Candle-Lighting: 8:05 Shabbos Ends: 9:15

Community Newsletter of the Maimonides Hebrew Day School of the Capital District 404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208 (518) 453-9363/3434 www.maimonidesschool.org produced by Rabbi Mendel Rubin & students in the TNT (Torah ‘n Technology) Program

Maimonides is accredited by the NYS Board of Regents & is a beneficiary of UJF-NENY maimonidesschool@gmail.com

BH. Iyar 19, 5776 / May 27, 2016

#LAGBAOMERALBANY!! Yes, it was an amazing Lag BaOmer right here in Albany! This year’s parade took a different route and the outing at HuckFinns Playland was our first time ever at its new home. See inside pages for a sampling of the hundreds of pictures we took! Plus, see pictures online posted with hashtag: #LagBaOmerAlbany. Special thanks to: CDTA for providing two city buses (named “Special” and “Not in Service”, Rabbi Rubin gave them Hebrew names: “Lag” & “BaOmer”) to transport our students down to the NYS Capitol and back up from Corning Preserve. Albany Mounted Police for two mounted officers, and we can’t forget the horses: “Sam” and “Austin” for escorting our parade adding much pomp and flair. A motorcycle police officer helped with traffic as well. Morah Rivi for outlining all the themed banners so our classes could paint them, all in the Hakhel “Better Together” theme: A Lulav set (even one missing component invalidates the set), the 12 months and 4 seasons of the year, the four directions of “Ufaratzta”, the musical instruments that make up the “orchestra” of Psalm 150, the three pilgrimage festivals, and the spectrum of colors of the rainbow. And of course, the letters in a Torah scroll. We need all of them! Hakhel together! Mr. D and the Boys Drum Corps! They worked with the drums they had (and we got a few more), practiced at every free opportunity and built up a great beat and discipline in just

about ten days. Mr. D. could not be there for the day of, but they held together great, from the Capitol to City Hall, down State Street and Broadway and even up the stairs of the Hudson River Walkway! They kept drumming! Motti for coming up from NY to drive the mini-Lag-B’Omer car mobile and leading the children’s rally of Pesukim and Mitzvos and Lag B’Omer trivia at the Corning Preserve. Three winners of the raffle got to drive back in the lively Lag B’Omer Car Mobile! Student Enthusiasm & Energy: You gotta hand it to our students, for all the painting and preparations, and eager, proud, lively marching through the streets! They were great! Parent Drivers, Chaperones & Participants: Thanks for joining us and helping us with logistics and enthusiasm and support. And the refreshing water bottles! It was a beautifully gorgeous but very hot day!

And thanks to Rabbi Rubin & Morah Rochel for believing in the value of this annual parade (very few schools have a parade each year) for our kids and having the vision, spirit and energy to get it going, make the arrangements, and keep it inspired year after year!

MAIMONIDES 6/1/16 DINNER UPDATE The school’s annual dinner is this coming

Wednesday June 1st, 6pm at Shabbos House. The 76-page Tribute Journal/Yearbook is now ready at the printer and the unique awards for our worthy honorees have arrived. For more info on the dinner, please call Sharona at the school office 453-9363 or Raizy at 772-7299. Thanks for your support of the school! MAZAL TOV MOTTI! Motti Rubin got engaged today to Chanaleh Paltiel of Crown Heights (a close friend of Morah Mushky!) and the Lchaim engagement party will be this Sunday in Crown Heights. Mazal Tov to Rabbi Rubin & Morah Rochel!!

MAIMONIDES 404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208

בהרThis newsletter is dedicated in

loving memory of

Eva Kneznik Chava bas Baruch

- Yartzeit today: Iyar 19 - Her generous bequest helped enable the purchase of a permanent home

for our school & ensure its continuity

“SONGS & SWEETS” SUNDAY Our

A sampling of hundreds of photos taken on this gorgeous outdoor day of celebration!

Lining up for the two CDTA buses on Woodlawn Ave, passing through the drumming boys!

(L) Enjoying the bus ride adventure (M) Nursery students waving “12 Tribes” flags as they cross State Street from the Empire State Plaza. (R) Kindergarteners walking down State to the Capitol’s East Steps

(L) Kindergarteners hold up their “Letters in a Torah Scroll” banner on the Capitol Steps (M) Nursery students hold their 12 Tribes flags in front, 2nd graders are behind them with their “Four Species in Lulav Set” banner (R) 3rd graders march down State with their “4 Seasons”.

Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan (pictured on right with Rabbi Rubin) greets us and addresses our parade on the steps of Albany City Hall. Below are two pictures of the parade entering the Corning Preserve with the (L) SUNY Central building and the (R) Hudson River in the background.

KITES & CAVES… CAN U GUESS? Nursery students are sitting in a (cardboard)

Sam and Austin, two police horses, help us cross Eagle Street, from the Capitol to City Hall.

(L) 6/7 grade girls with “one person, one heart—at the Kotel” (R) First graders: All the colors of the rainbow! Guess who we met? The local

Jewish War Veterans!

Happy friends on the CDTA bus! The bus trip itself was quite the special adventure. Thanks again to CDTA!

More banners and proud marchers! (L) 8th grade’s instruments of Psalm 150 (M) 4/5 & the 3 Festivals (R) entering Hudson River Walkway

Drumming and drumming and drumming… the boys kept at it all the way, they did an amazing job with great spirit and excellent teamwork!

(L) A tired and hot Nursery with snacks at Corning Preserve. (M) Motti leads the 12 Pesukim Rally. (R) Refreshing ices and a pasuk of Torah!

5/28: RABBI RUBIN AT CBAJ The Torah365 study-cycle concludes the 5th chapter of Avot this week, and Rabbi Rubin will be speaking at CBAJ on Shabbos morning.

5/28: WOMENS SHABBOS SHIUR This week given by Dini Gordon at her home, 29 Glenwood (behind Maimonides) at 4:45pm.

5/30: MEMORIAL DAY PARADES Show support for Hoosick Falls at their Memorial Day Parade kicking off 9am at Wood Park and Main Street. Castleton-Schodack kicks off at 10am at Boltwood and Seaman Avenues. Lansingburgh starts at 11am beginning at 123rd and 5th north of Troy. Bethlehem also starts at 11am, starting at the Elsemere Fire House. North Greenbush starts at 1:30pm at Streamview Lane and West Sand Lake Road. You can’t make all these parades of course, see which might work for you.

5/27-30: EXTENDED WEEKEND OFF No snow days this year! No school Friday 5/27 thru Mon 5/30. Enjoy the extended Memorial Day Weekend. School resumes 8am, Tuesday the 31st.

6/1: MAIMONIDES DINNER Maimonides awards dinner on Wed, June 1st, honoring Phyllis Silverman with the Dr. Morton Berger award and paying tribute to 3 sets of parents with long-term dedication, educating their children here from start to finish: Avrami & Sharona Backman, Ruvain & Shayna Kudan and Nachman & Clara Simon. Dinner invite has been mailed, if you didn’t get yours please contact the school office 453-9363 or email: maimonidesschool@gmail.com

6/2: YEAR-END SCHOOL OUTING We’re going to enjoy a sneak-preview of bowling and other games at the all-new “Lucky Strikes Social” at Crossgates before it opens to the public, followed by lunch & activities in a park. . We need parent volunteers for transportation or charge for a bus. Please stay tuned for details.

6/3: FREE T-SHIRTS Sign-up for Gan Israel Day Camp by the first week of June to get free camp t-shirts. See this link tinyurl.com/ganisraelalbany for forms and info. A wonderful summer is planned, fine staff are lined up, but spirited campers make for a great camp!

6/5: RHINEBECK TORAH SIYUM 11:30am conclusion of the writing of the “Sobel Torah” scroll and its celebratory dedication at the Rhinebeck Jewish Center. Just in time for Shavuot!

6/6: BETTER TOGETHER MINYAN Our HS Boys at Parkview (Bnai Brith) Apartments. Contact Rabbi Yossi 495-0772 or Rabbi Mathless 522-1872 for more info. Torah reading, brunch, and presentations, just prior to Shavuot.

6/6: ALBANY WOMENS CIRCLE Pre-Shavuos womens circle with a dairy delights and a presentation on floral design by a local florist. 7:30-9pm, location TBA.

6/12-13: SHAVUOT HOLIDAY Sunday and Monday. No School on Monday 6/13, school resumes 9:30am on Tuesday 6/14. It’s customary to eat dairy foods, and people make a special effort to bring even the smallest children to the synagogue, since “children are our guarantors” for continuing Torah into the Jewish future.

6/13: TORAH365 SIYUM (auspicious secular date!) Maimonides students will be part of the celebratory Torah365 Siyum at CBAJ on the second day of Shavuot morning. They began to prepare their presentation this week.

END OF SCHOOL DATES 6/2: Year End Trip to Lucky Strikes and Park (we will need parent volunteers to drive us!) 14-23: Regents Week, HS testing 6/21: Moving-Up Day in the morning, 8th grade and HS graduation that Tuesday evening.

7/11-8/19: CAMP GAN ISRAEL Registration is now open! A great staff is lined up, and there are exciting plans in the works for this summer. Call Camp Director Devorah Leah Mathless 698-1836 for more info. The day camp is based at Maimonides, but you don’t have to go to Maimonides to attend and have a really fun, enjoyable and meaningful time. You can sign per week or for the whole summer season. Check out the FB page “Camp Gan Israel of Albany” or visit: tinyurl.com/ganisraelalbany for registration forms.

———————————————————————— SO MUCH LAG B’OMER, NOT ENOUGH ROOM THIS WEEK… Stay tuned in next MC Newsletter for pictures from the Girls Night Sleepover, ongoing learning at school, more year-end info, more about the communal Lag BaOmer celebration at Huck Finns, and a fascinating beauty of nature our students amazingly happened to find under a picnic bench at the Corning Preserve on Lag B’Omer that connects with Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai…

MAIMONIDES SCHOOL & COMMUNITY (Nursery / Elementary / High School) 404 Partridge Street Albany NY 12208 (518) 453-9363/3434 maimonidesschool@gmail.com

Founded in 1980, Maimonides is chartered by the NYS Board of Regents and is a JF-NENY Beneficiary “A Beautiful Blend: Torah & Worldly Experience!”

at Maimonides and in the Community