have you been involved in other committees, special projects or areas of the shul? I was in
charge of the annual Passover candy sale this past year.
Where are you from? Originally from South Africa but grew up in Port Washington, NY.
Back 2 School Nite
Please mark your calendars
for Wednesday,
October
24th at 7:15 PM. Parents are
invited to shmooze with one
another, hear from the
principal, rabbi and committee
members about what is going
on in the school, and have a
chance to talk to your child’s
teacher(s) in a casual “science
fair-style” event.
Have you joined the PSJC
Hebrew
School
Facebook
group? This is a closed group
for current PSJC Hebrew
School parents, students and
teachers.
We'll post class
updates, pictures, reminders
and more here! Just another
fun way (in addition to emails,
the website, and the Shavuon
L'Mishpachot) to stay in touch
with all of the amazing things
happening in Hebrew School
this year.
What do you do when you aren’t on the Hebrew School Committee? I spend my work time
helping to develop and market new products, and my free time with friends and family!
Is there anything else you’d like to share with the Hebrew School community? I am very
excited to be on the HSC this year and look forward to a fantastic year. If anyone
wants to learn more about the committee or the Hebrew School in general, feel free
to contact me!
Tzedakah
This year we have one ALL-SCHOOL Tzedakah box which will be out
during T’fillah/Havdallah each school day. We encourage all students to
participate in the act of giving Tzedakah each day. There is no requirement as to how much a person should give. No one should feel
pressured to give Tzedakah. If anyone is nervous or uncomfortable
giving Tzedakah during T’fillah, they can always come to my office to donate. Later on in
the year we will be talking more about where our collected Tzedakah will be donated. In
the meantime, it sure is inspiring to see our big Tzedakah box filling up!
Kitah Vav learns
about the different
calls of the shofar.
Fun for them (not as
fun for the class that
meets next door ;)
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