Newsletter May 7 t h unt i l June 3 r d , 2007

9 t h I yar unt i l 17 t h S i van, 5767

Beit Rayim Hebrew School Newsletter

Content

Kabbalat Shabbat 1

Shalom Parents 1

Upcoming events 1

News 2

Kindergarten News 2

Kindergarten pictures 2

Shavuot 2

Grade 7 news 2

Yom Yerushalayim program 2

Grade 1B news 2

Grade 3 Celebration 2

Early Bird Reminder 2

Upcoming Events 3

Walk with Israel 3

Report cards 3

Last day of school 3

School council info 3

Yom Yerushalayim 3

Interview request form 3

Calendar 4

Pr incipa l Rabb i David M. E l igberg

Upcoming Events

♦ Siddur Celebration

♦ Walk With Israel

♦ Closing Event

Last School Wide Kabbalat Shabbat of the 2006-07 School Year

When: Friday, May 11th, 2007. Start: 6:00 PM Snack & Shmooze Musical service begins at 6:30 PM

Finishes: 7:15 pm See you at the Service at Reena Battle Centre

(927 Clark Ave. W., Thornhill.) Please remember to RSVP.

Shalom Parents “Today is the 35th day of the Omer.” Each evening, from the second night of Pesach until the night before Shavuot, we use this formula to mark the passage of days and weeks between these two festivals. This ritualized counting makes us eminently aware of the passage of time and highlights the speed with which each day slips into the next. Shavuot also signals that the end of the Hebrew School year is rapidly approaching; a year that seems to have flown by.

Let me take a moment to wish Mazal Tov to our Grade Three students and their families who are celebrating their Siddur Ceremony this Sunday, to our Senior Kindergarten students who are preparing to make the transition into our two day a week Hebrew School programme, to our students in Grades One through Six who are moving up to the next level of their studies, and a special Mazal Tov to our Grade Seven students as they complete their studies in our school, cross the threshold of Bar/Bat Mitzvah and begin their journey of Jewish adulthood.

As I reflect on the many “learning” moments that I witnessed while sitting in classrooms, during family education programmes and at special assemblies, I am proud of the achievements of our students, the diligent work of our faculty and the active participation of parents.

In partnership with the School Committee and the faculty, a review of the past year has already begun. Many of you have shared your thoughts on this past year and I appreciate the concern and commitment to Beit Rayim Hebrew School reflected by them. If you have any thoughts you would like to share please feel free to contact me. In the weeks ahead, we will be working together to enhance our school by looking at new curricular models and materials; checking into the latest technologies available.

I hope that you will all enjoy a healthy, relaxing and enjoyable summer.

B’vracha,

Rabbi David M. Eligberg

Shavuot

Shavuot also celebrates the time when the first fruits of the Seven Species with which Eretz Yisrael is blessed, were harvested and brought in elaborately decorated baskets to Beit Hamikdash, and is also known as Chag Ha-Bikkurim (the Festival of the First Fruits). Shavuot is also known as the wheat harvest festival - Chag HaKatzir (the Feast of Harvest). The beginning of the wheat harvest throughout Eretz Yisrael was preceded by the offering of shtay lechem (two loaves) as a meal-offering in Beit Hamikdash.

BRH School Newsletter

Page 2 of 4

News

Grade 3 Siddur Ceremony

Sunday May 13th 10:00 AM Ross Doan Public School

Join us as we honour our Grade 3 students and celebrate their

success.

Grade 1 News

With pride and joy, we have completed our exploration of the Alef-Bet, and decoding concepts through stories, songs, games and lots of practice. Some letters we discovered, incorporate Biblical and Jewish culture. Mem appears to have Moses on Mt. Sinai and Tzadee leans over to give Tzedakah. We also learned many new and interesting holiday rituals by sharing stories and experiences with the class.

Miriam Warner 1B

Early Bird Registration!

Take advantage of the lower rates for the upcoming school year.

The registration form must be received in the school office

by noon on May 18th. Don’t miss out!

The Kindergarten class has had a very exciting year. We have spent most of our time navigating through all the Jewish holidays. Most recently, we have been learning about Israel and how important it is to all of us. We had a very special Family Education Day with Michelle Wenner and Rabbi Eligberg. The children were enthralled with all that there was to offer about Israel. With Michelle they learned all about the Israeli Flag and how it came to look as it does. With Janie the children discovered the Kotel and how it became such an important symbol to all the Jewish People. Each child (and family ) wrote a wish and affixed it to “the wall”. With Rabbi Eligberg the children "visited” and experienced many of the interesting tourist attractions of the country. For example, there were mud baths at the Dead Sea and skiing on Mount Hermon just to name just a few . We will be ending our year by learning all about the Ten Commandments and why they are as important to us today as they were so many thousands of years ago.

Janie Tizel – Kindergarten Teacher

Grade 7 News

The highlight of the school year for us was in the understanding of how to live as Jews, with pride, dignity and tradition.

Isaac Aptowitzer

Yom Yerushalayim program

Lecture by Ya’acov Brosh Consul General of Israel Thursday May 17th@ 7:30pm

Reena Battle Centre

NO SCHOOL

Sunday May 20th Thursday May 24th

Sunday May 27th

Page 3 of 4 BRH School Newsletter Upcoming Events

Sunday, May 27th, 2007

The Beit Rayim Family is planning to march together at the “Walk with Israel”. We will meet at Finch Subway station and travel as a group to the staging area. If you travel down on your own look for the Beit Rayim banner and join us along the route.

www.walkwithisrael.com

UJA Walk with Israel

Last Day of School Celebration

Join us for…

SK Graduation (9:15 – 10:30 AM)

Grade 7 Graduation (11:30 – 12:30 PM)

Teacher Appreciation Day

Sunday June 3rd, 2007 At Ross Doan Public School

We’re on the Web! www.beitrayim.org

How to Contact your Child’s Teacher:

Please call the office

by phone

905-889-0276 Ext. 32

or by e-mail

School@beitrayim.org

The message will be given to the teacher

who will contact you.

Report Cards

Make sure to check your child(ren)’s bags on the last day of school for their report

cards.

If you want to speak with your child’s teacher simply complete the enclosed form or send us an e-mail so we can have the

teacher be in touch with you.

Yom Yerushalayim Jerusalem

Reunification Day 28 Iyar 5767 / May 16, 2007

The 28th day of Iyar, marks the reunification of the city of Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) and the return of the Temple Mount to Jewish rule almost 1900 years after the destruction of the Second Beit Hamikdash (Temple). The Old City of Jerusalem was retaken from the Jordanians during the Six Day War in 1967. Hallel [prayers of praise] is recited by many congregations. Israel's Chief Rabbis advocate reciting Hallel with a Bracha (blessing). The restrictions of the Omer period are lifted for this day.

Please sign where indicated and return that portion of the report card. If you have any concerns after reading the report card please return the form below to the office and your child’s teacher will call to discuss them with you. Student: ___________________________________________ Gr. ____ Student: ___________________________________________ Gr. ____

Student: ___________________________________________ Gr. ____

Student: ___________________________________________ Gr. ____

School Council

Get involved in your child’s Hebrew School experience by joining the Beit Rayim Parent Council. The following dates have been set for meetings: May 15th/June 19th. Please contact Naomi Bruni at nomib@sympatico.ca for addresses and exact times.

Iyar-Sivan 5767 - May 2007

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1

2

3

School Day

4

PA Day

Public School

5

Parashat Emor

6 School

Day

National

Bible

Contest

Montreal

May 6-8

Lag B'Omer

7

8

Synagogue

Open House

9

Hazak Program

10

School Day

11 School Wide

Kabbalat Shabbat

at Reena

12

Parashat Behar-

Bechukotai

13 School

Day

Siddur

Celebration

Mothers

Day

14

15

School Council

meeting @

8:00 PM

16

Yom

Yerushalayim

Deadline for

Volunteer of the

Year

nominations

17

School Day Yom

Yerushalayim

Program @ Reena

at 7:30 PM

18

Rosh Chodesh Sivan

last call for Early Bird

Registration ends at

Noon.

19

Parashat Bamidbar

20

No School

21

Victoria Day

22

Erev Shavuot

23

Shavuot I

24 No School

Shavuot II

25

26

Parashat Nasso

27 No

School

UJA Walk

with Israel

28

29

30

31

School Day

Sivan-Tammuz 5767 - June 2007

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1

2

Parashat

Beha'alotcha

Shabbat

Shorashim

3

Last Day of

School

Special Program

4

5

6

7

8

Judy Stein

Volunteer of the

Year Award

9

Parashat Sh'lach

209-1118 Centre St. Thornhill ON L4J 7R9- Phone: (905) 889-0276 x32-

During School Hours Phone: (647) 230-0597- Fax: (905)889-4113

E-mail: school@beitrayim.org

Page 4 of 4 BRH School Newsletter Calendar