This week's Kol Torah is generously sponsored by KOSHER FOODS AND MORE, LLC. Wishing everyone a Good Shabbos!

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1 This weekly publication is ed to all of our subscribers. The newsletter recaps the week's events at Caskey Torah Academy and informs readers of upcoming programs and events. A printed copy is sent home on Fridays to each CTA family. Happy reading and have a Good Shabbos! Candle Lighting 5:18PP M 1 Adar 5778/February 16, 2018 This week's Kol Torah is generously sponsored by KOSHER FOODS AND MORE, LLC Wishing everyone a Good Shabbos! If you would like to sponsor an issue of Kol Torah in honor or in memory of a loved one, please contact Rachel Mazurek at rmazurek@taphila.org. PICTURE OF THE WEEK

2 54TH ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP BANQUET

3 MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL Rosh Chodesh Adar is now upon us and we are ready for Purim at Caskey Torah Academy! Our hallways are bursting with color and simcha (thank you Noa and Noa!), our hallways are filled with music and dancing, and our talmidim filled with excited anticipation! Please make sure that you read the Kol Torah and other announcements about our

4 spirit days, Adar Ruach, Shushan Purim Carnival and more. You can also make a lasting impact on your child's chinuch by helping them fulfill mitzvos on their own, so that they themselves experience Purim. All too often, it is assumed that children fulfill the mitzvos vicariously through the family's acts of Megillah, Seudah, Mishloach Manos and Matanos L'Evyonim. We should be conscious and ensure that our children do these acts themselves. This is, of course, the mitzvah of Chinuch and it is most impactful when we help our children do the mitzvah on their own. All it takes is two dollars. Please make it a Purim Priority to give a Chayal a hearty dose of Simchat Purim. We are asking that each student bring 1 dollar so that we can join together to send Mishloach Manot baskets to an IDF Chayal Boded (Lone Soldier) on duty on Purim day. Imagine the heartwarming feeling it brings to a Chayal, that there is love and care coming from across the ocean on Purim. Fulfill the Mitzvah of Matanot L'evyonim, gifts to the poor, in a most important way. Chasdei Eliyahu distributes monies, food, clothing and more to the needy of our community. Od Yosef Chai puts food on the table for needy families in Israel. Please help your child fulfill these mitzvos themselves by bringing in a dollar or more to school. We will distribute Matanos L'Evyonim to these two worthy organizations on Purim day. Parents who wish to participate may certainly send in their own checks (written to Chasdei Eliyahu and/or Od Yosef Chai) as well. Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Isaac Entin MAZAL TOV To Shaun and Ronit Snitman and Family on Liora's Bat Mitzvah! To Sam and Tara Goldstein and Family on Benny's Bar Mitzvah! RABBI ENTIN' S RECO MMENDED READING To read Rabbi Entin's recommended reading, CLICK HERE! UPCO MING EVENTS Monday, February 19: President's Day, No School Wednesday, February 21: Enrichment Cluster Celebration Sunday, February 25: 54th Annual Scholarship Banquet Wednesday, February 28: Ta'anit Esther, 1:45 Dismissal

5 Thursday, March 1: Purim, No School Friday, March 2: Shushan Purim, Special Programming Tuesday, March 6: Special Parenting Workshop with Rabbi Shlomo Goldberg INSIDE THE CLASSROOM - 4Y Our 4Y class has begun learning all about the artist, Vincent van Gogh, as a part of our colors unit. After looking at two famous paintings by van Gogh, Starry Night and Self Portrait, we noticed and discussed the colors van Gogh used during two periods of his lifetime (darker colors and then brighter colors). The children also noticed the brush strokes van Gogh used in his paintings. We experimented by making short brush strokes and swirls with four colors of paint in a foil pan. It was enjoyable to watch as the colors mixed together to create the dark and light colors van Gogh used in the two paintings we learned about. We read Katie and the Starry Night by James Mayhew to get a better picture of the magical illustration in van Gogh's painting of Starry Night. The children had so much fun painting during our Paint Night themed session. They followed step by step instructions: painting the background first, the swirls, stars, and the dark tree. We had a great time learning about such a talented artist in a hands-on way. Shabbat Shalom, Morah Nava INSIDE THE CLASSROOM - MUSIC Music Program- Song of the Month The music program is in full swing at CTA! Students are exploring keyboards, recorders, and vocal music, developing musical notation skills, creating music videos, and forming their own bands. Get ready for our middle school band performances at the CTA Dinner next week! This year, Mrs. Gore and I have partnered to add the "Shir HaChodesh- Song of the Month" program into the mix. Each month, all students in grades 1-5 learn the designated song of the month. This is a collaborative effort. Students sing the song during music class, define the song lyrics with their Hebrew teachers, and discover the source for each song with their limudei kodesh teachers.

6 On Rosh Chodesh, we bring students together for a kumzits. Students hear a short story or dvar Torah, sing the latest song of the month, and review all past songs of the month. This week, we had our 5th Rosh Chodesh kumzits. Students joined together to sing spirited renditions of "Acheinu," "Eitz Chaim," "Al Chomotayich Yerushalayim," "Tov Lehodot," and "Ya'aleh Veyavo." Each month we are reminded of the power and beauty of group song! Shabbat Shalom and Chodesh Tov, Morah Elana STUDENT DVAR TORAH - ZAHAVA FRIEDMAN "ועשו לי מקדש..." (כ"ה:ח) "And they should make for me a sanctuary" (25:8) There is a very well known Medrash that says that the third Bais Hamikdash will come into this world in a ready made state. In Megilas Eicha (2:9), it says that the gates of the second Beis Hamikdash sunk into the ground and didn't burn like everything else had. That way, they could be used for the third Bais Hamikdash. This raises a question. Why didn't Hashem burn the gates like He did everything else, and instead store them in the ground? It says in this pasuk that there is mitzva to build a Bais Hamikdash. However, if the third Bais Hamikdash would come into this world in an already completed state, how could we build it? The answer to all of these questions is as follows. Hashem wanted to give us the opportunity to build the third Bais Hamikdash, since there is a mitzva to do so, as written in this pasuk. How would Hashem enable us to do that? According to Jewish law, if a person places the doors on a building, it is considered as if he built the whole thing. Hashem saved the doors so that we could put them on the Bais Hamikdash, and, in that way, it would be considered as if we built the whole thing. We say in the tefillah of Mussaf on Yom Tov, ", בבנינו, ושמחנו בתקונו "והראנו "Show us it (the Bais Hamikdash) in its building and make us happy in its restoration". Based on the above writing, the prayer can be explained as follows: show us the building (the Bais Hamikdash) when it comes down from heaven and make us happy by allowing us to participate in the mitzvah of its restoration. (R' Yehoshua Leib Diskin, quoted by Siddur Alei Shur) Adapted from Shabbos Delights by Rabbi Aryeh Leib Lopiansky GIRLS PLAY

7 Extra! Extra! Read all about it! The CTA 4th -8th grade girls put on an incredible performance of Newsies this past Sunday! After months of intense rehearsals, their hard work paid off. The students sang, danced, and acted with confidence, wowing a packed house of family and friends. Thank you to everyone who came out to see the show! ECP SPO TLIGHT SPEAKER MIKE TURZ AI VISIT Caskey Torah Academy was fortunate to welcome Speaker Mike Turzai to school

8 this week! Speaker Turzai met with board members, administration, parents and visited our classrooms. We thank Speaker Turzai for taking time out of his busy schedule to spend some time at CTA! We would also like to thank Teach Advocacy Network for arranging this important meeting. Thank you to all the parents who came to meet with Speaker Turzai and share why EITC is so important to them! ENRICHMENT PRO GRAM Spotlight on "Puzzlemania" with Mrs. Amzallag, Mrs. Greenberg, and Rabbi Friedman: Grades 4-5 Sudoku, crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, wooden puzzle cubes... these are just some of the brain teasers our "puzzlemaniacs" have been working on. Our students have picked up skills and strategies for quickly solving each type of puzzle. Each student also created his own puzzle for others to solve. You can check out their puzzles at the Enrichment Cluster Celebration next Wednesday! Spotlight on "Strike a Pose" with Ms. Thomas: Grades 3-5 Our "Strike a Pose" students have practiced mindful breathing, improved balance and coordination, and built up a repertoire of yoga poses they can successfully hold. After using videos and tutorials to learn and practice some yoga basics, these students put together a yoga routine for others to try. They look forward to sharing their routine, and the benefits of yoga, with kindergarten students! ROSH CHODESH ADAR We had an amazing Rosh Chodesh Adar at CTA filled with ruach and amazing energy! Special thank you to our bnot sherut, Noa and Noa for all the hard work they put into making the building look amazing! Stay tuned for our special Adar photo spread coming soon!

9 PTO NEWS Ongoing PTO free FUNdraisers make a big difference!!! Please save the following items on behalf of the CTA PTO...and urge friends and family to participate in these easy, no cost programs. Currently, we are collecting Box Tops for Education logos (go to for a complete product listing and for offers and sweepstakes) and Brown's Shoprite and Fresh Grocer receipts (must be current...within the last 5 months). A collection box for these items is at the front security desk. Please register your Giant Bonus Cards ( to benefit CTA PTO (use CTA id # 23875)...anyone with a Giant card can participate in this program and you can support up to 2 schools. Once you have registered, there is no need to re- register for the new school year. CTA also participates in the Amazon Smile program and in the and programs, so keep CTA in mind as you shop online. For any questions about these programs, please contact jeisenberg345@gmail.com. Host our B'not Sherut for a meal Click here to view and sign up for the meal schedule. TA Text Messaging Stay informed with important TA information such as emergency announcements, school closings and event reminders. To opt in - click here CTA SNAPSHO TS

10 Click Here for the School Calendar

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