Volume 11, Issue 18 14 Shevat, 5777 February 10, 2017 Parashas Beshalach Candle Lighting: 5:53 SCHEDULE REMINDER! Friday, February 10 Yossi Heber Day No School Teacher Meetings PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES Tuesday, February 14 2:30 Dismissal for all students Parent Teacher Conferences 7:00-9:00 p.m.* Sunday, February 19 No School Parent Teacher Conferences 9:00 a.m. 12:30 p.m.* *PLEASE CALL THE OFFICE TO MAKE YOUR APPOINTMENTS Registration for next year is open!
P A G E 2 D VAR TORAH & INSPIRATION By: Rabbi Sholom Volk, Fifth Grade Rebbe In describing the events immediately prior to K rias Yam Suf, the Torah relates that the B nei Yisrael were seemingly trapped between the Yam Suf on one side, and Paroh on the other. We continue to read that the B nei Yisrael were afraid and cried out to Hashem. They complained to Moshe, saying, Is it because there are not enough graves in Mitzrayim that you took us out to die in the Midbar? What is this that you have done to us by taking us out of Mitzrayim? Didn t we tell you in Mitzrayim that it is better for us to serve the Mitzriyim than to die in the Midbar? From a simplistic reading of these Pesukim it may seem that the entire K lal Yisrael were questioning, even rebelling against, the leadership of Moshe Rabbeinu. In fact, however, according to both Targum Yonasan Ben Uziel and Targum Yerushalmi, there were actually four factions among the B nei Yisrael to whose positions the Torah alludes. One group argued that the only course of action would be to go into the waters of the Yam Suf. The second group believed that the only way to survive would be to surrender and return to slavery in Mitzrayim. A third group held that B nei Yisrael should fight against the Egyptian aggressors. The fourth group proposed screaming and making a terrible ruckus, so as to confuse the Mitzriyim, which would hopefully allow the B nei Yisrael to escape. Moshe Rabbeinu, the leader par excellence, understood that what seemed to be a unanimous voice of mutiny was in fact a cacophony of different opinions, and responded in kind. And Moshe said to the people, Do not T HE Y. E. S. P R E S S fear, stand still, and see the salvation of Hashem, which he will show to you today; for the Mitzriyim whom you have seen today, you shall never see them again. Hashem will fight for you, and you should be quiet. A careful reading of these Pesukim reveals how Moshe dealt with each of the groups mentioned above. To the first group, whose plan it was to descend into the waters of the Yam Suf, he offered encouragement and support: Do not be afraid! Addressing the second group, who had wanted to return to slavery in Mitzrayim, Moshe said, Do not return to Mitzrayim, for as you see the Mitzriyim today, you will never see them again. The third group, who argued for war, was told to You do not need to fight Hashem will fight for you! The fourth group, who had the idea of making terrible noise to confuse the Mitzriyim, were told to be quiet and observe the miracles which Hashem would perform on their behalf. True leaders cultivate within themselves the ability to listen between the lines. They perceive not only the overt message which their followers communicate, but the underlying motivations which lay behind the message. Moshe Rabbeinu understood the perspective of each of the disparate groups whom he was to lead through the Yam Suf and in to the Midbar, and provided each with the appropriate message to guide its members along the proper path. By paying careful attention to the needs and motivations of our children and students as well as to their actions and words, we will equip ourselves with the ability to provide them with the guidance and direction that will stand by them as they continue along the journey of life. א גוט ן שבת!!!
THE Y.E.S. PRESS PAGE 3 First Grade Learns About Schools Of fish, that is. In Mrs. Feldheim's First Grade, our mini unit on underwater animals was so engaging! We started off by reading Rainbow Fish to get us in the fish mood and to learn some important lessons on friendship. We then learned all about fish and how they survive in the water. Each girl hand-drew a fish, painted it, and then used descriptive language to write all about her knowledge of ocean life in general and her own fish specifically. Come check out our beautiful bulletin board at the entrance to the Girls Division corridor! Third Grade Puts On Their Chazara Caps The Talmidim of Rabbi Rizel s Third Grade are plowing along on their Big Sunday Chazara Program! They went all the way back to the Parshiyos that they learned in Second Grade, and have already completed Parashas Vayera. In fact, they are just about ready to finish Parashas Chayai Sarah! As they have progressed, the
P A G E 4 T HE Y. E. S. P R E S S boys have been filling their special Bottle Cap Jar. In honor of filling the jar for the first time this year, the students celebrated with an ice cream party. Fourth Grade Under the Spell of Learning The boys of Mrs. Aquinin s and Mrs. Gluck s Fourth Grades held a very competitive spelling bee last week. Competition was fierce, and the students were neck and neck, until two of the protagonists triumphed! Congratulations to Ari Gammerman and Raphael Winkler, Fourth Grade Spelling Bee Champions! Of course, all of the boys really won, as they had a great time, and improved their spelling skills in the process! Fifth Grade Berachos Curriculum The girls of the Fifth Grade have begun a most meaningful journey a journey through all of the Birchos Hashachar. The girls will explore each Beracha through a trip, project, speaker, or special activity. This week, in learning about the Beracha of Malbish Arumim, the students went to the Community Closet. They donated many bags of clothing, which they sorted, hung and shelved. They also sorted through all of the Purim costumes which they displayed for any potential customers. In addition to all this, they reorganized all of the children s clothing in The Closet. Through it all, the Fifth Graders gained a heightened sense of appreciation for the gift of clothing. While at The Closet, the girls made a tremendous Kiddush Hashem with their beautiful behavior and helpful attitude.
T HE Y. E. S. P R E S S P A G E 5 PRESCHOOL NEWS Playgroup B Brings the Parasha to Life The children of Playgroup B learned all about K'rias Yam Suf this week. They were mesmerized to learn about how Hashem performed an incredible Nes and split the Yam Suf, allowing the B'nei Yisrael to go free from from the Mitzriyim. Hashem then closed the Yam Suf on the Mitzriyim, who were chasing after the B'nei Yisrael. The boys and girls depicted the scene of K'rias Yam Suf using dot markers, fish stickers, and sand. They also had a blast decorating and creating tamborines, to commemorate the fact that all the women sang Shira and used musical instruments after Hashem made such a Nes. They are super excited to use their tamborines at home! Pre-K Reenacts Shiras HaYam The children of Pre-K A sang their gratitude to HaShem for saving Klal Yisrael from the Yam Suf and Mitzrayim, complete with musical accompaniment, as they enjoyed playing various instruments to go along with the songs. Just as at the real Shiras HaYam, the boys and the girls sang separately. The Doctor Is In At Pre-K The children of Pre-K have begun a fun and informative unit entitled, "My Body," in which they learn all about the marvelous creation that is the human body. They have learned all about the skull, bones, muscles
P A G E 6 T HE Y. E. S. P R E S S and much more. Our budding young scientists have also been very busy tending to their patients in the Doctor Center. Just come in, you don't need an appointment! The Doctor Is In at Pre-K Dr. Brown visited our Pre-K classes and spoke with the students about the job of a physician. She also showed the children many of the fascinating tools which doctors use to examine and treat patients. Kindergarten Centered On Learning Here in Morah Gittel s Kindergarten, we have so much fun learning through all of the different centers in our classroom. Our Shul continues to be a popular place to play and learn. We are now learning about important places in Eretz Yisrael, and saw some live footage from the Kosel. We even have an airplane in our classroom, so that we can travel to Eretz Yisrael and experience the wonders for ourselves. We had fun making passports, and acting out the various roles of pilots, flight attendants, and passengers. We also worked together to make a classroom Sefer Torah. Whoever wanted to be a Sofer, had a chance to copy words from a Chumash, and we attached all the sheets into one long Torah scroll. Mazel Tov to Mr. Joe & Mrs. Margalit Saka on the Bar Mitzva of their son
T HE Y. E. S. P R E S S P A G E 7