In This Issue. Comedy Night #HTlarious. A Message from the Principal. Upcoming Events October. Save the Date! Hillel Torah s

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1 א חשון תשע ה October, שבת ראש חדש חשון פרשת נח Parshat Noach הדלקת נרות: Candle Lighting: 5:35 pm A Message from the Principal Dear Parents, It was great to see all the children back in school this week after Sukkot! In addition to jumping back into our learning, the focus of this week has been celebrating Shabbat. Along with hundreds of communities worldwide, we embraced the Shabbat Project as an opportunity to learn and heighten our excitement about celebrating Shabbat. As it developed, The Shabbat Project took over the school! From our youngest to oldest children, all students learned the halachot and minhagim of Shabbat, many different zmirot and 1-8 graders collectively prepared for a culminating festive Shabbat meal on Friday. Some grades prepared the Challah rolls for the whole school, some the napkins and flowers, and Middle School classes engaged in a Cholent cook off - yum! Throughout the week the sounds and smells of Shabbat permeated the school and on Friday the week culminated with students dressed in blue and white in honor of Rosh Chodesh, celebrating Shabbat together with a communal meal complete with full zmirot and divre Torah. Thank you to all the teachers and students for all the work that went into this amazing week! Please ask your children to share what they've learned with you at home to enhance your shabbat table this week. On Thursday we were so excited to learn the news that Mrs. Debra Andruk was selected as a recipient of the 2014 Hartman Family Foundation Educator of the Year Award. Mrs. Andruk joins Ariela Haymberg, Gayle Kopin and Lior Kakon as the fourth Hillel Torah teacher to be named Educator of the Year in the five years of the award's existence! Kol hakavod to Mrs. Andruk on this well deserved honor as our staff continued to receive recognition not only from within our school community from from the broader community as well. Thank to all the children and staff who made this first ever Principal Appreciation Week so special (and thank you Governor Quinn for the proclamation!). What started off as an inside joke turned into a really nice and meaningful week. I was so touched and humbled to see the entire bulletin board next to my office filled with warm cards and well wishes from children and staff. I couldn't ask for a more outstanding staff and a more special group of children to have as part of our school family. Shabbat Shalom and Chodesh Tov! Upcoming Events October 27 - Monday HT: BBQ Chicken Graduation Pictures (8th only) 28 - Tuesday HT/SV: Pizza 8th Grade Chesed Trip 29 - Wednesday HT: Grilled Cheese 1A Muffins and Math 30 - Thursday HT: Hot Dog (Fundraiser) SV: Chicken Nuggets 1B Muffins and Math 31 - Friday Picture Day (PN-7th) 1A Muffins and Math Save the Date! Hillel Torah s Comedy Night #HTlarious will take place on November 23, 2014 Rabbi Menachem Linzer In This Issue Faculty Spotlight: Meet Ms. Kristine Borzych The Shabbat Project: HT Style Afterschool Programs Now Underway! New Wednesday MS Club: Games for Change

2 Fine Arts Forum: Pattern Puzzle Pandemonium! Mr. Michael Glassman, Fine Arts Instructor The early months of the school year bring many things: The start of so much new learning, the start of the fall season, and of course 5th grade Pattern Puzzles! Another awesome annual art tradition, the Pattern Puzzles project incorporates the opportunity to work both in groups and individually on beautiful abstract art creations. It starts with a few simple lines, which divides up puzzle pieces to decorate. We use patterns to fill the pieces, from simple stripes to complex combinations of lines, shapes, and colors. Then it s a race to put back the pieces, and it s harder than it looks -- just ask a fifth grader! The puzzles are a great way to start the year, get out some pent-up creative energy, and have a little fun, too! This year s puzzles are currently on display in the Middle School hallway. Make sure you come check them out! New MS Club - Games for Change Ms. Beth Burke, Coordinator of Technology This year, one of the middle school Wednesday Clubs is called "Games for Change" based on the organiza on of the same name. On the first day, we discussed how computer games can be used for good by outlining Games for Change (G4C) s mission of "Catalyzing Social Impact Through Digital Games." We spent the remainder of the period playing Free Rice which is a non profit website that is owned by and supports the United Na ons World Food Programme. The site includes vocabulary, math and other types of ques ons, which, for every correct answer, Free Rice donates 10 grains of rice through the World Food Programme to help end world hunger. Students wrote how many grains they contributed so far on a poster outside the computer lab. Check it out! What s Love Got to Do With It? Mrs. Aliza Rosenbaum, Middle School Judaic Studies Teacher If you walked into 8th grade Chumash class this week, you may have been confused... are we actually learning about essay structure and love stories in Chumash? Absolutely. The first paragraph of Shema turns out to be set up exactly like the essays we write in our English classes, and we had a great discussion as we tried to figure out which pasuk is the thesis statement and how all the other mitzvot work as supporting details. It turns out that the thesis statement of Shema's first paragraph is the mitzvah to love Hashem, making Shema possibly the first love story ever written! We watched how Rashi develops the love theme in all his commentaries on the paragraph and had fun connecting our learning to Romeo and Juliet, modern-day love stories, and what it means to show true commitment to someone you love. We will never look at Shema the same way! 2nd Grade Math Workshop Ms. Sari Donenberg, 2nd Grade General Studies Teacher This week, students learned about doubles combinations (1+1, 2+2, 3+3). As a fun introduction to this concept, students watched a short clip of "The Magic Pot," an old Chinese Folktale about a man who had a magic pot, and when he put something inside, the contents would double. Little did the children know, they were in for a big surprise! Miss D was able to borrow the magic pot from the Chinese man, and she showed it to the students for them to see how it worked. She stuck in two green markers, and four came out! She stuck in five pairs of scissors, and ten came out! The children were amazed, they inched closer and closer to the pot to see if the magic worked on humans. After we discovered the magic pot, students began to make magic pot stories of their own. These magic pot problems, or doubles story problems, will be bound into a small book for students to read and the solve each other's math problems! פרנס היום Parnes Hayom The Day of Learning on Friday, October 24th /30th of Tishrei is sponsored by the Feldman, Levine, Karesh and Katz families in loving memory of Arthur A. Feldman z"l on the occasion of his 12th Yahrtzeit this Shabbat, 1st of Cheshvan May all our students' learning merit an aliyah for his neshama

3 Faculty Spotlight: Meet Ms. Kristine Borzych! New General Studies Resource Teacher for 3rd and 4th grades From: Born in West Lafayette, Indiana, but moved to the Chicago suburbs at one-year-old College: Indiana University in Bloomington Degree: BS in Special Education and now a Licensed Learning-Behavior Specialist Go-to dessert: Confetti Cake! Free-time activity: I love to bake tasty treats for my friends and family. My sugar cookies with royal icing are always a crowd pleaser! Best piece of advice given to you: Stay focused on your own goals. Michael Phelps didn t win the gold medal by looking at the swimmers to his right or to his left. After School Programming Now Underway! A erschool Programs are now in full swing! Musical Theater directors have already divided the parts for Pinocchio, and the Track team is ambi ously a emp ng to prep for the Turkey Trot this upcoming November! In Coding, students are learning all about algorithms using special so ware and have even coded bracelets which will be printed on a 3D printer outside the school. Tae Kwon Do members are busy prac cing their stances and rou nes, which include punches and jumps. Check out the Musical Theater and Tae Kwon Do groups in ac on below! Parsha Perspective פרשת נח Parshat Noach As told by: Mrs. Susan Mendelsberg s Kindergarten B Class Once upon a me, Noach lived. Hashem said there were bad people in the world. Hashem told Noach that He was going to send a mabul to destroy the world and Noach should build a tevah so that he and his family would be safe. Hashem told Noach to put pairs of animals and seven pairs of each kosher animal on the tevah. Noach listened to Hashem. It rained for forty days and nights. The tevah landed on Har Ararat. Noach opened a window and sent out a black raven, but it came back because there was no place for it to land. A er a week, Noach sent out a dove which came back with an olive branch in its mouth. Noach sent the dove out a er another week and this me, the dove did not come back. Noach then knew it was me to leave the tevah. Hashem sent a rainbow as a sign that He would never destroy the world again. Good and Welfare Mazal tov to Drs. Tova and Josh ('94) Lennon on the birth of a baby girl! Mazal tov to big sister Shaina (K) and big brother Ezra (PN). Mazal tov to Chani and Rabbi Asher Krupnick on the birth of a grandson, born to their children Bayla Elisheva and Avrami Balsam. Mazal tov to Karen and Andrew Faibishenko on the bat mitzvah of their daughter, Sarah. Mazal tov to Yvette and Jeremy Miller on the bar mitzvah of their son, Jacob. Mazal tov to Sarah and Doron David on the bar mitzvah of their son, Yehudah.

4 The Shabbat Project - HT Style In conjunction with The Shabbat Project, which has taken the world by storm, Hillel Torah students have spent the week preparing for The Shabbat Project - HT Style in a variety of engaging ways. In the classroom, teachers have discussed the mitzvot especially unique to Shabbat, including partaking in and baking challah, candle-lighting, the absence of electronics etc. As application of the mitzvot are so important, students of all grades were assigned special responsibilities which culminated in a fantastic Shabbat themed luncheon on Friday. The luncheon featuring beautifully decorated Shabbat tables complete with center pieces and artfully folded napkins, delicious student-made challah rolls, divrei Torah, zmirot, and last, but not least, a crazy competitive cholent cook-off (MS students)! Congratulations to the 7th Grade boys for winning the cook-off! Ask your children how they participated! We loved #keepingittogether!

5 FYI: Community Notes The Or Torah Youth Department invites the entire community to NOAH'S ARK, this Sunday, October 26, 2014, 11:00 am - 3:00 pm at 3800 Dempster St. The event will feature pony rides, a petting zoo, balloon artist, face painters, moon-bounce, a special art project, and more! There will also be a Chesed Section where children and adults can learn about chesed opportunities which they can participate in the area. Additionally, adults can also donate blood. All children who come with five canned-goods to donate to the Ark with receive a discount upon admission. See you there! Don t miss the JJAMZ family concert featuring HuMAN_TiM+RoBOT_TiM for small humans and their grown up friends! HuMAN_TiM+RoBOT_TiM plays family-friendly, indie-rockin, slightly twangy electro-folk music. Geared to ages pre-school to 7 years old. Sunday, October 26, 2014, 9:30-11:00 am at Mayer Kaplan JCC, 5050 Church Street, Skokie, IL. Purchase tickets at - enter code SCHOOL for special savings! Parsha and Pizza - what could be better? 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade boys and girls are invited to join the YU Torah Mitzion Kollel for an exciting learning opportunity and lots of fun. Beginning October 22, every Wednesday from 5:45-6:45 pm at Congregation Or Torah (3800 Dempster, Skokie). For more information, please contact the Kollel office at or info@chicagotorah.org. Mishna to the Max! Don't miss the new exciting and interactive mishna learning program with the YU Torah Mitzion Kollel. For 5th-7th grade boys beginning October 22, every Wednesday, from 7:45-8:45 pm at Cong. KINS, 2800 W. North Shore. For more information, please contact the Kollel office at or info@chicagotorah.org. ICJA invites the entire community for the historic groundbreaking on our new building in Skokie, November 2 at 10:30 am at 8255 N. Central Park Ave. Go to icja.org or call for more information. The Village of Skokie is promoting the 2014 Community Forum taking place on Sunday, November 2 from 6:00-8:00 pm at Oakton Community College, 7701 Lincoln Avenue. Participants will engage in facilitated small group discussions about programs, services and priorities specific to the future of the community. Please contact the Village Manager s Office to RSVP at (847) or info@skokie.org. MKJCC and BHJCC are now offering Girl Scout Troops with a Jewish twist! Girl Scouting builds girls of COURAGE, CONFIDENCE, and CHARACTER, who make the world a better place. Troops meet twice a month starting in November for girls K-3rd grade. Register online at For more info please contact Wendy Singer at wsinger@gojcc.org or call MKJCC is offering JGirl Running Club! This program uses the power of running to build self esteem, strong values, and healthy living in young girls 3-5th grade! Girls will work up to a 3.1 mile run. Meets 2x's a week starting November 3rd on Mondays and Wednesdays 6:15-7:15 pm. Drop off at the MKJCC and pick up at the Weber Center next door. $145. Register online at For more info please contact Wendy Singer at wsinger@gojcc.org or call JCC Chavayah Overnight Camp for Girls! Register before November 30 for best prices. 3½ weeks and 600 acres of lake and outdoor activities plus arts, sports, swimming and ruach-filled Shabbos programs in our Torah-rich environment guided by Mrs. Bracha Polstein. New Teen Program for 8th-9th grade. CIT program for 10th-11th grade. Fee assistance available. Call Wendy Singer at or visit Information night on November 17th at 7:00 pm at the BHJCC. There will be a meeting for parents and students interested in Naale Elite Academy - the free world-class high school program in Israel. Our top options for Hillel Torah graduates: the world-famous Yeshivat Shaalvim and Ulpanat Amana, the best religious high school for girls in Israel. Guest speaker will be Yeshayahu Yechieli, Director of Naale. EJ's Pizzeria, Wednesday, November 5, 7-9 PM. RSVP and details: Gidon Berman, naale.cusa@gmail.com, NAALE4. Free pizza! Walk-ins welcome. Do you have marketing experience? Are you looking for part time work from home? Chicago not-for-profit Jewish organization is looking for a part-time Marketing Coordinator with experience in marketing, promoting events and updating websites. Applicant should be organized and self directed. Experience with Adobe design programs a plus. For more information contact: chicagohr.search@gmail.com. Interested in learning Hebrew? Two former Israeli Army soldiers (one is an Ida Crown graduate) are here to make that happen! Available to tutor private lessons after school and on weekends. Contact us: Shevie Frankel and Zev Rozman - sheviefrankel@gmail.com or To advertise in FYI, please htoffice@hilleltorah.org or call the school office at