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September 29, 2017
ט׳ תשרי תשע׳׳ח
שבת- יום כיפור
Candle lighting for Hollywood 6:51pm
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Holiday Humor
...Last Shabbos
my husband complained that I
served him food from last year. I told him not to complain because this Shabbos I will not be giving him anything at all to eat. He got really upset, so I told him if he complained any more, then next week he will have to eat in the street!
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Greetings From The Head Of School
This week was an exceptionally spiritual week at Sha'arei Bina. Throughout the week we had special programming and speakers to help us prepare for Yom Kippur. This year, Yom Kippur falls on Shabbat, which perhaps makes it easier for the "cooks" in the household. However, there is a special power that Yom Kippur holds when it falls on Shabbat, as noted by the Beneh Yissaschar (Tishri, 6). Rav Tzvi Elimelech Shapiro of Dinov, 1783-1841) cites the Gemara's famous comment, (Shabbat 118b) that if the Jews would observe two Shabbatot, they would immediately be redeemed. The Beneh Yissaschar (Rav Shapiro) explains this remark as referring not to the observance of two successive Shabbatot, as it is commonly understood, but rather to the observance of THE two Shabbatot - Shabbat and Yom Kippur - when they coincide. When Yom Kippur falls on Shabbat, we face the challenge of fulfilling the
mitzvah of עונג שבת - enjoying ourselves on Shabbat - despite the prohibition against eating and drinking. The way this is done, the Beneh Yissaschar writes, is taught to us by the Aramaic Targum Onkelos' translation in Sefer Shemot (24:11), in the context of the Revelation at Mount Sinai. The Torah there tells that when the people beheld the glory of G-d, they "ate and drank," and the Targum explains this to mean that the joy they experienced as a result of the acceptance of their sacrifices equaled the joy and delight experienced by eating and drinking. When Yom Kippur falls on Shabbat, we can experience עונג שבת through the special joy of the Yom Kippur experience, the joy of knowing that Hashem hears our prayers and lovingly accepts our repentance, and this takes the place of eating and drinking. If we are able to experience this joy, then we become worthy of immediate redemption. In that light, my wishes to our SBTAG family, are that this year as Shabbat and Yom Kippur fall out on the same day, may we all enjoy a true oneg Shabbat and may we merit the coming of the Mashiach, speedily in our day!
שבת שלום
Dr. Rochelle Brand
Head of School
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Calendar News
Please click here to view the complete calendar and latest news on our website
shaareibina.org
September 29 - Erev Yom Kippur - No sessions
October 2-3 - Regular sessions
October 4-15 - Sukkot break
October 16 - School resumes
October 25 - PSAT's 10th and 11th grade
October 26 - Project Challenge
October 26 - evening - Shabbat Project Challah Bake
October 31 - Dr. Lukins, Dean of Touro College addressing the High School
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D'var Torah- The Meaning of the Season, A Season of Meaning
By Rabbi Tzvi Berkson, limudei kodesh teacher middle and high school
If you ask people to recall an experience that left a deep meaningful impression on their memory, for most it will not be a time sitting idly by themselves. That's because learning and the making of meaning take place in a real-world context, with other people. It may happen in a context as grand as a sunrise atop a mountain, or as mundane as a conversation with a gas station clerk in the late hours of the night, or with family around the Seder table, listening as Grandfather waxes nostalgically about the world of his youth.
For we Jews, our holidays and their rituals are often the contexts in which we learn the truths of our heritage. Looking back at the last 40 days since Rosh Chodesh Elul, can anyone say that they have not experienced validation of, or learned anew, deeply felt beliefs about faith? On Yom Kippur, we read of the Avodah of the Kohein Gadol. Can anyone interact with this section without being overawed by its sense of purity, or fail to notice the feeling of existential aloneness that is one man standing before G-d in the Holy of Holies? Another of the chief truths that is apparent from the liturgy of the Days of Awe, is felt each time we plead in the name of Avinu Malkeinu, our Father our King. In doing so, we experience the understanding that while Hashem is deserving of total awe and fear, He is also merciful and that He loves and He wants our love.
I recall, one Yom Kippur as a child of 9, returning home from shul with my father for the afternoon break. As we approached our row house, our next door neighbor, a Jew, albeit not even observant to the point of attending shul on Yom Kippur, was standing in front of his house with a black and silver transistor radio pressed to his ear. He dutifully lifted up his eyes and said to us, "They've attacked Israel. There is a war going on." Then he looked down, once again spellbound by the radio broadcast. "No!" "War?" "Today, the holiest day of the year?" "They attacked us today?" That was my father's response, and I recall hearing those exact same sentiments from others when we returned to shul and all throughout the day.
It would be many years until I would understand the impact of that Yom Kippur on me. It taught me the awe with which the Jewish people hold Yom Kippur as a holy day, and the feeling of revulsion towards an enemy that would take advantage of us when our guard was down, our faces and hearts turned towards our father in heaven. It also taught me that despite our differences we Jews are "a people" and that when our homeland is threatened, it resonates with Jews all around the world.
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Aseret Yemei Teshuva Programs
We began the week of "Aseret Yemei Teshuva" with an inspirational video from Charlie Harary about "Leaving Your Baggage Behind". We had the girls write down what they believe their "tafkid", or role, in life is and one thing they can do to help them fulfill their destiny. Our
tefillot
included all of the additional prayers including Aveinu Malkaynu and there was a palpable difference in the atmosphere during davening.
We were privileged to have Rabbi Avrohom Yachnes address the girls on Tuesday. Rabbi Yachnes spoke about the need to be "mevater" ( to give in) for the sake of shalom.
Rabbi Yachnes has been a beloved Mechanech in S. Florida for youngsters, young adults and not so young adults for approximately 30 years. He created an adult Beit - Medrash program to which adults come to learn in the afternoons and he initiated a chessed fund called Chessed Avraham Zev. Rabbi Yachnes just completed his 4th volume of a translation of Orchos Tzaddikim which he donated to the school with the following inscription "
To the Faculty and Students of Sha'arei Bina...Thank you for inviting me to speak at your wonderful school. It was a pleasure to be there. May Hashem bless you - the future mothers of Israel - with good health and success in all that you do."
Rabbi Shlomo Sprung, our beloved Rebbetzin Sprung's son, entertained and inspired everyone on Wednesday with an interactive session on
Striving for Perfection.
A scion of two rabbinic dynasties (Slonim and Slabodka), Rabbi Shlomo Sprung followed in the footsteps of his fathers and studied in both Ner Yisrael and Chevron Yeshiva. He was recruited from Ner Le'Elef to lead what became one of the country's most successful college outreach programs, The Collegiate Learning Exchange in Miami, Florida.
Known for his dynamic teaching style and broad appeal, Shlomo delivers regular Torah classes to over a thousand people. Both in person and on Facebook Live, Shlomo boasts a varied audience of enthusiastic followers, from Kollel and Yeshiva Batei Midrash to Jewish Federations and Melton classrooms.
As Director of Jewish Life and Community Learning at the Scheck Hillel Community School, Shlomo brings the excitement and eternal relevance of Torah to students and community members alike, bridging the gap between Talmud and television.
On Thursday, we convened a Rabbinic Beit Din comprised of Rabbi Tzvi Berkson, Rabbi Michoel Sheinkopf, and Rabbi Yaakov Sprung so that our girls could be " מתיר נדר"- to be absolved of any promises or vows they had made during the year which they could not keep. Additionally, we recited the paragraph from Tefillat Zakkah traditionally said before Kol Nidrei, asking our fellow man to be "
Mochel
- Forgiving". In turn, we said that we would be
Mochel
anyone who has hurt us over the past year.
Rabbi Yaakov Sprung spoke with us, weaving in the blessing of Hurricane Irma's passing occurring before Rosh Hashana, and why we read about Akeidat Yitzchak.
Rabbi Yaakov Sprung, father of Rabbi Shlomo Sprung, is a dynamic rabbi, author, and speaker who works to inspire our community to grow in Torah, Avodah, and Gemilut Chasadim. Rabbi Sprung has been the Morah D'asra for congregations both nationally and internationally, and we are blessed to have him return to South Florida where he began before moving to New Jersey and Australia. Rabbi Sprung is the author of
Foundations of Family Purity
. What a privilege to have him speak at our school.
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As we continue to re-establish a sense of normalcy, we were happy to hold our Back To School Night this past Tuesday evening. Parents from all grades first assembled in the multi-purpose room to be greeted by Dr. Brand who introduced many of the new classes and programs available to our students this year. Parents also heard from Mrs. Wolf, our Principal, and Mrs. Bodkins, our Director of Student Activities. Parents then followed their daughter's Monday schedule and traveled from class to class to learn, as their children do, from our professional and knowledgeable faculty. One of the nicest compliments we heard was from a parent who said, "I wish there was a school like this for my son!"
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Big Sister, Little Sister Program
On Wed. Sept. 27th, we initiated our Big Sister/Little Sister program.
Malka Igilov, an 11th grader who spearheaded the event as the chairperson for this committee, assigned each 6th grader with a "big sister". There was a Get to Know One Another questionnaire and we discovered that our "sisters" have a lot in common. The girls were treated to a pizza lunch. We are looking forward to strengthening the "sibling" bond between the girls as the year progresses.
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Emergency Mobilization for Chesed
How incredibly proud we are of the families and girls who - on a day's notice - shopped, prepared, cooked, and contributed food to help the Chabad of Key West. Under Mrs. Bodkins's leadership, Ms. Chapin's directions, and Leah Tempelberg's determination, meals for one hundred and fifty people were prepared for Erev Yom Kippur. A special thanks to the Igilov, Waisman, Suissa, Koskas, Dahan, Zaig and Rosenbaum families, as well as Mrs. Parnes, our Dean of Students, and all the girls who donated time and money to this endeavor,
Sara Aaronson, Huvi simpser, avigayil, dassi, and Elisheva Roth and Daniella and Tehila Friedman.
Kol Hakavod!
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Ms. Monica Vera
After learning about Found Poetry, students crafted some thoughtful, hilarious, and heartfelt submissions of their own Found Poems. Below are a few of many wonderful examples of Found Poems composed by students.
Found Poem #1: Untitled
Devorah Leah Najman (Grade 9)
Do aliens get jealous that we have Miss Universe pageants without them?
If you get a tiger tattooed on your thigh, it's a thighger.
Orange is the only color you can taste.
Found Poem #2: "Mrs. Sprung's Class"
Sarah Aaronson (Grade 12)
Forgive the people
Free the people you want to free
He is the king that day
An unusually powerful day
He loves us and wants us to be happy
Think about it
Found Poem #3: "IRMA"
Anonymous
Let's just stay.
I need a drink.
Wow time is flying it's 5:45!
Did you see those grey chairs?
I know you know what I'm talking about.
I have to go to the bathroom.
Turn the wifi on.
I feel like a homeless person.
Normal people don't do this.
Found Poem #4 : Random Things Said at Random Times
Anonymous
If you don't have a baby,
I'm never talking to you again.
Why is your cat scared of me?
All I did was throw it.
Yes, no, maybe, of course
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To our Principal, Mrs. Tobi Wolf, on the birth of a grandson
To our Director of Student Activities, Mrs. Rivkah Bodkins, on the birth of a granddaughter
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We offer condolences to Mrs. Nogah Sedaghati (mother of 6th grader, Lia) on the loss of her brother.
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Shana Tova T'katayvu v'techataymu.
We wish everyone a
Shana Tova- a year of peace, prosperity, health and safety.
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