E.S.T.E.R. - The Torah School Of Greater Washington

Erev Shabbos
Parashas Toledos
December 2, 2005
Candle Lighting: 4:28
Volume XII, Issue 13
Torah School of Greater Washington
E.S.T.E.R.
Erev Shabbos “Torah” Events Report
$”2"
Dear Parents,
There’s so much already going on and
about to go on that it’s tough to know where to
start. However, we do have to make a decision
about this, so here goes.
Weekends in December
The next three Sundays are powerpacked
with Torah School and community-wide
events – all of which require heavy involvement
on all our part.
Sunday, December 4 at 7:30
Rabbi Yissocher Frand will lecture on –
“Raising Children
(and ourselves)
to be Mentchen”
Among the many reasons we all should be
there are:
• Personal edification from Rabbi
Frand’s always pertinent hit-thehammer-on-the-nail
stirring words
of advice and food-for-thought.
• Kavod for a Talmid Chochom who
is coming to our “turf” to inspire us.
• This is our keynote speech to
encourage ourselves to get fully
involved in improving the Derech
Eretz of ourselves and our kids
through Project Derech.
Sunday, December 11
This is the beginning of the Jewish
Federation of Greater Washington’s Super
Week. (We have once again included flyers
with all pertinent info.) This is our
opportunity and responsibility to:
• Become involved in Federation’s
multiple Tzedaka activities locally, in
Eretz Yisrael, and all over the place.
• Demonstrate our recognition of and
appreciation for the over $100,000 we
receive annually from Federation.
Next week, we will B’H, be making calls
to firm up everyone’s commitments to
participate.
Sunday, December 18
TSGW’s 11 th Annual Dinner honoring –
Rabbi Shalom & Mrs. Peninah
Hoffman
6:00 P.M.
at
Beth Shalom Congregation
It is only 16 days away, and the deadline for
making reservations (if you haven’t done so as
yet) is looming large on the horizon.
Reminder to parents of Boys’ Choir
members:
Your sons should arrive by 6:05 and will be
ready to leave by 7:20. Their attire should
include:
• White shirts
• Black/blue Shabbos pants
• Shabbos shoes
Programs Galore Dept
As of next week, we will have three
special endeavors “operating” simultaneously.
#1
Project Derech - Week II
On Wednesday, we began the second concept of
Project Derech - that of Kiddush Hashem, a Mitzvah
whose source is Vayikra 22:32. This commandment
gives us a day-to-day, hour-to-hour, minute-to-minute
responsibility to, through our modes of behavior,
inspire others to become more devoted to Hashem and
His expectations of us. This means that our goal is to
have people, upon observing us, say, "If that is the way

a person who studies Torah and is Shomer Mitzvos acts,
then I would like my children and myself to emulate
this example". A sampling of simple, every day, regular
activities that should or shouldn't be exhibited is as
follows:
• No "road rage".
• Not being loud or disruptive even out of school.
• Helping others.
• Not littering.
• Picking up litter.
• Being polite and respectful.
• Making sure others have places to sit (or giving
up one's seat).
• Returning a lost object, regardless of value.
• "Thank you," "Please," "Excuse me".
• Letting people into a lane on a highway.
• Calling/visiting the sick.
• Smiling.
• Being sensitive to others - picking up the feeling
that someone is "down" and cheering
him/her up.
• Not walking on others' lawns/property.
• Being neat/clean.
• And on and on and on.......
Attached today is the Kiddush Hashem Derech
Update. Again, we encourage you to discuss this
material at your Shabbos tables and motivate and
monitor your sons' and daughters' adherence to this
PRINCIPLE. We also ask you to sign the bottom of the
update and share with us (on the attached Kadmah
card) how your progeny demonstrated this Halachah.
Below, you'll find excerpts from some of the choice
Kadmah cards which were sent in for Tzelem Elokim
Week. Thank you for your continued support.
. . . . And from our archives of
“Tzelem Elokim” Kadmah Cards
…..
….. is very polite to our elderly handicapped
neighbor. She always greets him and jumps
at any chance to help him.
…. explained the importance to all of us about
having been created Be’tzelem Elokim.
…. brushed her teeth
because she is a Tzelem
Elokim and must take care
of herself.
…. gave his own Tzedakah to people who came to
the door.
…. helped a blind person on the Metro find the door.
…. missed a friend who was absent from class, So
she called her to make sure she was o.k.
…. said hello to the mailman.
…. showed very good respect to all his Tzelem
Elokim siblings especially at the Shabbos meals.
…. displayed proper appreciation for Tzelem Elokim
when he was patient when people were answering
questions.
#2
Chemdas study and testing continues
unabated. Once again, we are available to assist
you in pacing your kids so they can learn the
material at a reasonable and appropriate rate.
You’ve got questions, we (hopefully) have got
answers.
#3
Parshathon Stuff
See next page.
Rosh Chodesh treats were distributed
today, which, coincidentally, was the first
day of the month of Kislev. We thank Lisa
Solomson for her shopping and
coordinating skills and the following
sponsors:
• The Bluming Family in honor of Rosh
Chodesh Kislev - the day the Lubavitcher
Rebbe recovered from a serious heart
attack in 1977.
• The Engel Family in honor of Alix’s
eleventh birthday and her very wonderful
teachers.
• The Geisinsky Family in honor of Moishe's
birthday!
Dizzying, Dazzling Days of
December and Beyond
Sunday, December 4

5 th /6 th Shiurim.
Rabbi Frand at 7:30 in the Cafeteria.
Monday, December 5
Sign-up sheets for the December 13 th
Parent Teachers Conferences will make
their debut at 3:00 P.M.
Tuesday and Wednesday, December
6 th and 7 th
Full post 3:30 schedule.
Wednesday, December 7
Pearl Harbor Day.
Pizza. Todah for this week to Faige
Silbiger, Naomi Singer, and lots of staff
members.
Thank you to the following people who
made calls to remind families about Rabbi
Frand’s lecture: Ivy Edelstein, Sharon Graff,
Shari Hillman, Tsipi Hawk, Yehudis Komarow,
Rachelle Myers, Rachie Reingold, Elaine Rubin,
Helen Shulman, and Lisa Solomson. Todah, of
course, to Marion Miller for her organizing and
Jackie for the office prep work.
Thursday, December 8
12:00 P.M. dismissal for all
grades; P.M. Professional Day
for Teachers.
Monday, December 12 – Monday,
December 19
TSGW Book Fair, once again organized and
run by Lisa Solomson.
Monday, December 12
Maryland Historical Society visits our 4 th
and 5 th Graders with a program about
Native Americans.
Tuesday, December 13
2:00 P.M. dismissal for all Grades; No P.M.
Day Care; Evening Parent Teacher
Conferences.
Wednesday, December 14
10:00 opening of school.
Tuesday, December 20
11:30 – Boys’ Choir at Walter Reed.
Thursday, December 22
Kindergarten to see “Who’s Not Not Not Not
Going to Move” at Toby’s Theater in
Columbia.
Sunday, February 12, 2006
TSGW Chinese Auction.
In and Out and Over and Under
Classrooms
Although we do have all sorts of
“specials” and trips occurring all around us,
(see above), the core part of our months, weeks,
days, hours, minutes, and seconds is (supposed
to be) devoted to heavy-duty learning. So, for a
brief survey of merely a few recent goings-on:
Science and Math in the Fifth Grade
have been somewhat “related”. The kids
learned rules for divisibility of numbers and
also about cell division. In fact, they discussed
and sequentially ordered pictures of mitosis.
They have not forgotten the flipside of the
calculation coin, as they’ve also focused heavily
on becoming experts at multiplying with two
and three digit factors.
Besides concentrating on +, -, x, and ),
our Math classes have explored geometry.
Angle Langle was the 6 th Grade activity used to
reinforce estimates of and actually measuring
angles. Word problems (everyone’s favorite),
problem solving, and decision-making have
also been on the docket.

Other Science and Social Studies topics
include: the water cycle, plate tectonics, (with
computer aide), the Hope Diamond (which the
6 th Graders saw, but left in its place, on
Thursday), the 24 time zones of the earth,
mapmaking (thanks to Stuart Rosenthal for
benefiting our Sixth Graders with his
cartographic skills), fish, cold-blooded animals,
magnetism, Colonial life, how to breathe under
water, and whole bunches more.
Rabbi Samberg’s 4B saw and learned
from a miniature Sefer Torah, exactly what a
Parasha Pe’su’cha and a Parasha Sesumah are.
This was to help the boys understand the first
Rashi in Parashas VaYechi.
Hashgachas Hashem and seeing it in
our daily lives was brought to the fore as 5B got
involved in Parashas VaEira.
The conversive Vav (a.k.a. The Vav Time
Machine) is a hot topic all over, with 3B giving
it special attention.
With the contrast between Yaakov and
Eisav so timely, the Kindergarten kids made
puppets of each in their Parasha study.
Kids are writing phrases, sentences, and
stories in Ivrit. In fact, 2G read and
understood a specially-designed-for-them
Toledos summary in Hebrew.
In closing, to quote one of our
enthusiastic First Grade Girls, “Morah Chani,
we keep on learning more and more and more.”
Time Management Alert
Please allow extra time for Ma’ariv on
this Sunday evening, December 4 because we
will then begin saying:
%,9"- 9)/& -) 0;&
Trips that Went
Yesterday was a mega-trip day as:
1B/1G swam in the Baltimore Aquarium.
3B/3G experimented in Baltimore
Science Museum.
6B/6G made history at the Museum of
Natural History in D.C.
Many thanks to Mrs. Ahuva Engel for
coordinating all of the above, to Ms. Sands,
Mrs. Lenet, Mrs. Mailman, and Mrs.
Wilhelm for running the shows and Mrs.
Michelle Swartz, Mrs. Betty Granatstein,
Morah Mindy, Morah Ariella, Morah Arly,
and Rabbi Samberg for joining us. We also
appreciate the following parent chaperones
who helped make these trips most
beneficial: Lisa Solomson, Helen Shulman,
Mrs. Shirley Sperling, Cindy Ruchelman, Eli
Verschleisser, Rochelle Ferneau, Shulie
Bergman, Rivka Goldstein, Marty Byer, and
Elaine Rubin. Each of these adventures was
inspired by current or upcoming Science
units.
Handbook Excerpts Dept
The Talmud says that study without
review is akin to planting without
harvesting. Therefore, with the start of our
second trimester, it is appropriate to revisit
most of pages 16 and 17 of our official 2005-
2006 Parent Handbook – dealing with food,
in general, and peanuts, in particular.
LUNCH and FOOD "CODE"
Please Note:
Any food brought to school for a Siyum,
party, or for any other class-wide or schoolwide
distribution must be brought in a sealed
package with an acceptable Hechsher.
Opened receptacles of any nature are not
permitted. The "OU", "OK", "Star K", and

Rabbinical Council of Greater Washington
supervisions are among those usable in school.
We do not use "Triangle K" in school. All foods
must be checked by the Headmaster before
being taken to classrooms.
In order to be respectful of and show
consideration for many of our students who
require Cholov Yisrael supervision for milk
products, for classwide distribution, items that
have Cholov Yisrael Hashgachah or which are
Parve must be purchased.
Peanut Policy
We currently have a number of
students with life threatening allergies to
peanuts and peanut products which cause
anaphylactic reactions.
Because of our Halachic, moral, and
ethical responsibility to provide a safe place
of learning for every student, the entire
Torah School of Greater Washington is a
PEANUT FREE ZONE. This means that NO
peanut butter, peanuts, or products
containing peanuts may be brought to
school.
School Parties
If you choose to celebrate your child’s birthday
in school, the procedure is as follows:
1) Parties during class are only allowed in
Kindergarten. In Grades 1-6, treats in honor of
the occasion may be given out during lunch or
recess only.
2) Arrangements with your child’s teacher
should be made at least one week in advance.
This includes checking the Kashrus of all food
for the party.
3) When brought to school, the food must be in
its original sealed packaging and checked for
Kashrus by Rabbi Charner.
4) Because all foods must be checked for
Kashrus, individual party bags are not
acceptable in school. We cannot inspect each
and every personalized package. We will allow
the distribution of such containers if:
• All products are first brought to our
building in their original sealed containers.
• The party bags are then prepared by the
parent on our premises.
5) In order to be respectful of and show
consideration for many of our students who
require Cholov Yisrael supervision for milk
products, for classwide distribution, items that
have Cholov Yisrael Hashgachah or which are
Parve must be purchased.
Snow in the Forecast
The following is an excerpt from our
Parent Handbook regarding delayed openings
and closings in the case of bad weather:
School Openings, Closings, and Delayed
Openings
We do have the sincere intention to hold
regular, full-day classes whenever possible.
However, inclement weather conditions may
necessitate changes in our schedule. The following
are the procedures for inclement weather:
• When it becomes necessary to close school or
to have a delayed opening, we communicate this
information to you in the following ways:
a) It will be recorded on the school's Weather
Line (301-962-8003 x2).
• A delayed opening usually means that all
classes will start at 10:00 A.M. and that all
youngsters should Daven at home. Under such
circumstances, before-school supervision will
usually begin at 9:30.
More HaKaras HaTov
Todah to:
Tsipi Hawk for taking the initiative and
being brave enough to call 23 families in one
evening. Her purpose was to inform them
that their kids were being snapped (for the
final Grandparent pics) the next day.
Shanni Majeski for shooting the photos.
Ivy Edelstein for assisting last week with
picture-taking.

We extend condolences to
Nechama Stemtov upon the passing of
her paternal grandmother, Rebbetzin
Rochel Feldman, Z’L. Rabbi Mendel
Feldman, together with his Rebbetzin,
led Shuls in Baltimore for many years.
We wish a Refuah Shelaimah to:
• Terumah Kugler.
• Mrs. Arline Katz, mother of Shlomo and
Menashe Katz.
• Karin Rosenthal.
• Rabbi Raphael Mendlowitz.
Mazel Tov to:
* 4B upon the completion of
Parashas VaYigash.
• * To all the winners of the Mid-
Atlantic Jewish Expo Art & Essay
Contest:
Malka Biberfeld, Rachel Black, Toba
Cohen, Shana Feldman, Chana Hillman,
Danielle Rosenthal, Sarah Ruchelman,
Shalom Sukol, and Adina Wakschlag.
• * 5B/5G upon completion of
Parashas Shemos.
May they all continue to be
blessed with success and Simachos.
• Phyllis and Lewis Fisher and
Dovid Nachman upon their
move last week. Their new
vital statistics are:
11311 Monticello Ave
Silver Spring, MD 20902
NOAM Follow-up
Thanks to all who ate at Max’s last night
(in honor of Rosh Chodesh Kislev) and gave
us their receipts. If you are still in possession
of such slips of paper, please send them in to
our office. Thanks.
Good Shabbos!
Sincerely,
Rabbi Yitzchak Charner
Headmaster
• Mrs. Dorit Kasierer and her
husband, Reuven, upon the
birth of their Be’chor.
• Raanan and Ellen Shames,
Menachem, Eliezer, and their
entire family upon the birth of
a boy to Dorit and Reuven
Kasierer.