VOLUME 16 NUMBER 15 FEBRUARY 2, 2018 17 SHEVAT 5778
UPCOMING Parshat Yitro By: Rabbi Landsman
EVENTS
Parshat Yitro begins by telling us that Yitro heard. What did he hear? Rashi cites the
Candle Lighting: 4:56 opinions of Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua that he heard about the splitting of the
Havdallah: 5:58 Red Sea and the war with Amalek, and this caused him to come and convert to
Judaism.
Sunday, Feb 4 At first glance, it is somewhat puzzling that both of these phenomena contributed to
UPK In Session his coming. The splitting of the sea was an indisputable open miracle while the war with
5-8 Grade Parent-Child Amalek was fought in a conventional fashion. What did the war with Amalek contribute
Learning Program to causing Yitro to come and convert?
Rabbi Benjamin Yudin, Spiritual Leader, Congregation Shomrei Torah in Fairlawn, New
9:00-11:30 Jersey suggests a fascinating insight. The Torah tells us as part of the Shirat
HaYam the song of praise and exaltation, that the children of Israel sang to Hashem
Shabbat, Feb 9-10 following their miraculous deliverance, "people heard and trembled, they were
8th Grade Yachad mortified by Israel's ascendancy. All the inhabitants of Canaan melted in fear of
destruction and conquest".
Shabbaton At that moment in history, the Jewish nation was invincible and impenetrable. This
Shabbat Shekalim perception and fear did not last long. When Amalek attacked, the Torah states "asher
korcha". Our Rabbis understand this to mean either ‘chancing upon you,' or ‘who cooled
Sunday, Feb 11 you off.' Rashi explains that the pedestal that the Jewish nation was placed upon as a
UPK In Session result of the splitting of the sea was toppled by Amalek. It may be compared to a
5-8 Grade Parent-Child boiling hot bath into which no person could descend. One scoundrel came, jumped into
Learning Program it; although he himself was scolded, he cooled it off for others. Similarly, the luster of
the Jewish people was now diminished.
9:00-11:30 It is thus these two contrasting events that Yitro heard. Who is this Yitro? The
Midrash teaches that Pharoah had three advisers who sat on his executive committee,
Monday, Feb 19 advising him what to do with his Jewish problem. Bilaam, Iyov, and Yitro. Yitro was a
NO SESSIONS recognized world leader and adviser. In addition, Yitro was an accomplished theologian
President’s Day who studied all existing religions of the day, and chose Judaism above all the rest.
Moreover, the Mechiltah informs us that Yitro was living in an environment that
Shabbat, Feb 24 afforded him much honor and recognition, yet he abandoned it all to go to the desert,
Shabbat Zachor a place of literal desolation, to study and accept Torah. He did this in order to restore
the dignity of the Jewish people that was diminished by Amalek.
Sunday, Feb 25 The damage done by the war with Amalek, the blow to the honor and prestige of the
UPK In Session fledgling Jewish nation, following miraculous salvation at the splitting of the Red Sea,
5-8 Grade Parent-Child was restored by Yitro's embracing Judaism. The feeling of vulnerability that Israel
Learning Program felt by being attacked by Amalek was now replaced with greater self-confidence and
self-esteem by Yitro's choosing on his own to convert to Judaism. Timing is everything!
9:00-11:30 May we follow the example of Yitro, and recognize the numerous opportunities we have
to seize the moment and involve ourselves in the performance of mitzvot in order to
YCQ Family News cause a great Kiddush Hashem.
Mazel Tov to Morah Shabbat Shalom!
Janet (K-102) on the
birth of a grandson!
Mazel Tov to Natan
Feder on his Bar
Mitzvah!
Mazel Tov to Jacob
Aronov on his Bar
Mitzvah!
Bugging Out
Before winter vacation, the kindergarten was visited by two park rangers from Fort
Totten Park. They taught them about bugs and insects. The children learned about the
different body parts of the insects using a song to help them remember. The rangers
used puppets, as well as a live walking ‘stick bug’ to show the children what an insect
looks like and how they can hide in their surroundings. The children had the
opportunity to hold the bug. In the spring they will go to Fort Totten Park for a bug
hunt. Bugging out is so much fun!
Shuk Tu B’Shevat
In honor of Tu B’Shevat, the sixth grade girls designed a simulated Israeli shuk in
the multi-purpose room for the elementary school. Upon entering, the students
handed in their passports and received tickets to purchase items in the shuk. This
was a wonderful hands-on learning experience for our students as they became
familiar with Israeli culture. Special thanks to Morah Alyssa Schussheim for all of
her hard work in creating the shuk.
Classes 1-202 and 1-203
Received Their Siddurim
Mazel tov to Class 1-202 and 1-203 on receiving their very first siddur.
We are so proud of them! They worked very hard, singing their songs,
practicing their parts, and rehearsing on stage. The play was executed to
perfection and the songs sounded amazing. The show ended with a
slide show that highlighted the children learning and practicing for the
play. Each student received an engraved siddur with his or her name on
it. They enjoyed cake and treats and celebrated receiving their siddurim.
Mazel tov to all of the first graders. Special thanks to Morah Leah,
Morah Ronnie, Rabbi Ribalt, Rabbi Hamel, and Morah Tali for helping
us produce such a magnificent play!
YCQ JHS BOYS TABLE TENNIS TOURNAMENT 2017-2018
Division I Division II Division III
8B1 1st Akiva Sokol Ari Schick
2nd Menashe Yushuva
Natanel Hativi
8B2 1st Charles Mann Avi Fried Avi Fried
2nd Daniel Kovan
Eitan Adler Andrew Haller
7B1 1st Jacob Kakubov Eitan Danesh
2nd Joseph Yakubov
David Azulay
7B2 1st Raymond Tawil Jacob Aminov
2nd Jacob Aronov
Yonaton Dahan
6B1 1st Eitan Goldberg Nathaniel Khaimov
2nd Daniel Noy
Joshua Aminov
6B2 1st Shlomo Inoyatov Noah Dorwitt David Yakubov
2nd Michael Borokov
Ezra Schick Raphael Farber
WE THANK THIS WEEK’S SPONSORS
MONDAY, SHEVAT 13
IN MEMORY OF MY FATHER
AVRAHAM GUTENMACHER A’’H
BY ILANA AND ELI GUTENMACHER
FRIDAY, SHEVAT 17
IN MEMORY OF
SHMARIAHU ALTER BEN AVRAHAM YOSEF DAGAN A”H
GRANDFATHER OF NETANEL(8B2), ELIANA(6G1), AND
DALIA (3-212) LEITNER
BY RITA DAGAN, AVITAL AND HARRIS LEITNER
http://www.ycqweb.com/parnes_hayom_dedication
YCQ 5TH - 8TH GRADE STUDENT
PARENT-CHILD
SUNDAY LEARNING PROGRAM
PLEASE JOIN US THIS SUNDAY
February 4, 2018
19 Shevat, 5778
9 AM - 11 AM
11-11:30 3-on-3 Boys
Basketball and Girls
Zumba
FOR AN INSPIRATIONAL
LEARNING PROGRAM
FEATURING SPECIAL SPEAKER:
Rabbi Rohr,
Fifth Grade Rebbe
TOPIC:
“Raise Your Glass for Shabbat”
משנכנס אדר מרבים בשמחה
The International Young Israel Movement (IYIM - Israel Branch) has a number of innovative and enriching
programs that empower and educate Jews in Israel across socio-economic and religio-political divides.
Purim is a major time for positive programming at IYIM and it is with great joy and pride that we invite you and
your congregants to take part in our unique Purim projects. These projects are being organized in memory of
Meir Mishkoff z’l who founded and worked tirelessly on these projects for the last 15+ years.
● 10,000 Mishloach Manot for the Brave Soldiers of the IDF – in conjunction with ZOA Brooklyn,
Yashar LChayal and World Mizrachi. With your help, we are hoping to break the 10,000 mark in this
annual campaign.
Packages are hand delivered in a 5-day operation to bases all over Israel. A card denoting your shul or
congregant’s name will accompany your donated packages.
Price per Mishloach Manot is $18 and any shul donating $500 or above will receive a certificate of
recognition. To participate/contribute please use our web order form at www.yimanot.org.
We would also like to take this opportunity to invite you or a representative of your shul to
participate in the Mishloach Manot distribution on IDF bases - programming uniquely offered by
IYIM. Visits to IDF bases will take place the week of Purim. Please contact us at
[email protected] for details.
● Draw for a Soldier Campaign – Our soldiers love receiving warm letters/cards/drawings from Jewish
children and youth from all over the world. As such we have instituted this special campaign in
conjunction with our Mishloach Manot project. We collect these pictures and letters from schools and
shuls and place them into the Mishloachei Manot that are given out to the soldiers. If you are interested
in having the children of your community participate, kindly inform your youth or educational director to
contact our office for drop-off details and timetables as soon as possible ([email protected]).
● Person-to-Person Mishlochei Manot Anywhere in Israel – in conjunction with the American Friends
of Yisrael Hatzair, Mishlochei Manot can be sent to friends or family anywhere in Israel. All profits from
this project are directed to the educational, social welfare and empowerment projects of IYIM. For full
details or to place orders please refer to www.yimanot.org
We would greatly appreciate your sharing our campaigns with your congregants and hope to have the
opportunity to partner with you for Purim and in the future!
With wishes of a Chag Purim Sameach for you and your yeshiva,
Daniel M. Meyer
Executive Director
TU B’SHEVAT SHUK