January 27, 2012 - SAR Academy

SAR Academy Mail - Chadashot 1.27.12 - test https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/ui=2&ik=8e424def06&view=pt&sear... 

Beverly Wolfer-Nerenberg 

Chadashot 1.27.12 - test 

chadashot@saracademy.org Fri, Jan 27, 2012 at 9:34 AM 

To: beverly@saracademy.org 

January 27, 2012 3 Shevat 5772 

Parshat Bo Candle Lighting: 4:48 pm 

Havdallah: 5:52 pm 

Click here for a pdf version of Chadashot 

Mazal Tov 

A Message from Rabbi Krauss 

To our SAR dinner honorees: 

Judith & Harry Ballan, Milly Rosner, 

Abbie & Moshe Greenberg (AC '75) 

& Stephanie Schneider Minkove 

(AC '91). 

To Morah Revital Azulay for 

receiving the AFL Young 

Leadership award at the American 

Friends of Likud dinner. 

Dear Parents, 

I look forward to seeing you at the SAR 

Annual Dinner tomorrow night. Mazel 

tov to our very worthy honorees and their 

families: Judith and Harry Ballan, 

Stephanie Minkove, Moshe and Abbie 

Greenberg, and Milly Rosner. I look 

forward to celebrating our school and our 

community together with all of you. 

Thank you to our tireless Dinner Chairs, Dana Jason and Lynette 

Tulkoff, to our professional staff in the development office, and to 

everyone who contributed- thank you for making this school great. 

1 of 19 1/27/2012 9:42 AM 


Shabbat Shalom, 

Rabbi Binyamin Krauss 

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: 

What do you think happens at the SAR dinner 

(see quotes throughout) 

"The teachers go and the parents go .There is a lot of sitting and a lot of speeches. 

They honor someone like Mrs. Rosner because she is retiring. They talk about SAR 

and there’s good dessert." 

-The girls of 5X, 5Y & 5Z 

Academy News 

The Latest Link in the Chain - 5th Grade Melave Malka 

The Junior High areas were abuzz with Torah last Motzaei Shabbat, as fifth graders and their parents and 

teachers came together to learn and celebrate their entry into the world of Torah She’be’al Peh (the Oral 

Tradition) in the annual fifth grade Melave Malka. 

2 of 19 1/27/2012 9:42 AM


The theme of the evening was Torah She’be’al Peh: From Sinai to You, and guided readings led the 

participants through the stages of the transmission of the Oral Tradition throughout the course of Jewish 

History. Each student had prepared a history of his or her own name which was posted as part of the 

themed decorations and helped drive home the point of how important each of us is in the transmission of 

Torah from generation to generation. On the tech side, parents were challenged to identify their child 

through hints posted on the JH screen, and the crowd enjoyed an amazing slide show of the grade. Rabbi 

Krauss’s opening words and Morah Sarah’s wrap-up were the book ends to the program, and student Divrei 

Torah delivered by Abby Fisher, Ora Glazer, Ben Stern and Sariel Segal were well received. Chef Eran’s 

delectables were just the thing to make the whole evening a treat. 

Mazal Tov fifth graders for being the latest link in the passing down of Torah She’be’al Peh! 

January is Music Month in Kindergarten! 

This month the kindergarten enjoyed some very 

special musical performances. On Tuesday, Charlotte 

Filer and her Mom, Miriam performed on their cellos for 

the children of the kindergarten. Charlotte who is 

in 4N explained that she doesn’t read the notes yet, 



but she does know how to position her fingers on the 

strings. She told the children that if you press hard on 

the strings with one hand and pluck the stings with the 

other hand, you get a different sound. “When you start 

off with the bow” Charlotte explained to her friends, “it 

feels uncomfortable but then you get used to it.” Mrs. 

Filer told the children that a cello is a very delicate 

instrument and that it comes in different sizes for kids 

and grown-ups. Charlotte played a song about ants 

carrying their cellos and Charlotte’s mom played “Twinkle twinkle little star”. The kindergarteners applauded 

the performances --shouting “Brava! Brava!” (taught to them by Morah Rita Rivka) and Charlotte took a 

well-deserved bow. 

Morah Rena’s kindergarten class tried their hands at various instruments and became a real-life orchestra. 

Click here to see K2 make beautiful music together! 

6 th Grade Bar Mitzvah Program 

By: Judah Fortgang 6Z 

What a great way to start out the bar mitzvah season! This past Monday night the sixth grade boys had a 

bar mitzvah program. There were four different stations set up for all of us to visit. The stations were: Birkat 

Hamzon, Hagbah, Sofer Stam and Aliyot. At the Birkat Hamzon station Rav Shalom taught us how to lead a 

Zimun. At the Hagbah station Mr. Glazer taught us how to do Hagbah so that way when we get called up for 

Hagbah we would know how to do it properly. At the Sofer Stam station Rabbi Gefner taught all the halachot 

of putting on tefilin so that we would know what the halalcha would be if we accidently took out the shel rosh 



before the shel yad. Finally at the last station Rabbi Ribalt taught us all the things we should do when we 

get called up for an aliyah. I’m sure these stations helped everyone know what to do when all these things 

occur during our lives. 

Checkmate! 

Mazal tov to 4 th grader Akiva Najman-Licht on his first place win at the SAR chess club tournament last 

Sunday. 

Enrichment Clusters are back! 

By: Sharon Marson 

For three weeks now, in the hiatus between Enrichment Cluster semesters, our students have eagerly 

wondered when they would have the chance to once again participate in our Enrichment Program. This past 

Tuesday at noon that chance came. All students (256!) in grades 2-4 cleared their desks for other students 



who would be coming into their areas. With ease, they then moved to thirty-two different locations 

throughout the building and within five minutes of the transition a calm hum of productivity and happy 

engagement was apparent. Once again, like first semester, thirty-two different offerings are provided for 

students to explore their interests, talents, and passions. Some children requested the same Enrichment 

Cluster as last semester to continue deepening their learning. For some, their three cluster selections 

reflected a burgeoning interest, as each of their choices was organized around a similar theme. For all the 

students there were new Enrichment offerings such as: building a computer from scratch, exploring the 

wonder of Hebrew Calligraphy with a sofer, acting as junior philanthropists, mastering outdoor survival 

skills, deepening their understanding of the Mishkan through building a replica of it with Lego, immersing in 

the culture of Israeli dance, mahjong, architectural design, and more. 

Starting next week and on-going over the next few weeks, Enrichment Clusters will host a visiting speaker 

who is a professional in a related field of study to act as both a resource for the students’ inquiry as well as 

to model what is possible as a 21st Century real world problem-solver. If you have expertise or an interest in 

a discipline that you wish to share with us that dovetails with one of our Enrichment Clusters, please be in 

touch with me at marsos@saracademy.org. 

Dr, Joseph Renzulli, Gifted Education researcher and seminal thinking who has over the last thirty 

years championed for a broadened conception of giftedness, got it right when he said, "Every student 

should be exceptional without exception." If you have time on a Tuesday at around noon, feel free to stop by 

and see the magnificent work of our faculty and students in action. It is an exceptional sight. 

The Israel Chamber Project Visits SAR 

By: Zack Bernstein 6W 

Last Friday morning the members of the SAR 

Academy Choir and Band were invited to SAR High 



School to listen to a special performance by the Israel 

Chamber Project. Their goal is to bring music to 

underprivileged audiences who cannot afford or 

wouldn’t have the opportunity to go to a concert. I had 

never been to a chamber music concert and didn’t 

even know what it was. They explained to us that 

chamber music is a concert with three or more 

musicians without a conductor working on ideas that 

they come up with together. They explained that if the 

conductor of the New York Philharmonic wasn’t there 

for a performance then that would be called a chamber music concert. This group was made of four 

musicians – one on piano, one on a clarinet, one on a cello and one on a violin. They played three pieces 

by three different composers and all three of them were jazzy. One of the pieces had a more jazzy and 

romantic feeling. The clarinet player only played in the first piece and then turned the pages for the pianist. 

At the end of each piece it seemed like the music was dark and gloomy. In the beginning and middle it was 

more lively and upbeat. From the way all the Academy and High School kids were watching, it seemed like 

everybody was interested and really enjoyed it which was really nice since kids these days -- including me -- 

do not always appreciate classical music. 

We were really lucky that the Israel Chamber Project made a stop at SAR High School during their tour of 

the United States and I felt privileged that I had the chance to experience this. 

Rosh Chodesh Shvat! 

Blue and white were the colors of the day as the academy celebrated Rosh Chodesh Shvat.The students 

sang Hallel at tefilah and had a special treat (ices!) at lunch. 

חודש טוב ! 

Learning to Look 

The children had their third Learning to Look session this week focusing on Landscape painting. They 

looked at Emanuel Leutze’s Washington Crossing the Delaware and George Bingham’s Fur Traders 

Descending the Mississippi. 



One of the most recognized images of American history, the Leutze painting depicts General Washington in 

a boat with his soldiers crossing the river to surprise the Hessian soldiers on the other side. Leutze painted 

the picture in Germany 75 years after the revolution. Washington is seen standing with one leg bent and his 

weight evenly distributed while the men around him are trying to push the oars through the icy waters. The 

children noticed the triangular composition Leutze used which invokes stability. They also noticed the 

contrast between Washington’s stoic pose and the men contorting their bodies in a struggle to steer the 

boat. Leutze deliberately composed the painting in this way to make it more dramatic. It is a glorification of 

the actual event and not historically accurate. 

Next the children looked at Bingham’s Fur Traders Descending the Mississippi. Bingham is considered one 

of the greatest artists of the American frontier. He painted genre scenes of the colorful life along the 

Missouri and Mississippi rivers. Fur Traders Descending the Mississippi shows a man and a boy in a canoe 

on the Missouri River. They are fur traders travelling into the wilderness to exchange goods. Bingham 

painted scenes of daily life in the west a century and a half ago. The students noticed how the painting has 

a quiet and peaceful feeling as opposed to the Leutze painting. Bingham was noted for his skillful sense of 

composition. 

Inspired by the two paintings with their subjects on the water and their reflections, the children created their 

own imaginary landscape paintings using cray-pas and watercolors. 

Here are some questions to ask your children when comparing the two paintings: 

Who is depicted in these paintings 

What shapes do the artists use in their composition 

What feelings do the paintings evoke 

How are the paintings similar to one another 

How do they differ 



The Junior High Experiences Naomi Shemer 

Naomi Shemer was an Israeli singer/songwriter whose love of Israel was evident in her songs. Known as 

the “first lady of Israeli song and poetry”, Naomi Shemer wrote hundreds of songs-- one of the most beloved 

being “Yerushalayim Shel Zahav” which she wrote and composed just before the Six Day War and later 

rewrote to describe the liberation of the Old City and the revival of united Jerusalem. 

Our 6 th , 7 th and 8 th graders have spent the last few weeks learning about Naomi Shemer and her 

contributions to Israeli culture and society. They have learned her poems, sung her songs and through her 

–have learned even more about Eretz Yisrael. 

Click here to see the sixth grade singing a Naomi Shemer song. 

This Week in Sports 

The 6 th grade boys continued their winning ways this week as they defeated Westchester Day School. The 

team now has an amazing 6 – 0 record! 

GO STING! 



THE SAR DRAMA CLUB PRESENTS. 

It is with great joy and gratitude to Hashem that the SAR Drama Club invites you to share in our simcha. 

13: The Musical, SAR Edition 

Sunday, January twenty-ninth, two thousand and twelve 

Curtain at 1 PM and 4PM 

The SAR Stage 

Festive Attire Suggested 

Featuring the talents of: Leora Belitz, Renna Ekstein, Jamie Feder, Barak Fellner-Dublin, Amit Ginzberg, 

Naomi Hahn, Tamar Hoch, Noga Mor, Olivia Roshwalb, Duly Rosenberg, Sara Rosin, Ravi Schwartz, Shani 

Weinberg, Amram Zeitchik. 

“A lot of slide shows.” 

-Ravi Schwartz 6Y 

Picture of the Week 



TIE-DYE TUESDAY 

“They honor people, they have food like a chocolate fountain, there’s 

entertainment, the choir sings and kids can have fun if they’re invited.” 

Gideon Askowitz & Azi Kram 3W 

It's That "Kind" of Week 

Morah Milly Rosner makes sure that everyone feels included, gets lots of exercise and has fun during 

indoor recess. Mazal Tov Morah Milly on being honored at the SAR Dinner! 



SAR Anniversary Dinner Raffle 

Win this iPad 2 - 32GB with Wi-Fi 

$20 per ticket - only 250 tickets to be sold 

to benefit the SAR Scholarship Fund 

www.sardinner.org/raffle 



דבר תורה 

Parshat Bo 

By: Ari Fenster - 1W 

In Parshat Bo, there are three plagues, which are arbeh (locusts), 

choshech (darkness), and makat bechorot (death of the first born). 

In arbeh, even though it wasn't choshech yet, the locusts still 

covered the sky, so it was dark. Choshech lasted for three days and 

the Mitzrim could not walk around or see each other but they could 

touch the darkness. The darkness was so solid that the Mitzrim 

could not move. I guess they felt scared, alone and worried. In the 

Talmud (Massechet Berachot 9b), it says that if it is the middle of 

the night and it is dark, you can't daven Birkot HaShachar, but when 

you are able to see someone's face, you could start davening. That 

is the opposite of makat choshech because when it is light enough 

to daven, you don't feel scared, alone and worried. Rashi said that the Mitzrim had a terrible life during 

choshech (makah 9.) Since they (the Mitzrim) couldn't move or see, B'nei Yisrael snuck into the houses of 

the Mitzrim to see all of their jewels, but they didn't take any. When B'nei Yisrael were leaving toward the 

sea, they went back to the houses of the Mitzrim and asked them if they had any jewels. The Mitzrim said, 

"We don't have any jewels," but B'nei Yisrael said, "Yes, you do. We saw them during choshech!" I learned 

from this that you should never lie. 

“Of course there might be a dessert!” 

-Zacharya Abraham 1Z 

Mark Your Calendars! 

January 2012 – February 2012 



Saturday, January 28th – SAR DINNER! 

Sunday, January 29th - SAR Academy Drama Club Presents: 

13: The Musical,SAR Edition - 2 shows: 1:00pm & 4:00pm 

Tuesday, January 31st - 4th Grade Colonial Day - Click here to RSVP 

Wednesday, February 1 st – Sunday, February 5 th – 8 th Grade trip to Ottowa 

Saturday, February 4 th - Shabbat Sparks for 2 nd Grade Parents – 8:00pm 

Tuesday, February 7 th – Tu B’Shevat Seder - Click here to RSVP 

Wednesday, February 8 th – Tu B’Shevat 

Wednesday, February 8 th – 5 th Grade New York City Trip 

Wednesday, February 8 th – 2 nd Grade Chumash Play 

Monday, February 13 th – Monday, February 20 th – Mid-Winter Break – No Sessions 

Tuesday, February 14 th – Sessions Resume 



Thursday, February 23 rd & Friday, February 24 th – Rosh Chodesh Adar 

Wear Blue & White! 

Monday, February 27 th – Academy Staff Meetings – Early Dismissal 

3:00 - ELC; 3:15 – Academy 

Tuesday, February 28 th – 6 th Grade Matan Bat Mitzvah Program 

“There is a stage and Rabbi Krauss makes a lot of announcements, there’s sushi, 

there’s an ice cream bar, there’s a dance floor, but no disco ball.” 

-Ora Sidlow 4X, Temima Schwartz 4Z, Josh Morris 4Y, Meron Samuels 4W, Leora 

Krasner 4X & Esther Eisenstat 4Z 

REMINDER! 



Meat is served on Tuesdays and Thursdays and students should bring only pareve snacks on those days. 

Monday and Wednesdays are dairy days. Please remember to pack your child lunch and a drink for Friday 

that does not need refrigeration. 

Please also remember that we are a peanut and tree nut free school. We ask that you only send snacks 

that are peanut and tree nut free in order to create an environment that is safe for all students. 

Thank you for your cooperation! 

“There’s food, speeches, the choir sings and they honor people.” 

-Sammy Sokol 6Y 

Community Events 

Riverdale Theatre Group presents ANNIE at The Lovinger Theatre in Lehmann College 

FEATURING the following SAR students: 

Annie - Shira Schleifer 

Miss Hannigan - Talia Kuperferman 

Lily St Regis - Sara Friedman 

Molly - Basia Fellner Dublin 

(Basia as Molly - Sun Jan. 29@6pm) 



Molly- Dafna Horowitz 

(Dafna as Molly - Sun Jan. 29 @ 2pm) 

Kate - Eliana Sastow 

Betty - Keren Benillouche 

Boylan Sister - Meitarel Glas 

Cecille - Sara Rose Greenberg 

Sophie - Meitarel Glas 

Orphans/NYC kids: 

Ayelet Bar David, Rivka Boniuk, Jessica Brenner, Leah Maayan, Hannah Winter, Michal Maayan , Julia 

Cappell, Ariella Bulman 

Servants, Hoovervillites and NYC Citizens: 

Elisheva May, Leora Schloss, Meitarel Glas , Gabriella Chefitz, Sara Rose Greenberg 

and SAR Parent.... DAVID WINTER as FDR 

January 28 at 8:00 pm, January 29 at 2:00 pm, January 29 at 6:00pm 

FOR TICKETS GO TO: www.riverdaletheatre.org 

SAR Adult ED - Upcoming Judaic Studies Series 

"Shir Ha-Shirim" with Ms. Karen Goldscheider 

(*Note: The number of sessions and start date are different than the ones in the original brochure) 

Thursdays 2:00pm-3:00pm 

Feb 23, March 1, March 15, March 22, March 29 

לעילוי נשמת אילן יחזקאל בן אהרון זאב ושרה רבקה ז"ל 

לעלוי נשמת אלישע חנינא בן הרב אהרן אברהם וחנה מינדל ז"ל 

"...The whole world is not as worthy as the day on which the Song of Songs was given to Israel; for all the 

Writings are holy but the Song of Songs is the Holy of Holies." 

(Rabbi Akiva, Mishna Yadayim 3:5) 

In this course we will explore the multilayered beauty of the Song of Songs. We will delve into the literal, 

historical and metaphorical layers of the text in order to gain understanding of this deep and complex sefer 

which analyzes like no other the relationship between Hashem and Bnei Yisrael. 

This course will be dedicated l'ilui nishmat Elisha Goldscheider z"l and Ilan Tokayer z"l. It will be taught during 

the weeks that encompass their respective yahrzeits. May each special neshama forever be blessed. 



Uncle Moishy & the Mitzvah Men are coming to Riverdale! 

Sunday, Feb 5, 2012 – 11:00am at the Riverdale Jewish Center, 3700 Independence Ave, Riverdale. For 

more information contact: ganrjc@aol.com 

Registration for KLL 

RJC's popular Youth Softball League, is now open for the 2012 season. 

RJC Youth’s KLL has been a source of excitement for hundreds of Jewish children and their families for 

over 40 years. The league, whose games take place in the spring, features two divisions: one for children in 

the 3rd, 4th and 5th grades and a second for children in the 6th, 7th and 8th grades. The league teaches 

baseball skills and stresses sportsmanship and midot tovot on and off the field. The league is open to both 

girls and boys. You can now register online at www.bit.ly/rjckll2012 . All 3rd and 6th grade players, as well 

as any NEW players must attend an evaluation night 

Young Israel of New Rochelle Mikvah Breakfast and Concert 

Sunday, February 5th, The Mikvah of New Rochelle proudly presents The Maccabeats in Concert at Young 

Israel of New Rochelle, 1149 North Avenue. Doors open at 10:00am. Concert begins promptly at 10:30am. 

$25/ticket ($36 at door). Refreshments will be available for purchase. You are invited to a pre-concert 

breakfast from 9:00 to 10:00am featuring a meet and greet with The Maccabeats! This is available to all 

scroll of honor donors. To be included on the scroll of honor in support of the Mikvah of New Rochelle and 

to reserve concert and breakfast tickets, please go to www.yinr.org 

The Shalom Task Force Presents: 

Dr. David Pelcovitz speaking on “The Funds, Faith, Family and Friends of Happy People”. 

Wednesday, February 8th at 8:00pm – Riverdale Jewish Center, 3700 Independence Avenue 

Click here to see flyer for more information. 

USED STUFFED TOYS FOR ISRAEL 

Turn those dust collectors into someone’s treasure and teach your children a beautiful chesed...such an 

easy mitzvah! Send them in to K3 ELC now and all year. 

PLEASE - Help us reach our goal of 1,000. Ask your friends and neighbors. 

Also – not using your baggage allowance to Israel Going any time soon If you are are willing to take a 

pre-delivered duffel bag of toys, you will be met at Ben Gurion by Betty and Ed Wolfe - the angels who wash 

and mend them and distribute them for us. Children in Israeli hospitals are waiting for them! Tizku Lemitzvot 

and thank you so, so much. Please contact Morah Rita-Rivka – K3 - ritalewy@gmail.com 

To help SAR earn up to $20,000, please bring your boxtops to containers on each grade level 

to support SAR! Questions Contact, Melissa Bulman mrb284@nyu.edu 



PURIM IS COMING! 

RIVERDALE HATZALAH is selling MISHLOACH MANOT CARDS 

Please Contact : CHARLOTTE HAMMERMAN (718) 548-0599 Evenings 

Mishnah Study Program in Memory of Matt Fenster z"l 

Matt was committed to an inclusive vision of Jewish learning and worked to promote Jewish textual literacy. 

As an adult, he worked hard to acquire the skills necessary to study Mishnah and other Jewish texts 

independently and in Chavruta (with a study partner). To honor his memory, the SAR Academy, 

Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel of Riverdale, and Young Israel Ohab Zedek communities will join 

together to complete the study of the entire Mishnah in time for Matt's first Yahrzeit on August 6, 2012 (18th 

of Av). 

Consistent with Matt's inclusive vision, we encourage widespread participation from learners at all levels. 

Please sign up on the linked google-doc -- on your own or with a group of others -- to take responsibility for 

learning a tractate of Mishnah in time for the Yahrzeit. If you need help with your learning, please indicate 

on the spreadsheet, and we'll connect you with someone who can help. 

Along the way to the Yahrzeit, there will be classes and other learning programs connected to this 

project. The focus of the communal learning programs will be the tractate of Brakhot. So, if you have 

no prior experience studying Mishnah, you should still feel welcome to sign up to study Brakhot, as there 

will be opportunities to study this tractate at community-wide programs. 

Thank you for your commitment to this project. We look forward to strengthening the bonds of our 

community through this learning project dedicated to Matt's memory. If you have any questions, please feel 

free to email Eric Fisher at fishere@dicksteinshapiro.com 

Note: All Submissions to the Community Events section are due to Chadashot@saracademy.org the 

Tuesday prior to publication in copy ready format. The Chadashot reserves the right to further edit 

submissions due to space constraints. 

SAR Academy SAR High School 

655 West 254 Street 503 West 259 Street 

Riverdale, NY 10476 Riverdale, NY 10476 

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