May 2008

Shalom Chaverim

It is hard to believe that the end of the school year is around the corner. It has been a year of change and a year of accomplishment for our students. The recent return of our ninth grade students from the Religious Action Center in Washington D.C., the sixth graders’ return from their annual retreat and their Service this month, and the upcoming Confirmation of our 10th graders in June, all mark milestones in their Jewish education, milestones for which we are very proud of them all. Our kindergarten through fifth grade students have also been working very hard this year and we hope their continued progress is a source of pride for them and for their families. Our first year of Rosh Chodesh:It’s A Girl Thing was a huge success, and the girls are all looking forward to continuing the program next year.

We still have several weeks to go, weeks full of learning and fun. Part of our final few weeks will be a school wide Blue and White Olympics, part of our Israel@60 celebration. We hope all of our students will be here to participate in the fun.

Please remember, registration for the 5769 school year is underway. Early registration is important so that we can plan programming and staffing appropriate for all students.

L’Shalom

March 2008

Things are going well in Religious School and Hebrew School. We are well into our second year using Mitkadem and I am very pleased with the success of our students. Home practice is an integral part of success for the children. Each child from grade 3 to grade 6 should have a home reading page for each of the ramot (levels) that they study which should be practiced at home. Support for these reading pages can be found at http://urj.org:80/chai/mitkadem/ramot/audio/. Just a word of caution, some of the chanting is not reflective of the manner in which we chant our prayers and blessings here at Sinai. The children should know the difference. If not, please feel free to call and I will alert you to which ones are the best to utilize.

On another topic, please look for an article in the April Bulletin on the Rosh Hodesh girls program. I think we have found a winner! Each group is a two year cycle. We will be starting another group in the fall of ‘09. If you are, or have, a fourth or fifth grade girl, you/they will be the right age, just in time for the new group. Keep watching for new information. Time flies when you are not paying attention. I hope to see you on Purim, Thursday, March 20th, at 6:00 p.m.

February 2008

Well, anyone who knows me moderately well knows that just the thought of getting on an airplane is cause for much anxiety. This past December I faced that fear and got myself to the URJ Biennial in San Diego. It was an experience not quite like anything I had previously experienced. I learned from our own Reform scholars, I enjoyed entertainment, I met interesting synagogue leaders from all over the U.S, and Canada (including Alaska), but more awe inspiring than anything was the opportunity to spend Shabbat with 5,000 other Reform Jews. That is an experience that can not be described, it is a feeling of such deep spirituality that words do it no justice. So I thank all who encouraged me to go. To our students I offer the ruach (spirit) and knowledge gained as a result of that experience and hope that someday they will not only be able to, but will want to experience this incredible event.

Speaking of worthwhile experiences, our 7th grade students will be lucky to attend a Shul-In at Temple Ohabei Shalom in Brookline this month. I hope this is the first of many youth group experiences for them. In addition, our 6th and 7th grade girls have been enjoy- ing their Rosh Hodesh/It's A Girl Thing, meetings with facilitator Erica Brunette, and our 8th graders finished their first semester engaging in study and activities with some of our own Sinai Temple senior citizens using the SPARK/HeartAction program as a basis for their meet- ings. Learning at Sinai continues to change and grow as Sinai continues to change and grow. If you have ques- tions or are interested in finding out more about these and other of our wonderful and interesting programs please call or just drop in to chat.

Finally, thank you to the Brotherhood who supplied dreydles and gelt for students in the Religious School during our Chanukah celebrations.

January 2008

As I sit here amidst ice and cold I am looking forward to the spring and the lovely blooms outside my office window. While I am dreaming of spring 2008, I am also thinking about what a wonderful month December, 2007 was. Our Chanukah family program was a great success and what fun the grades 7/8 and 9/10 joint Chanukah programs were. Some of the events coming up this month are our monthly Family Service on Janu- ary 8, the special Shabbat PACT for 3rd and 4th graders and their parents, and the 7th grade PACT on January20. Parents of 9th graders should be watching for informa- tion on the 9th grade trip to the Religious Action Center in Washington D.C., April 4-7, and parents of 6th graders should be watching for information regarding the 6th grade Retreat at Camp Eisner, April 11-13.

New this month, Charyne Cordeiro, who has been teaching 3rd grade on Thursdays will now also be teaching 3rd grade on Tuesdays, and I would like to welcome Melissa Mollen to our teaching staff. Melissa holds a Bachelors Degree from Brandeis University in Political Science and is currently attending WNEC Law School. Melissa is teaching Hebrew on Sunday mornings and will be preparing our 9th graders for their trip to the Religious Action Center in Washington D.C. Sometime over this month I will finally have had time to process my time at the URJ Biennial in San Diego and am anxious to share some of my incredible experiences with you in the February bulletin. Stay warm.

November 2007

With the holidays beyond us and the year in full swing, I am happy to report that our first family program with performers Renee Brachfeld and Mark Novak was a huge success. Students in Kindergarten through sixth grade spent an entire Sunday morning in various workshops with them, and our seventh graders and parents joined in for an hour of fun and entertainment. Once again I would like to thank the family of George Katz for honoring his memory with this gift. While I am in thank you mode I would also like to thank Joel Cohen, for a gift in memory of Marilyn, allowing us to purchase library carts for the religious school.
Mazel Tov to our first graders and their parents celebrating their Consecration during last month’s Simchat Torah service. Our eighth graders and SPARK adults are enjoying learning and doing mitzvoth together, our ninth grade class has been enjoying their Wednesday evenings, and students and teachers are enjoying the challenge and fun of chugim on Sunday mornings.
Coming this month is a Shabbat Dinner for Kindergarten through second grade families, on November 2nd. There will be no classes on Sundays November 11 and 25 and Wednesday and Thursday November 21 and 22. Remember, 3rd and 4th grade families, the Hall of Fame awaits your name to be added to this year’s list. Family service at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, November 2nd.

October 2007

The opening of Religious School was fabulous, with students and teachers excited to greet the new year. Over the past year or so, the education programs for students in Kindergarten through 9th grade have undergone a number of changes, but we are not quite done yet. Watch for continued changes in our kindergarten, and if you have a chance, take a peek in the art room. The new lighting (and tables arriving very soon) make the space more useful and pleasant. I hope to make 5768 the best year yet for our students. Adding to our improved middle and high school programming is, thanks to a generous gift from Daryl and Lynn Schwartz, the new Rosh Hodesh; It’s A Girl Thing program for 6th and 7th grade girls. If you have or are a girl that is in 6th or 7th grade that has not yet joined this wonderful group, it’s not too late. Also, for 8th and 9th graders that have not yet been able to sign up for this year, it’s not too late for that either. It would be a shame for you to miss out. If you have questions about these programs please feel free to call me. Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome returning and new staff. I am looking forward to sharing the unique qualities each staff member brings to their students here at Sinai over the upcoming month. I wish you all a happy, healthy and successful 5768.

September 2007

Shalom Chaverim,
It’s finally here! Single Session Sunday is beginning in just a few days. Here are some of the highlights the children of Sinai will experience this month. Many will
have an opportunity to learn in Chugim (special interest groups) that they have selected based on personal interest. During Religious School, on September 30,
thanks to the generosity of Joan Katz and family, singers and story sellers xtraordinaire Renee Brachfeld and Mark Novak will join us for a very special family program. What’s more, activities introducing our celebration of Israel @ 60 will take place in a few weeks. In addition, we will be introducing a new program for girls in 6th and 7th grades called “Rosh Hodesh-It’s A Girl Thing”. If you have a daughter in those grades, she will soon be receiving information about this program made possible by a gift from Daryl and Lynn Schwartz.
I hope you have had a wonderful summer and I am looking forward to seeing you all on Sunday, September 9th. (And don’t forget. Our September Family Service takes place Friday night, September 7th. Hope to see you there.)