Dec. 19, 2018 11 Tevet, 5779 Run-A-Latke 1 Chess Club Awards Ceremony Cookie Dough Fundraiser Winners After School Activities Schedule Parsha 7 1 5 6 Run-A-Latke Our 9th annual Run-A-Latke, on Sunday December 9th, was shaping up to be the best yet. Great sponsors like the Habib Family, Designer Deliveries, The Jerusalem Connection, Let's Give RVA, Greene Hurlocker & Comprehensive Hand Surgery, as well as many others, had demonstrated their valuable support. The magnificent efforts and meticulous preparation of race chair Wendy Rosen and her amazing committee had everything in picture-perfect readiness. (continued on page 2...) Candle Lighting Friday, Dec. 21 4:37 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 22 Shabbat ends 5:40 p.m. Friday, Dec. 28 4:41 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 29 Shabbat ends 5:45 p.m. 5th Annual RTA Chess Club Awards Ceremony Yesterday, December 18th, the RTA Chess Club held its final session for 2018. Parents and siblings joined the proceedings as volunteer chess coach, Keith Rakofsky, and the chess kids held the awards ceremony for the chess club tournaments. (continued on page 3...) Thursday, Dec. 20 - Tuesday, Jan. 1 Winter Break No Classes Saturday, Dec. 22 PCL Program 6:45 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 29 NO PCL Program Wednesday, Jan. 2 Classes Resume Thursday, Jan. 3 Board Meeting
Page 2 The RTA staff gratefully thank all of the families who contributed so generously for the wonderful and much appreciated Chanukah gifts for the Faculty & Staff!! Mazel tov to Rabbi Gershom & Sarah Francis on Ephraim becoming a bar mitzvah. Mazel tov to Rabbi Yosef & Leah Skaist on the engagement of their son, Meir, to Yael Kunin of Cedarhurst, NY. (...continued from front page) Run-A-Latke Three hundred and thirty runners, the most ever, were ready to go! Mr. Latke (aka Jacob Rakofsky) and two T-rexes were there to cheer the runners on. Four hundred and sixty-eight latkes were ready as well as 360 Krispy Kreme donuts. But alas, despite all the tremendous work and an exemplary team effort, there are some things out of our control: The snow, which everyone hoped would hold off for another couple of hours, came in force early. After difficult deliberations, and in the interest of safety, the run was called off. The runners were gathered into the JCC auditorium and Lt. Rachel Heinig of the Henrico County Police Department and race director Wendy Rosen let the runners know that due to the worsening conditions, the run had to be cancelled. To their great credit, everyone took the news in stride, as runners always do. (And with the sentiment of L'shana Haba'ah!! - til next year! ) And of course we did enjoy a nice consolation party filled with latkes, donuts, and camaraderie! (continued on next page...)
Page 3 Run-A-Latke (...continued from page 2) Our heartfelt gratitude goes to our generous sponsors, so many dedicated volunteers, and everyone who came to participate and displayed such a great attitude throughout. Very special thanks go to race chair Wendy Rosen & her Run-A-Latke committee: Dr. Bob Weisberger, Robyn Galpern, Diane Goldberg, Kira Marx, Eric & Joanna Miller, Eric Nachman, Michele Goldenberg-Reinke, Elizabeth Shoenfeld, Josh Silverman, Suzi Silverstein, Tony Wharton & Rebecca Kalman Winston! (...continued from front page) There were two separate tournaments this year. Awards for the Junior Tournament (4th grade & younger) were distributed first. Those receiving an Olympics style medal were: Yehoshua Aronowitz, Jake Ciment, Naava Ciment, Judah Hecht, and Gavi Weinstein. Junior Tournament trophy winners were: 4th Place - Sabrina Galpern 3rd Place - Kayla Galpern 2nd Place - Nathan Krumbein 1st Place - Aaron Galpern 5th Annual RTA Chess Club Awards Ceremony Interestingly, there were ten ties during the Junior Tournament, comprising nine stalemates and a draw. Also, both Aaron and Nathan were undefeated. Aaron's record was 3 wins and a tie (3-0-1), while Nathan had 2 wins and 2 ties (2-0-2). (continued on next page...)
Page 4 (...continued from page 3) 5th Annual RTA Chess Club Awards Ceremony Next up was the tournament results for the students in 5th grade & older. The medal recipients were: Dovid Aronowitz, Eliyahu Aronowitz, Ezra Holi, Daneel Olihnenco, and Dani Plotnick. After they got their medals, Mr. Rakofsky had a big surprise for one unsuspecting child. Dani was presented with a special, unique trophy, named the Warrior Award. He earned this honor by playing the toughest tournament schedule of any player. Tournament trophy winners were: 3rd Place - Nathaniel Rakofsky 2nd Place - Shmuel Follick 1st Place - Aharon Bart Last year's winner, Nathaniel, ended up in third place, while Shmuel, who tied for third place last year, moved up to second place. Unfortunately, Shmuel and his family are away, and he wasn't present to get his trophy. Aharon, who took a couple of years off from the chess club, returned triumphantly, becoming our third 4-0 winner. In 2015, Aharon was tied for first, with a record of 3-0-1. Great job Mr. Bart! Because the awards ceremonies took place on a fast day, there was no celebratory party. Instead, Mr. Rakofsky distributed goody bags to all the children in attendance. Mazal tov to the RTA Chess Club!! Maybe we'll do it again in 2019. (more photos on next page...)
Page 5 (...continued from page 4) 5th Annual RTA Chess Club Awards Ceremony Cookie Dough Fundraiser Winners Top sales winners for the cookie dough fundraiser
Page 6 RTA AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES 2018-19 WINTER SESSION Signup deadline for all activities: Thursday, January 3 COMPUTER CODING (Session II) Instructor: Mr. Avi Chandler Students continue learning to create their own video games, animations, and digital art using the MIT developed language, Scratch. They'll use creativity, learn programming concepts, and develop problem solving skills in this fun class. 3rd grade and up Thursdays 3:40-5:00; January 10 - March 14 Cost - $80 for 10 weeks WHAT S COOKING?! Instructor: Mrs. Rivka Bart Enjoy not only the delicious tastes of all kinds of sweets and treats, but also experience how much fun goes into making these delights. In other words - Have your cake (or pasta) and eat it too! 1st-4th grade Tuesdays 3:45-5:00; January 8 - February 26 Cost - $70 for 8 weeks SOCCER (Session II) Instructor: Mr. Haseem Copeland This program is perfect both for beginners and those who have some experience, and open to students who were not in the first session. Participants will have a ton of fun as they also get lots of exercise and learn the fundamentals of this great game. K-4th grade Thursdays 3:40-5:00; January 10 - March 14 Cost - $80 for 10 weeks In addition to the after school activities, RTA offers supplemental childcare on Monday-Thursday under the direction of Mrs. Sarah Chandler. This year after-care is available until 5:30 pm. Cost for after-care is $15 per day, with discounts available for long-term sign-up as well as multiple child discounts. Please contact Mrs. Robin Odom at mrsodom@rudlin.com to register for after-care or for more information. To sign up for after school activities, please tear off this section and send it in with payment enclosed to the RTA office. Name Grade Program(s) Payment Enclosed Parent s E-mail
Page 7 Parsha Points Each week we feature an article on the weekly Torah portion. Vayechi (Genesis 47:28-50:26) Blessing of Ephraim & Menashe Yaakov, realizing he is about to die, gathers his 12 sons to receive a blessing. But first, Yaakov calls upon two of his grandchildren Yosef's sons Ephraim and Menashe to receive blessings. Why would Yaakov place priority on blessing grandchildren over children? The commentators explain (and every grandparent knows) that even more than the joy of having children is the joy of having grandchildren. Why is this so? Most creatures in the world have parent-child relationships whether it is a mother lion protecting her cubs or a mother bird feeding her young. But only the human being has a concept of grandchildren, of perpetuation beyond a single generation. This is an effect of our spiritual soul which is rooted in infinity. Being a grandparent therefore connects us deeply to our uniqueness as human beings. Sibling Peace There is further significance to Yaakov's blessings. One of the most beautiful customs in Jewish life is for parents to bless their children at the start of the Friday night Shabbat meal. Girls receive the blessing: "May God make you like the matriarchs Sarah, Rivka, Rachel and Leah." Boys, meanwhile, are blessed "to be like Ephraim and Menashe." What happened to the patriarchs Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov?! Why were Ephraim and Menashe chosen instead as the subjects of this important tradition? Ephraim and Menashe were the first set of Jewish brothers who did not fight. Avraham's two sons Yitzchak and Yishmael could not get along, and their disagreement forms the basis of the Arab-Israeli conflict until today. The next generation of Yitzchak's two sons Yaakov and Esav were so contentious that Esav repeatedly sought to kill Yaakov and instructed his descendants to do the same. And even the next generation of Yaakov's sons sold Yosef into slavery in Egypt. Ephraim and Menashe represent a break from this pattern. This explains why Yaakov purposely switched his hands, blessing the younger Ephraim before the older Menashe. Yaakov wished to emphasize the point that with these siblings, there is no rivalry. (see Genesis 48:13-14) (continued on next page...)
Page 8 Parsha Points (...continued from page 7) It is with this thought that parents bless their children today. For there is no greater blessing than peace among brothers. The words of King David ring true: "How good and pleasant is it for brothers to sit peacefully together." (Psalms 133:1) This is the hope that God holds for all the Jewish people. Diaspora Difficulties Rabbi Shimshon Rafael Hirsch (19th century Germany) offers another explanation of why Jewish boys throughout the ages receive the blessing of Ephraim and Menashe: The first generations of Jews Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov raised their children primarily in the Land of Israel. The Holy Land is the most hospitable Jewish environment, where the Talmud reports that "even the air makes you wise." In one sense, being Jewish in Israel is easy. But due to famine, Yaakov and his family all moved to Egypt. The next generation would grow up surrounded by paganism and immorality. The challenge was whether Judaism would survive amidst all the distractions of diaspora life. Throughout the ages, Jewish parents have prayed that their children should be able to withstand the temptations of exile, and keep a strong, proud Jewish identity. And it is not an easy task. Faced with the reality of the holiday season, for example, the easy option is to relegate one's Jewish identity to the back burner. That's why parents must constantly fight the tide by emphasizing Jewish values. The most effective tools are high-impact experiences like Jewish day schools and trips to Israel. In the end, how does a parent gauge success? Far more than children, it is grandchildren who reveal the foundation and future direction of a family line. Hence a popular theme: "The issue is not whether you have Jewish children, it's whether you have Jewish grandchildren." What was the outcome with Ephraim and Menashe? Despite great odds, they grew up in Egypt and maintained adherence to Torah ideals and practice. This is why we bless our children to be like them. May we be blessed with proud Jewish children and grandchildren! Adapted with permission from the award winning website, www.aish.com.
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