mds messenger march 15, 2013

Candle Lighting Time - 6:44 PM

Volume 12, Issue 20 March 15, 2013 פרשת ויקרא

בס"ד

MDS Annual Dinner a Tremendous Success! By Yehudit Robinson, Director of Educational Technology, [email protected]; Pictures taken by Norman Goldberg

This year’s 70th Annual Scholarship Dinner was

a tremendous success! As School President Daniel Pos-

ner said in his introductory remarks, the event raised a

record sum for the school, but, even more notably, there

were a record number of donors. As dinner at-

tendees entered our school, transformed for a few hours

into an international bazaar of food stations from various

countries, guests were able to appreciate the significance

of the dinner theme ” “, דע מאין באת ולאן אתה הולך “Know

where you came from and where you are going”.

Guests were greeted by our student ambassa-

dors, who thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Sarina

Kofman (7G) said, “I loved greeting everybody as they

entered the fourth floor, and I also escorted people to their

seats for the main program. It was so much fun.” Gabri-

ell Posner (7G) said, “it was a really good experience, and

I enjoyed it a lot. I stood in the lobby, and I welcomed the

guests as they entered our school.” Avi Berkowitz (8B)

added, “we were able to see a lot of familiar faces. It was

fun to greet everyone, and because my parents were being

honored, everyone said ‘mazal tov’ to me.” And Andrew

Haberman (8B) agreed: “it was great to meet people and

see them smile.”

After guests enjoyed the sumptuous, interna-

tional-themed buffet on the fourth floor, the lobby level

and the lower mezzanine, everyone went to the gym /

lunchroom for the presentations to the honorees. Daniel

Posner presented the Lay Leadership Award to Fred and

Suzan Ehrman. In their modesty, they had requested not

to be listed on the invitation, but agreed to be acknowl-

edged for their contributions to our school. Fred and Su-

zan Ehrman have been supporters of MDS for over 40

years. Fred served as our President for five years and

Chairman of our Investment Committee for 35

years. Fred’s espousal of fiscal responsibility laid the

groundwork for all future lay leaders and professionals to

emulate. Suzan in her quiet and behind the scenes de-

meanor was a pillar of strength for MDS. She single-

handedly orchestrated the first and highly successful auc-

tion on the Upper West Side. She chaired the highly pop-

ular Theater Party for many years. We are proud and

lucky to have a couple such as Fred and Suzan upon

whom MDS could depend for the last 40 years. In his

moving remarks, Fred focused on the importance of par-

ent involvement in building a school community.

[Continued next page]



The next award, the Charles and Els Bendheim Distin-

guished Service Award, was presented to New York City Council

Member Gale Brewer whose record of achievement is quite impres-

sive (and can be viewed on our journal website: mdsdin-

ner.adjournal.com/brewer.aspx. Ms. Brewer praised our school

community as being involved in the general Upper West Side Com-

munity. We were honored that some of our current and teachers had

distinguished themselves in their service to the wider New York

community and that she was aware of their activities on behalf of

others.

Rabbi Besser’s presentation of the Faculty Award to Jamie

Bunin was very powerful; he praised her initiative and caring both

for our students and for those with disabilities with whom she works

through Yachad and Camp Nesher. The faculty gave her a gift, as

did the parents of her kindergartners and the school. After the din-

ner, Jamie said: “I would like to say thank you again to everyone for

the beautiful dinner on Sunday night. Leyla Posner, Tracy Gerber,

Chavie Kahn, Dalia Schwalb and Robyn Samuels- What a wonder-

ful job you all did! The evening was perfect and every detail was

thought out! The gifts from the faculty and school were so stunning

and they are something that I will treasure forever! Thank you also

for all of the kind words that were shared that evening in the journal

and to me. I appreciate it all. In addition, the choir sang beautifully

and was such a pleasure to watch. It is also amazing to see how

many former students I recognized in the video and how nice it is to

see how they have grown up and are accomplishing so much. Thank

you again for such a special evening. There are not sufficient words

to express my appreciation to everyone who attended, or wanted to

attend the dinner. What a special night that everyone was able to

share! May we all share in more smachot together!”

Eric Goldstein then presented the Guest of Honor Award

to Deveaux Barron and Andrew Berkowitz, who have distinguished

themselves both in the world of finance and in their immense service

to MDS (please view more information about the family on our din-

ner website: mdsdinner.adjournal.com/deveaux.aspx. In their re-

sponse, Deveaux noted how there were so many times that she

would return to JFK from a business trip and tell her husband that he

needed to get home right away to relieve the sitter because she need-

ed to go straight to a meeting at MDS. In addition to numerous an-

ecdotes about being co-president of the MDS Board of Directors for

the past six years, she also thanked her husband without whose as-

sistance she would not have been able to have been so generous with

her time and resources

One of the high points of the dinner was the debut of a new

MDS video, which was co-produced by Leyla Posner. The video

presentation highlighted graduates from past decades, some of

whom are now in distinguished positions in professions as varied as

journalism, medicine, finance, and education. Whether the gradu-

ates were last students at MDS five or 55 years ago, each one shared

how MDS helped set them on the path of leadership and ignited

their passion for advanced study and achievement. The video is

available for viewing on our website, at http://vimeo.com/60145490,

as is our online dinner journal, which was shown throughout the

evening and can be found at: mdsdinner.adjournal.com/

journal.aspx.

. [Continued next page]




There was one more highlight left,

the moment that had many parents quickly re-

moving their cell phones and pressing record: to

stunning applause, our MDS Choir entered the

room and began singing with tremendous talent

and enthusiasm. Following the choir, guests

were treated to a lavish dessert buffet on the

lower mezzanine and lobby levels. The sense of

happiness and self-esteem was palpable.

Creating such a spectacular evening

involved the coordinated efforts of a dedicated

team. We thank Dinner Chairs Tracy Gerber

and Leyla Posner, Online Journal Chairs Chavie

Kahn, Robyn Samuels, and Dalia Schwalb, Ex-

ecutive Director Robert Insel, our Lay Leader-

ship team, Director of Development Joshua

Caplan, Business Office Administrators Daphne

Weisser and Rachel Gelfand, and Director of

Technology Richard Acosta. May we continue

to go, as a school community, from strength to

strength!




How Do Cardiologists Care for the Heart? By Gilda Angel, [email protected]

We had a wonderful visit from Dr. Martin who is a cardiologist and a Manhattan Day

School parent. I asked the students for questions that they would like Dr. Goldman to address

and their responses were impressive and showed that they really grasped what they had learned

in class.

Dr. Goldman spoke of the many diseases that can occur in the heart and blood vessels

and stressed that the best way to avoid these diseases was to exercise at least four times a week

and eat healthy foods. The eighth grade had just finished a previous unit on nutrition culminat-

ing with a 7-day balanced menu project. They realized that their projects were not only beauti-

ful, but also laid the basis for their own healthy modes of eating.

Dr. Goldman also brought a stethoscope, a sphygmomanometer and an echocardio-

gram machine. He demonstrated the use of each of these on his son Yehuda (6th grade) while

his daughter Miriyam (8th grade) assisted her father during the demonstrations. The doctor also

stressed the importance of learning CPR and the use of the defibrillators in our school so that

lives could be saved in emergency situations.

The students in Mrs. Angel's science classes were able to answer the questions that Dr.

Goldman posed which made her heart beat with pride. Jake Nussbaum and others expressed an

interest in studying medicine. Danielle Ben David and Esther Seligson understood h ow im-

portant it is to study the human body systems and ways to keep them healthy. We all thank Dr.

Goldman for sharing his time and expertise with us during his fascinating and erudite lecture.



Mazal Tov Kittah Alef! By Sharon Gopin, [email protected]; Pictures taken by Hila Gul, [email protected]

Mazal tov to our first graders on their outstanding performance at their Chagigat haSiddur. This celebration is a culmination

of the work our class has been doing since the beginning of the year, namely learning to read and daven and understanding the origin

of the tefillot and the content of the siddur. Our students have reached an important milestone in their chinuch. Just as we applaud

each stage of a child’s physical development, so too must we recognize the essential academic and spiritual achievement of being able

to read Hebrew and to daven from a siddur. We are proud that the children were able to master this difficult skill. As teachers of kit-

tah alef, we feel privileged to have a part in this stage of the children’s chinuch, a stage which is an essential foundation on which the

first structure of limudei kodesh will be built. Mazal tov to the parents and thank you for being partners with us to bring them to this

point.



How Do You Celebrate Pi Day (3/14)? By Miryam Alter, [email protected]

Thursday, March 14th was National Pi Day, celebrating the famous number used to compute area, circumference, volume,

and surface area of circles and spheres. Seventh Graders made t-shirts displaying some clever remarks about Pi.

Temima Yellin - “Eat a lot of Pi and you will get a large circumference.”

Danna Rebibo - “Pi – stop being so irrational!”

Dovie Sauer - “Cherry Pi”

Gabrielle Broome - “Is there any more pie? Yes, 3.14159265589793…”



MDS Competes in National History Day By Susan Kurnit, [email protected]

Five students from MDS competed in

National History Day, on Sunday, March 10th, at

the Museum of the City of New York. The stu-

dents who wrote papers—Esther Seligson and

Alexander Knapp— prepared the entire week

before for comprehensive interviews with the

judges. They submitted their papers in February

which gave the judges three weeks to read them.

In debriefing the students after the interviews, the

writers felt good about their interviews. Both

students felt proud of their accomplishment,

which was producing a piece of authentic re-

search. Stephanie Dueno, coordinator of the

event for the museum, said she was impressed by

the “level of sophistication of our students’

work.”

In addition, the display board entry, pre-

pared by Miriyam Goldman and Alyssa Mackey,

was lauded for its creativity and its inclusion of

technology. The competition in this category

was fierce this year, and MDS stood out as inno-

vators in the field. The students will celebrate at

a dinner next week. Yashar koach to our seniors

for taking on the challenge of preparing for Na-

tional History Day.

Dr. John D’Auria to Visit MDS 4/24, 7:30 PM By Messenger Staff

We are looking forward to a visit from and lecture by Dr. John

D’Auria on April 24th, at 7:30 pm. We encourage all parents and teach-

ers to join us for this special presentation. Dr. John D’Auria will be

speaking on the topic: “Raising Resilient Children in a Challenging

Time”. Please read more information about Dr. D’Auria below.

John D’Auria, Ed.D, moved from directing the Canton Public

Schools as Superintendent to becoming President of Teachers21. In a

career that has spanned four decades as a math teacher, guidance counse-

lor, principal and superintendent, Dr. D’Auria has worked with hundreds

of school leaders around sharpening the academic focus of school teams,

developing a vibrant school culture, and managing conflict in the work-

place.

Dr. D’Auria’s research focuses on the ways in which the as-

sumptions that people hold about intelligence significantly influence

their learning. His newest book, School Systems That Learn, was co-authored with Dr. Paul Ash (Corwin Press, 2012). Dr. D’Auria

is also the author of Ten Lessons in Leadership and Learning (2010), a helpful resource to new and experienced leaders, as well as

“The DNA of Leadership”—a curriculum for aspiring school leaders. Additionally, Dr. D’Auria co-authored with Jon Saphier, How

To Bring Vision to School Improvement (Research for Better Teaching, 1993). Numerous other articles include “The Superintendent

as Teacher,” Phi Delta Kappan Online Edition, Fall, 2009; “A Principal’s Dilemma,” jointly with Matt King in Schools: Studies in

Education, University of Chicago Press, Spring, 2009; and “3 Strands Form Strong School Leadership,” jointly with Jon Saphier and

Matt King, National Staff Development Council, Spring, 2006. He is a frequent speaker at national and regional educational confer-

ences and has served on The Middle School Curriculum Project based at Education Development Center.

John D’Aria is a Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude graduate of Boston College, where he majored in mathematics and

philosophy; he earned his doctorate in urban educational leadership at the University of Massachusetts.



The Arts of China By Linda Kastner, [email protected]

Congratulations to the 6th grade girls on their beauti-

ful Chinese hand scrolls. As part of our MDS middle school

art curriculum, students learn about the art from other cultures

and try projects in the style and spirit of that country. The

following is a brief overview of what we focused on and

learned.

A Brief Overview

China is one of the world’s oldest and largest contin-

uous civilizations. The name CHINA comes from the First

Emperor Qin – pronounced CHIN. Emperor Qin is most fa-

mous for unifying the Great Wall of China and for ordering

the creation of his army cloned in terra-cotta clay to guard his

eternal tomb. After the destruction of his tomb by an angry

mob, centuries of history passed by and thousands of these life

-size clay soldiers laid buried in Xian, until only recently when

they were discovered by chance. This discovery is considered

to be the most important archeological and artistic find of the

20th century. It stands as a testament to the artistry of the Chi-

nese culture. In addition to their extraordinary artistic endeav-

ors, the Chinese invented paper and printing and were there-

fore responsible for the advancement of arts and writing. They

also invented the ship’s rudder and first map and without that -

the new world might never have been discovered.

Chinese Scrolls and Painting

China showed excellence in the THREE PERFECTIONS,

which were: Painting, Poetry and Calligraphy (beautiful writ-

ing). Nature is all-important in Chinese Art. Their materials

were simple – inkstone, brush, paper or silk. Chinese painting,

poetry and calligraphy are bound together in one harmonious

art form called THE SCROLL. Asian Scrolls appear in three

formats:

Vertical

Horizontal

Album Leaf

Art and Nature are inseparable. Landscapes are a favorite!

Animals, birds, rocks, rivers, waterfalls, mountains, Pagodas,

flowers, paths, trees and human subjects in their natural set-

tings are the favored themes for landscape scrolls. There are

generally THREE views seen in these paintings, which are

symbolic of one’s journey through life. They are:

DOWN - the rocks (youth)

THROUGH –the path or water (middle age)

UP – the mountains (old age)

The calligraphy – which literally translates as beauti-

ful writing is just as important as the painting it accompanies.

Some even felt that COLOR was UNNECESSARY, so they

only used BLACK. The artist’s signature is done with his

personal stamper or seal, which is called a CHOP. It is usually

the red stamp seen on the scroll. In addition, POETRY might

be written on the scroll relating to the scene. Dragons can also

be found in Chinese landscape paintings, as they are a symbol

of good luck and fortune. As you can see from these paint-

ings, the girls learned some of the traditional techniques of Chinese painting, added their own creative interpretation, tried Chinese

calligraphy and learned how to interpret a hand scroll. Mazel tov for a job well done!



The Teachable Moments in Art By Linda Kastner, [email protected]

Every teacher’s dream is to have a student come in and say, “ I really appreciate what you taught me! As an art teacher for

40 years one thing remains constant and that is the students curiosity about the art and the artists and why certain works of art are so

famous and demand such high prices. They also want to know why people go to visit these works of art, pay high admissions to see

them and why are they alarmed and guarded? And why did Van Gogh cut off his ear, and why is the Mona Lisa so loved and who

was she? And of course the big question is how do we know that a work of art is authentic and who checks for its authenticity?

The 6th grade boys had so many questions that we decided to put away the art materials for a while and just learn about art

history and the artists and so far we are having the best time doing exactly that. We started with an outline and timeline of everything

from the first cave paintings to the era we are in now which is Post-Modern. We talked about the Renaissance and the Mona Lisa and

her importance as a representation of philosophical change in the western worldview. We then jumped to the Post-Impressionists

where one of the biggest turning points in the history of art took place. The four Post-Impressionists – Van Gogh, Cezanne, Gauguin

and Toulouse Lautrec had tragedy in their lives but through their hardships created some of the greatest works of art. As the best rein-

forcement, we are viewing the movie “Lust for Life” based on the book by Irving Stone about the life of Van Gogh. This is the best

learning tool because it is filmed on location and many of the works of art in this movie are the real thing. Of course Kirk Douglas

who plays Vincent is outstanding and bears a striking resemblance to Van Gogh. We stop it with questions and discussions through-

out the film and I am certain that Van Gogh will become the boy’s favorite artist. We will then learn about the conservation depart-

ment in every major museum and how the love of science and art can be combined into a highly specialized field of art detectives who

know how to determine if the work of art is done by the real artist or by a forger. We will view a Nova special where one art forger

shows Nova how he duped the museums into paying millions of dollars for a painting which was only a twenty dollar fake. After

that we will take a look at the creative genius of all times – Picasso and his invention of abstract art. You never know after this expe-

rience. Perhaps a world famous art curator or conservationist will come out of the art class of 6th grade boys. At some point we will

try some artwork in the style of one of the artists. But in the meantime – this is a very teachable moment.

Art relates to the times and ideas in which it was created. I think of Art history as a coat rack on which can be hung the his-

tory, music, literature, philosophy, fears, hopes and dreams that cultures have worn. It is a pleasure to see students root through the

garments of art history, take an interest in the lives of artists and share in those cultural experiences. Congratulations to the 6th grade

boys for their intellectual curiosity!



Kindergarten & 8th Grade: Together Forever! By Aviva Yablok, [email protected]; Pictures taken by Kindergarten Teachers

We have begun a new program which combines friend-

ship and mentoring for our oldest and youngest students. Over

the last few months some of the staff members have shared the

vision of having our oldest grade spend quality time with our

Kindergartners. Our hopes were that the time together would

bring out the best in each group and create some positive bonds

between the older and younger students.

We began by discussing the program with the eighth

graders. Rabbi Cohen and Morah Strulowitz showed the stu-

dents a short video which described how one mitzvah, or act of

kindness can lead to another without anyone even realizing

it. This video set the tone for a discussion which included Mo-

rah Aviva Yablok. The group talked about the qualities of a kin-

dergartner—their natural curiosity and eagerness to learn. They

look up to older students and would likely model their behav-

ior. Kindness and goodness shown to them would likely turn

into more acts of kindness.

We began with a 40 minute session in the Kindergarten

classroom with the groups working together on some pre-

planned “Kindergarten work.” The eighth graders were intro-

duced to their Kindergarten buddies and after learning a little

about each other, they got to work. The atmosphere was gentle

and respectful. The Kindergartners loved the personal attention

that the peer interactions provided. The older students enjoyed

the opportunity to “teach and guide”.

We are already planning for our next visit together.

Rachelle Benedict said, “recently the entire 8th grade

was instructed to descend to the forbidden second floor where all

of the adorable kindergarten children dwell. We were able to

properly interact with a few children per person and we really

enjoyed the bonding time. We would both love to reenact this

positive experience on a further level in the future.”

And Danielle Ben David added: “Two weeks ago the

entire eight grade had an activity with the kindergarten classes.

When we first heard about this program we were super excited

that we get to do this program twice a month! We learned how to

work with the younger kids and how to react to them. If they

needed help we helped them with whatever they needed. We had

to be an example to the kindergarteners because they look up to

us as role models. What they saw us do they would learn from

us and they would mimic. We needed to behave accordingly so

they would learn our good middot. The kindergarteners learned

from us as we did from them. They showed us how we should

speak to children younger than us and that how to make really

cool sand art. I think this is the best program that we have ever

done and I can't wait for the next visit!”



Who Inspires You? By Julienne Dweck, [email protected]

Who Inspires You? After

reading and learning about many

influential figures in history, the

second graders had a chance to write

about who inspired them the most of

all! Each student chose one famous

person to write about and presented

a letter to a panel of judges, persuad-

ing them that their important histori-

cal figure should be given the blue

ribbon for “Most Inspiring Person”.

The students each read their letter

aloud to the judge or judges. See the

picture below of the blue ribbon

winners, who showed the judges,

with their writing and presenting,

that they really were moved by their

famous person! All letters to judges

are displayed on the third floor bul-

letin board. We are proud of every

student for not only learning about

these important people in our histo-

ry, but making a personal connec-

tion on how they were inspired.

What Are the Elements of a Biography? By Susan Kurnit, [email protected]

The box tops for education contest continues!

submit your box tops to Sharon newman in a bag

labeled with your name and class.

The class with the most Box tops earns an ice cream party!

During Guided Reading Groups,

the Fourth Graders have begun to study

the elements of a biography. Different

people are discussed as a springboard to a

biography independent reading assign-

ment. Some of the people we are reading

about include Barbara Park, Itzhak Perl-

man, and even Dr. Seuss. We look for-

ward to an exciting project on some very

special people.



Great People in History Visited Our Classroom! By Tyler Fischman, 3A; Pictures taken by Yael Glatzer, [email protected]

We were assigned a biography book report. Little did we know that it would involve more than just reading and writing. We

would have to dress like the person and answer questions for them. We were all vey exited picking people from Anne Frank to John

F. Kennedy to Roberto Clemente and Steven Jobs. From bold and brave heroes, to famous politicians and scientists who changed our

world, each subject had their own traits and characteristics that made them special. I learned a lot from each unique report and enjoyed

watching my classmates tell their subject’s story in a different way. Many students prepared posters and powerpoints so we could

learn more about the people they were portraying. I actually felt like I was in the room with all of these great people in history.



Biography Challenge By Reese Dolfman and Charlotte Steinblatt, 5G

On March 6th, the girls in 5G presented speeches to the class based on their Reader’s Response Biography Report. First, the

students chose a person in history who they found to be influential and inspiring. The girls described the person’s character traits as

well as his or her mission and message to the world. Then, the students delivered a speech about her “person” to the class and a panel

of judges. Each student had to persuade the panel of judges as to why her person was the most inspirational figure in history. On the

first day, our judges were Mrs. Korn, Mrs. Yablok and Mrs. Fruchter. On the second day, the judges were Mrs. Korn, Ms. Miller, and

Ms. Lasky. The Runners Up were Hanna Gerber and Emma Kassai. The Winners were Ayelet Glassberg and Jordana Broome. All of

the girls in 5G did such an amazing job presenting! Everyone learned so much about the accomplishments of many wonderful people

in our history.

MDS Celebrates National Nutrition Month By Aleta Gelb, Director of Food Services, [email protected]

March is National Nutrition Month. It was

created in 1973 by the American Dietetic Associa-

tion to promote the importance of making informed

food choices and developing sound physical activity

habits. I am happy to be part of an effort by Man-

hattan Day School parents, teachers, students and

staff to focus in on encouraging healthier choices

that improve our health and the health of our fami-

lies. The small steps we start taking today will equal

big rewards throughout the month and all year long.

We set up a “Theme Thursday” this week

with an emphasis on looking for the “good stuff” in

our food choices. We displayed foods filled with

Calcium for strong bones teeth and muscles, fiber-

rich foods for healthy weight and to lower risk of

diabetes and heart disease, and cruciferous vegeta-

bles full of super nutrients including Beta-carotene,

Indols and Glucosinolates. With the students in all

three lunch shifts having the opportunity to sample

and taste some of these healthy choices, such as bok

choy salad, turnip casserole, yogurt with granola,

and three-bean salad, we are hoping to start them on

the small steps toward developing sound dietary

habits.



Why Is My Biography Subject Most Influential? By Charlie Samuels, Zachary Buller, and Ezra Cohen , 5B

Over the course of the month, the 5th Grade has been researching and developing well-written paragraphs about a figure in

history that he/she thought was the most inspirational and influential person in the world. With the help of these paragraphs and index

cards, the students persuaded a panel of judges (faculty members) why their chosen figure was the most inspirational and influential

figure ever. The range of the people went from Steve Jobs to Martin Luther King Jr. The competition was very close but the judges

finally agreed on two runner ups and two winners…

Runner Ups

Aaron Levitt Walt Disney

Dan Smadja Ilan Ramon

Winners

David Feit-Mann Rabbi Avraham Isaac Kook

Charlie Samuels Louis Braille

Judges

Mrs. Fruchter, Mrs. Fine, Ms. Miller, Mrs. Korn, Ms. Averbuch, and Moreh Arnon

Monday, March 18th

Picture Retake Day

Contact Rachel,

[email protected],

to sign up!



Yosef Mendelevitch, Soviet Prisoner of Zion By Alexander Wildes, 8B

I was very privileged to

hear Yosef Mendelevitch, one of

the first Soviet “Refuseniks” and

a famed Soviet Prisoner of Zion,

speak at Lincoln Square Syna-

gogue this week. Yosef Mende-

levitch was born in Riga, Latvia

in 1947, during the time when

the rule of Joseph Stalin over the

Soviet Union was absolute and

when learning about and practic-

ing Judaism was illegal. He did

not have a school to teach him

Hebrew and about Judaism, so

his cousin would get him Hebrew

books to learn. He was also the

editor of an underground news-

paper about Judaism.

When he was 22, he

wanted to move to Israel, so he

filed for an exit visa but was re-

fused by the government. He

and others decided to try and

take a plane to fly to Israel, but

as he was boarding the plane, he

was tackled and arrested. He

was then put on trial and spent

the next twelve years in a labor

prison. Even though the secret

police tried to break his spirit

through interrogations, he re-

fused to cooperate. What stood

out to me was that he was not a

religious man, but when he was

in prison, he managed to observe

Shabbat and even get enough

material to make his own Pesach

Seder with another Jew. Finally,

he was freed by bribes and pro-

test rallies by Jews in the United

States on his behalf. He then

moved to Israel, joined the army,

married, had seven kids, and be-

came a rabbi. Now, he teaches

Torah at a yeshiva in Israel.

Mr. Mendelevitch’s

speech was inspiring to me and

to the others in the packed Beit

Midrash. Mr. Mendelevitch

showed me that miracles can

happen with continuing faith in

Hashem.



IDF Soliders Visit MDS By Messenger Staff

We were honored this week by a visit by several IDF soldiers (some of whom we could not photograph for security reasons).

The soldiers represented different divisions of the IDF—the navy, air force, ground troops, and working with civilian centers. Each

soldier wore a different uniform representing their division. The soldiers answered many questions about what they do. Our students

expressed their appreciation for all the sacrifices that the IDF soldiers make to keep us safe.

In 6b Torah Shel Ba’al Peh there has started an exciting new

club, the “Three Times Club”. Review the gemara three times and

join the club! Each topic is represented on a card, and as you review

you begin to check off the bubbles. Every few topics we go through,

the club does something fun. This past Friday, the club took a trip to

16 Handles, and judging from the enthusiasm of the club members, it

appears we will be blessed with many future outings. These are boys

who understand the power of review, and who wish to experience the

pleasure of clarity in their learning. We take off our hats to them!

Nadav Heller went so far as to review all the gemara studied this year

three times, and filled out his sheet retroactively, so he received spe-

cial honors from Rabbi Besser. These budding Talmidei Chachamim

give us pride and joy at MDS.

The Three Times Club and Its Stars By Rabbi Avi Genack, [email protected]



Celebrating Simchat Kallah By Shoshana Epstein and Yehudit Rogoznitsky, 4G; Pictures taken by Rivky Rendler, [email protected]

There was one mitzvah we never had the chance to do. And now we had the chance to do it. When Morah Rendler an-

nounced the exciting news, we all were shocked. We never had this opportunity to do such a wonderful mitzvah. We were going to

raise money for a kallah, then actually attend her wedding with arches and our eager, smiling faces. We had a shorashim-a-thon to

raise money for this kallah and we’d like to thank all the people that made it possible for us to do this mitzvah of hachnasat kalah.

After the shorashim-a-thon, we started preparing for the wedding. We each were assigned partners for the arches. We all received a

hula hoop cut in half. We each got white duct tape to cover up the hula hoop. Then we got some tulle, and tape, and made bunches.

Next, we put on flowers and leaves, and now they were not hoola hoops. They looked like store bought arches. We had an umbrella,

and some kids attached ribbon to it for us to hold. We learned some dances. Now we were ready to go. On Wednesday, March 6 th,

the day we were all looking forward to came. A few hours after school, we all arrived, dressed beautifully, at school. We took a bus to

get to Brooklyn. We arrived at the wedding forty-five minutes later. At last we were ready. We walked into the room, and ate a bit.

When the time came, and we heard the music, we rushed to get our arches and quickly held them up. When the kallah ran through,

we all felt

so proud

that we

made this

h a p p e n .

We ran to

dance, and

we all had

a turn in

d a n c i n g

with the

kallah. We

were all

disappoint-

ed when

we had to

leave. It

was an

a m a z i n g

experience

and we

loved it!



What Happens in the Afterschool Programs? By Ester Gruenberger-Kelen, Afterschool Program Director

Today I gave Yehudit Robinson some pictures I had from Magic, Karate and Basketball to publish in the MDS messen-

ger. She asked me to write an article to accompany the photos. When I sat down at my computer to do just that I wanted to look up

some information to share with you and I realized (slightly shocked) that I have been running the Afterschool clubs for 10

years. Therefore this article will be a bit more involved then I originally thought.

At the beautiful MDS dinner this past Sunday, our school president Mr. Daniel Posner talked about how far the school has

come and I am thrilled to tell you that this is also true for the Afterschool program. We have reached a record high of 430 registra-

tions, which is a 45 % increase in the past 10 years.

This school year we offered clubs to Nursery 4 children for the first time and it has been a big success. Thanks to the Early

Childhood Department, Aviva Yablok, Cindy Sherman, Morah Eileen and all the Morahs.

We are offering a variety of clubs such as Chess, Cooking, Crocheting, Dance, Art, Sports, Yoga, Karate, Aviation, Magic,

Theater, Game Programming, etc. Many logistics and much work go into planning these activities for our children. Scheduling the

dates clubs meet (Rabbi Besser), adding the information to the calendar (PTA), taking attendance (Morah Nellie and Simona Fisch),

safety and dismissal (Sharon Newman, all the teachers, and security team), financial details (Robert Insel, Michael Sternbach and the

business office) is a group effort and I want to thank all involved - apologies if I forgot anybody.

Of course all these programs would not be possible without our great instructors. Many of our Afterschool teachers are part

of the MDS faculty (Mr. B., Ms. Demirtas, Mrs. Leora Berkowitz Sulimanoff, Richard Acosta, Aleta Gelb, Julia Averbuch, Atara

Neuer) and many are outside contractors (Debbie Weisz, Broadway Bound, Hobby Quest, Sensei Eddie Kelen, Launch Math, TriState

Chess, British Soccer, Doran Shapiro). They all are devoted to be there no matter what and it was especially amazing, when just one

day after hurricane Sandy MDS re-opened and the Afterschool program was up and running.

Sometimes it gets a bit challenging during registration/sign up time (my children only see my back in front of my Mac) and

my husband has to cook (who am I kidding he always cooks), but I love being part of the MDS family and I enjoy meeting children

and their parents this way.

Enjoy these pictures and we hope to post more in future messengers.



8G Devar Torah Project: Vayikra Submitted by Bethany Strulowitz, [email protected]; Devar Torah written by Devora Goldstein, 8G

Once an orchard owner hired a blind man and a lame man. The orchard owner strictly forbade them from eating any of his

fruit, but the men could not resist the temptation. So, the blind man put the lame man on his shoulders, and together they were able to

get the fruit. When the orchard owner returned, he was angry because he saw that someone had stolen his fruit. When he approached

the blind man, he said “I could not have done it, for I am blind,” and when he approached the lame man, he said “I could not have

done it, for I am lame.” But, then the orchard owner placed one on the other’s shoulders and he saw how it was done.

This story provides a parallel to the relationship between the body and soul as discussed in this week’s parsha. Many of

these ideas for this devar torah come from two articles I read on aish.com entitled “Do As I Do” and “The Temple Full of Blood.”

In other instances when Hashem speaks to Moshe it does not say “va-yikra” “and he called.” This the first time we see Ha-

shem call to Moshe. The Torah usually just states “vayomar” -- “and He said.” Why does Hashem choose to now call Moshe? What

is the importance of the word “va-yikra”? Rashi explains that calling is a sign of endearment. Rashi’s implies that the subject Ha-

shem is about to discuss is one that He finds endearing.

This is surprising: how could the subject of bloodshed and the killing of animals (all creations of God) be endearing to Ha-

shem? In order to understand how this subject could possibly be endearing, we need to learn more about the subject Hashem is dis-

cussing. After Hashem calls to Moshe, He begins discussing the topic of korbanot. After that, Hashem introduces the korban olah, a

korban that is completely burnt on the mizbeach and given to God. Hashem goes on to explain that the korban mincha, which is

brought every afternoon, is made of a fine flour with ketoret -- frankincense and olive oil. There are five different varieties of this

kind of korban. Hashem also talks to Moshe about peace offering or shelamim; parts of this korban are burned on the mizbeach. Cer-

tain portions are then given to the kohanim. The rest is eaten by the individual who brings the korban and their family. Hashem also

discusses the different types of chatat or sin offerings. This is brought to compensate for a sin that a kohen or an individual in the

community has made. The parshah ends with Hashem talking about asham; this is to atone for any accidental mistakes.

Now that we have an overview of the parsha, we can try and better understand how korbanot can be considered endearing.

In many religions people are told to separate themselves from their body and to become totally spiritual with none of their

animalistic traits. Through korbanot, Hashem is showing us that even our animalistic traits are sacred. The sacrificing of animals

represents our own flesh and blood which we can also give to Hashem to strengthen our body and soul together.

The body and soul have to work together. They rely on each other, just like the story of the blind man and the lame man. In

that story, both men had to work together in order to accomplish their goal. Neither could have done it without the other. This is like

the relationship between the body and soul. Neither can reach their goal on their own, but when they work together, you can achieve

your ultimate height of spirituality and strengthen their relationship with Hashem. For example, when you make a bracha on the food

you eat -- in this case you cannot make the bracha without the physicality of the eating, while you also using the spiritual act of the

bracha to heighten the meaning of the act of eating.

There are other lessons we can learn from the korbanot. The korban chatat that is brought by a leader, is often thought to

atone for a sin committed by those in his community. Many leaders believe that the set of rules that they must follow are different

from those that must be followed by everyone else. Sometimes people we view as leaders believe that is okay for them to cheat. For

example, Lance Armstrong was viewed as a humanitarian, as well as a hero as a sports champion and cancer survivor. But, Lance

Armstrong also believed that because so many people were cheating, it was okay for him to cheat as well. We learn that these leaders

are missing the mark. Instead, they should be role models for their community by setting an example for others.

People try and emulate their leaders. Children tend to mirror their parents’ behaviors, and adults often pick up on their boss-

es’ habits. We all look to someone to help us to learn how to conduct ourselves.

We also learn that people tend to pay more attention to each other’s actions, as opposed to what they say. This is where the

phrase “practice what you preach” comes into play. If Marc Zuckerberg tells you that it’s really important to get your college degree,

you might not take him seriously because he never finished college, and he is a billionaire.

We learn from this that in order to become a Dugma Ishit, a role model, we must remember that people are watching what

we do and copying us. Whether it’s giving your seat on the bus to an elderly person or returning a lost item, we should make sure we

are keeping the same set of rules that we would expect from any other person.

Unscramble the words!!!!

ulso aterdeennm ldnib amel

trufi olha ins serul

1) The body and ______ must work together

2) The word Vayikra is a sign of ______

3) A _______ man and a _____ man worked together to seal from the orchard

4) What did the men steal from the orchard?

5) The korban ______ is burnt completely on the mizbeach

6) The korban chatat is also known as the ______ offering

7) We learn that we should follow the same _______ we set for everyone else



Parsha Challenge: Vayikra Submitted by Rabbi Binyamin Yablok, Associate Principal, based on questions from Congregation Rinat Yisrael in Teaneck, New Jersey

1. (a) What was the goal of קרבנות (7 views)? (b) (1) Why did ה‘ call (ויקרא) to Moshe, before speaking (וידבר) to him? (2) Why

does “ויקרא” have a small א‘ (2 views)? (c) (1) Why does 1:2 say, “אדם כי יקריב” (a man who offers – singular), and end

What 3 mammals were (1) (d) ?”איש“ and not the more usual ,”אדם“ Why (2) ?(2 views) (shall offer – plural) ”תקריבו“

acceptable (2) ?קרבנות How do they recall the avot’s merits? (e) Why were domesticated animals used for קרבנות, not wild

animals? (1:1-2 ויקרא)

1. (a) (1) To wean Bnei Yisrael from idol worship (Rambam – Moreh Nevuchim). (2) To unite Bnei Yisrael with Hashem, by bring-

ing Divine radiance to the world (Meshech Chochma, based on Ramban). (3) Sins result from (i) thought, (ii) speech and (iii) action –

for atonement, a sinner had to (i) put his hands on the korban – an action, (ii) confess his sin – by speech, and (iii) burn the entrails

and kidneys – organs of thought and desire – and the legs that do the action (Ramban). (4) The animal’s organs are similar to one’s

own organs – by forsaking his intelligence through sin, his body is like an animal’s – burning the animal’s body erases the sin from

his mind (Sefer haChinuch – Mitzvah 95). (5) Korbanot are an inexplicable formula to bring Hashem closer to people (Kuzari). (6) By

offering our possessions – animals and grains – we recognize we exist only by His Will (Maharal). (7) Like grain and meat nurture

one’s body, korbanot nourish one’s soul (Akeidat Yitzchak). (b) (1) Hashem called him to join Him in the Mishkan, showing His af-

fection for him (Rashi). (2) (i) Humble Moshe wanted Hashem to say “vayiker” (He chanced upon) Moshe, without an alef, like when

He met Bilam (Bamidbar 23:16) – Hashem told him to write “vayikra“ but agreed to a small alef, to show his humility (Ba’al ha-

Turim). (ii) The small alef indicates that the Shechina’s goal of permanent residence had not been reached when He called Moshe –

His permanent Place is Yerushalayim’s Har haBayit (Zohar). (c) (1) (i) While an individual pays for his personal korban, the commu-

nity pays for the fire’s wood and the korban’s salt (תולדות יצחק). (ii) It tells us that one (singular) bringing a korban or doing a mitzvah

can bring all of בני ישראל (plural) closer to ה‘ ; (2) It refers to אדם, who could not offer a stolen korban since the whole world was his –

one may not offer a dishonestly-gotten korban ( י“רש ). (d) (1) (i) Cows/oxen; (ii) sheep/rams; (iii) goats; (2) (i) oxen recall אברהם’s

merit in feeding his guests oxen; (ii) sheep recall the עקידה, where a ram substituted for יצחק; (iii) goats recall יעקב’s listening to רבקה

to bring 2 goats to his father (63 בבא קמאa). (e) It shows ה‘ ’s concern for בני ישראל, who did not have to trap wild animals (דעת זקנים).

2. (a) (1) Why is the korban olah described before the chatat (2 views)? (2) Which olah meat was not burned on the miz-

bei’ach? (b) Since an olah had to be “li-retzono” (voluntary), how was beit din allowed to coerce someone, when necessary, to

offer the korban? (c) (1) What was a korban’s “rei’ach nicho’ach” (pleasant fragrance) for Hashem? (2) Which korbanot had

a rei’ach nicho’ach and which did not? (3) Since a bird korban was burnt with its feathers, producing a horrible smell, why

does the Torah describe it as a rei’ach nicho’ach? (Vayikra 1:3-9,17)

2. (a) (1) The olah (i) is spiritually higher, “rising” entirely to Hashem – other korbanot were eaten by kohanim and/or the offerer

(Medrash Tanchuma – Tzav 1). (ii) atones for improper thoughts, while the chatat atones for improper acts – improper thoughts pre-

cede and lead to improper acts (Kli Yakar). (2) The gid ha-nasheh (115 מצוה – ספר החינוך). (b) One’s soul wants to do what is right, but

external temptations cloud his judgment – beit din’s coercion allows the soul’s goodness to come through (Rambam Hil Gerushin

2:20). (c) (1) It was the result of the offerer’s bringing the korban according to ה‘ ’s Will (Rashi). (2) Korbanot in the משכן or בית המקדש

had a rei’ach nicho’ach, but those on bamot (private altars) did not (משך חכמה). (3) Birds were offered by the very poor – the feathers

made the korban look bigger – if the offerer’s intent was to serve ה‘ , the קרבן had a ריח נחוח, regardless of its actual odor ( י“רש ).

3. (a) Why is the word “nefesh” (soul) used for one offering a קרבן מנחה (meal offering)? (b) What were the 5 voluntary מנחות?

(c) Why could a מנחה not have (i) חמץ? (ii) דבש (honey)? (d) Why was salt added to every קרבן (3 reasons)? (2:1-13 ויקרא)

3. (a) Bringing a mincha was a great monetary loss for a very poor person, as if he brought his very soul (Rashi). (b) Minchat (1)

solet – offered as raw flour; (2) machavat – griddle-fried; (3) marcheshet – pan-fried; (4) ma’afei tanur shel rekikin – oven-baked wa-

fers; (5) ma’afei shel chalot – oven-baked thick matzot (Menachot 63a,75a). (c) (1) (i) Chametz represents both (i) a lack of zerizut

(alertness) in doing mitzvot, like slow-rising dough, and (ii) yearning for “puffed-up” honor; (2) devash represents spending one’s life

seeking comfort and pleasure – to serve Hashem wholeheartedly, one must curtail these inclinations (Mitzvah 117). (d) (1) During

Creation’s 2nd day, Hashem separated the heavenly and earthly waters – when the lower waters “protested” their separation from Ha-

shem, salt, from the sea, was added to all korbanot (Rashi). (2) Food-preserving salt signifies permanence – Hashem’s covenant with

Bnei Yisrael is permanent (Hirsch). (3) Salt destructively prevents plant growth but preserves food – neglecting korbanot brings de-

structive exile, but proper offerings preserve Bnei Yisrael (Ramban).

4. (a) Why were קרבנות שלמים given that name (4 views)? (b) Why could a קרבן עולה be only a male animal, while a shelamim

could be male or female? (c) What 4 הלכות of קרבנות שלמים made them קדשים קלים (קרבנות of lesser holiness)? (Vayikra 3:1)

4. (a) (1) שלמים stands for “peace” (שלום) – they increase peace in the world; (2) a קרבן שלמים is divided in 3 parts among (i) ה‘ on the

altar; (ii) the כהנים; and (iii) the offerers, resulting in peace among the 3 of them ( י“רש ,(שלימות) ”stands for “wholeness שלמים (3) .(

since they are motivated by one’s desire for perfection by elevating one’s spirituality ( ן“רמב ). (4) The שלמים provide harmony by

uniting the spiritual and materialistic worlds (קרבן אהרן). (b) One who feels strong and independent, represented by the male, may

bring a korban to express gratitude to ה‘ , while someone in a state of dependence, symbolized by the female, may be equally content

and grateful – the שלמים represent happiness that is not dependent on domination, since power is not the best indication of success in

life (Hirsch). (c) They (1) could be slaughtered anywhere in the עזרה (courtyard); (2) could be eaten by non-kohanim; (3) could be

eaten anywhere in (4) ;ירושלים were not subject to me’ila (penalty for personal use) until the blood was thrown on the מזבח (7 מעילהb).



National Nutrition Month @ MDS!

National Nutrition Month At MDS!

We’re working towards making MDS an even healthier school for your kids.

In fact, two other schools have already contacted us to learn about our healthy food programs.

Council Member Gale Brewer, at our school dinner, praised us for solving the Mayor’s soda crisis by making fruit-infused water

available in our lunchroom.

Students in grades 1 - 5 took part in our Healthy Snack Challenge this week.

The winning class will win a sushi party next week!

Check out our healthy vending machine in the lunch room.

Watch for our Healthy Snack Guide and other healthy initiatives coming soon.

Thank you to Skinny Pop for donating 600

bags of popcorn which were

distributed to our students.



The MDS Parents Council Thanks You!

ROSH CHODESH TEACHERS’ BREAKFAST FOR THE

MONTH OF NISAN IS SPONSORED BY…

The Bernell-Taragin Family – Yonah (4B) The Elzweig Family – Jonah (4B) The Mishan Family – Alex (4B)

The Nussbaum-Laifer Family – Charlie (4B)

In gratitude to the Fourth Grade Boys' teachers: Rabbi Yehoshua Polter, Debbie Goodstone, Miryam Alter,

David Bernstein, Arnon Arad, Leyla Demirtas, Krishan Khanna, Rifkey Moskowitz, Havi Pesso, and Chasida Zilbiger

Also to all the teachers who tend to our children --

Rosh Chodesh Tov!

PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES

The Parents Council would also like to thank the following people who helped sell merchandise, promote the auction and advertise our wine

fundraiser on Parent/Teacher Conference Day: Meryl Degen, Lenore Ades, Renata Kadoe, Shoshana Bergman and Pooneh Kaplan.

Also, many thanks to Morah Raquel Verschleisser

and her sister Elisha for watching our children so we could meet with their teachers

and to Dori Shwirtz for organizing the schedule.



Family Fun Days: Pesach Activities!

Family Fun Days: Pesach Activities!

SOCCER! SPECIAL PRICE

Come join the Carlos Oliveira Soccer Academy for Passover break soccer camp in Riverside Park at 103d St. Dates: Friday, March 22; Monday, March 25;

Thurs-Fri March 28-29. Great price! $250 for all four days Single day: $75

Soccer Uniform $35 (includes 2 t-shirts plus shorts) APPLE STORE VISIT

Come learn how to make an iMovie at the Apple Store on the Upper West Side. 11:30-1 pm Movie topic: The Best Part of My Passover Holiday!

Note: Requires adult supervision. One adult should be able to keep track of several kids, if they can work inde-pendently.

LIMITED SPACE

RSVP BY WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20th

to Rachel, [email protected], x815 Questions? Contact Nancy Miller, [email protected]

http://cosacademy.com/2012/spring_01.html

http://cosacademy.com/2012/spring_01.html

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Dr. D’Auria: Raising Resilient Children, 4/24



MDS Book Fair, 4/30-5/2

MDS Parents Council

Annual Book Fair

April 30th - May 2nd

MDS lobby

Children and Adult Books

Cash or check only

Volunteers needed

Please contact Shari Friedman,

[email protected]



MDS Auction, 5/5/13



MDS Summer Camp



Community Flyers: UWS Gemach



Community Flyers: Free Large Print Hagadot



Manhattan Day School

310 West 75th Street

New York, New York

Tel: 212-376-6800

Fax: 212-376-6389

www.mdsweb.org

Tel: 212-376-6800

Fax: 212-376-6389

Email all articles and graphics

to Yehudit Robinson,

Director of

Educational Technology,

[email protected]

…

Thank you for keeping our school

a nut-aware environment.

Please join our daily parent

tehillim group which meets in the

library at 8:15 AM.

Chag Kasher v’Sameach! By Yehudis Feinstein, [email protected]

In the MDS Family...

The Messenger will resume after the Pesach vacation. Chag Kasher v’Sameach!

We received the following thank you note from the Newtown, CT community in

response to our letters to the students of the Sandy Hook Elementary School:

mds messenger march 15, 2013

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