The View From
Volume 21 | Issue 12 | December 23, 2022 | 29 Kislev 5783
Candle Lighting: 4:14 p.m. Parshat Miketz - Shabbat Chanukah
Havdalah: 5:19 p.m.
If you don’t remember someone, doesn’t that obviously
Zmanim for 11367 mean you forgot them?
Upcoming Events Last week’s Parsha, Parshat Vayeshev concludes with the pasuk
that states: “The chief steward did not remember Yosef. He
Rosh Chodesh - Shabbat, forgot him” (40:23). Parshat Miketz begins immediately after
Dec. 25 and Sunday, Dec. 26 this peculiar pasuk that begs for clarification.
No Sunday Learning Program
Rabbi Landsman's D'var Torah is continued on Page 12
No School - Mon. December 26
Chanukah Sameach!
YCQ Family News
Mazel Tov to Joseph Niyazov
on his Bar Mitzvah!
Mazal Tov to Mrs. Heather
Finkel (8th grade ELA) on the
engagement of her son Joey
(YCQ Class of '15) to Arielie
Goldstein!
Mazal Tov to Rabbi Yosef (JHS
Rebbe) and Mrs. Hindy Howitt
(Grade 6 Social Studies) on the
birth of a baby girl!
We Thank This Week’s Morah Etty's Classes Made Sufganiyot. See Page 5
Parnes Hayom Sponsors
Read about all the incredible Chanukah Celebrations
The Learning for the 2022-2023
School Year is Sponsored in the 2-204 and 2-207 Girls Basketball
Zechut of a Refua Sheleima for Receive Chumashim Defeats YDE
גיטל פעשא בת מאשה רחל
Anonymous See Page 3 See Page 11
The Learning for the
Months Of Kislev And Tevet
is Sponsored in Memory of
Mrs. Miriam Kessler, Miriam
Esther Bat Yehuda Dov A”H
YCQ Board of Trustees
Monday, 25 Kislev, In Memory
of Mrs. Miriam Kessler A"H
Ed And Lynn Koffsky,
From Atlanta
Chanukah Fun in the Early Childhood Program
An Update from Mrs. Sharon Korn, ECP Director
Chanukah in the Nursery and Kindergarten has been such a busy and
fun time! The children made Chanukah mugs and beautiful wooden
dreidels. They also had grab bag parties in their classes where the
children exchanged presents. It was so exciting to see the surprise
gifts. On Wednesday, students enjoyed a balloon magic show. On
Thursday, the 3’s and 4’s enjoyed a Chanukah Workshop with their
parents. They played Chanukah games, decorated cookies, made clay
dreidels, and made scratch off pictures. Then, the children sang their
favorite Chanukah songs. The Kindergartens also put on Chanukah
plays for their families complete with music and costumes. On Friday,
the children danced to Azamra DJ. What an exciting Chanukah!
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2-204 and 2-207 Chumash Plays
★★★★★" " - The View from YCQ
Classes 2-204 and 2-207 received
their first chumashim this past
Sunday. 2-204 performed a play that portrayed how Hashem offered
the Torah to many nations, yet only the Jewish people accepted this
beautiful gift from Hashem. Like 2-204, 2-207 also put on a spectacular
performance filled with singing and dancing. 2-207’s play was about
the days of creation and how Hashem created the world. Students
received engraved Chumashim with their names and beautiful photo
displays from WoodiBook. Many thanks to Morah Leora, Morah Aliza,
Morah Dina, Morah Lia, Morah Tali, Mrs. Pourad-Kaikov, Morah Maxine,
Rabbi Rohr, Rabbi Hamel, the PTO volunteers, and the custodians for
making this such a special day.
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Calming Containers: Social-Emotional Learning
Curriculum on Display in Grades 1 and 5
As part of the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum being piloted in
Grades 1 and 5, students have been learning about mindfulness. The program
is spearheaded by Dr. Elana Dumont, YCQ’s Director of School Psychology,
and provides students with the skills to help regulate their emotions. This
week, students made “calming jars,” bottles filled with liquid and glitter that
act as an innovative mindfulness tool. “The jars help students visualize their
emotions ‘swirling’ and then settling,” remarked Mrs. Allison Blass, Grade 1
Teacher. “Our students can focus on the swirling jars to help them be mindful
and focus on something that allows them to calm down and breathe,” she
added. Grade 5 Teacher Mrs. Tali Hoffman said that "Our SEL program has
been giving students important vocabulary to identify their feelings, express
their feelings in a safe and healthy way, and shift away from unpleasant
feelings."
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Morah Etty's Grade 3
Students Make Sufganiyot
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Jam Packed Chanukah
Chanukah Celebrations at YCQ were jam-packed. Or should we say jelly-filled! Monday kicked off
with beautiful renditions of Hallel heard throughout the classrooms and in the shul. Throughout the
morning, Grades 3-8 each had the opportunity to experience a Silent DJ. Students were given
headphones controlled by DJ Eli Arshadnia and danced along and celebrated the miracles of
Chanukah, without any music blasting over the speakers. Students enjoyed witnessing the funny
sight of dancing “silently” while showing off their Chanukah moves.
Meanwhile, students in Grades 1 and 2 had the chance to decorate donuts in the lunchroom.
Students were given donuts and lots of different options to top their donut with, or even dip it in
chocolate. Creativity was in the air as students made all sorts of delicious and unique combinations
and gave their sufganiyot quite a makeover.
The celebration train was full steam ahead on Tuesday. After davening, JHS students began their
mornings with parties with their Rebbeim and Morot, while Grades 1-5 witnessed a spectacular magic
show from Magic Mehl. Students (and faculty) were wowed by his impressive tricks. Although they
were disappointed when he was unable to make their homework disappear for the rest of the year,
students were nevertheless amazed by his magic repertoire.
That afternoon, Grade 1 decorated beautiful Chanukah themed mugs in their classrooms, while
Grades 2-5 ate some menorahs. You read that right, students created edible Menorahs!
The activities did not slow down on Wednesday. Grades 1-5 were amazed at the skills of Juggler Keith
Leaf who put on quite a performance in the gym. Students from Grades 3-5 then had their turn at
donut decorating in the afternoon.
Back in the Junior High, boys and girls each competed in their respective fierce (and friendly) Dreidel
competitions with exciting prizes. We are a little suspicious that Director of JHS Student Activities,
Jacob Grossman, “coincidently” decided to make ‘Gimmel’ the winning letter though.
JHS students later stared in awe as a truck filled with TVs, video game consoles, and comfy seating
suddenly appeared in the YCQ yard. Students piled in as they got to choose from a staggering
amount of titles.
The YCQ faculty was treated to their own party on Wednesday afternoon. They enjoyed a dairy
buffet from Bravo Pizza, dessert from Queens Pita, and a mocktail station with two mixologists.
Travel toiletry bags with the YCQ logo were also distributed as gifts.
A tremendous amount of hakarot hatov and thanks to Mrs. Shirly Pourad-Kaikov, Mr. Jacob
Grossman, and everyone else who made this Chanukah so special!
The fun continued throughout the rest of the week, but looks like we’re out of room here. Stay tuned
for next week’s edition for the rest of the highlights of Chanukah at YCQ!
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Basketball Update by: Mr. Miles Ehrenkranz
Boys Rout Solomon Schechter, Girls Defeat YDE in Commanding Fashion
On December 14, 2022, the Varsity Boys team defeated Solomon Schechter by a
score of 84-40. YCQ was led by Eitan A. and Noah K., who combined for over 50
points. The duo was dominant on offense, consistently finding ways to score
against Solomon Schechter's defense. The rest of the YCQ team also played well,
contributing to the team's strong offensive showing.
Last Thursday, the YCQ Wildcats girls basketball team secured their first win of
the year. In a highly anticipated matchup against their crosstown rivals, YDE, the
Wildcats dominated from start to finish, earning a convincing 44-12 victory.
Leading the charge for the Wildcats was Erin C., who scored an impressive 21
points and nearly single-handedly carried her team to victory. Her teammates
and the packed stands erupted into cheers and applause as she drained shot
after shot, leaving Darchei Eretz in the dust.
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Rabbi Landsman's Parsha P'shat
Rabbi Frand quotes the Bluzheve Rebbe who offers an insight into the verse. We see,
he says, that there is a concept of not remembering and there is a separate concept
of forgetting. There are some things in life that one does not want to remember, but
that one cannot ever forget either. What is such an event? The Holocaust. It is too
painful to remember, but yet we can never forget it either. As painful as it is, we
must, at times, remember it.
The following incident occurred to Rabbi Yisrael Spira, the Bluzheve Rebbe himself
in Bergen Belsen on Chanukah during the middle of the Holocaust: Erev Chanukah
had been a particularly grim day in the camp. Many Jews had been randomly taken
out and shot. The bodies were still lying on the ground as the day ended. The Jews
that remained got together, found an old shoe, made some oil out of shoe polish,
made a wick out of threads of a garment and wanted to light Ner Chanukah.
The Bluzheve Rebbe, being one of the leaders in the camp, proceeded to light Ner
Chanukah and recite the appropriate blessings. He recited the first blessing “…to
kindle the Chanukah candle”. Then he made the second blessing “…who has done
miracles for our ancestors in those days at this time.” Then he came to make the
she’hechiyanu (“… who has kept us alive and sustained us and brought us to this
occasion”). Before he made the she’hechiyanu he paused and hesitated. He looked
around and then made the blessing.
There was a Jew who witnessed this scene and later came to the Rebbe and said
bitterly, “Spira, I understand how you can make the first blessing and I can
understand how you make the second blessing but tell me, Spira, how can you in
this terrible place with dead Jews lying around us make the she’hechiyanu blessing
thanking G-d for keeping us alive and bringing us to this time?”
The Rebbe looked at the Jew and said “You know, I had the same problem. But then I
looked around and saw that these Jews in the worst of circumstances, surrounded
by death and destruction, got together and insisted on fulfilling the mitzvah of
lighting Chanukah candles even in these horrible conditions. I said to myself for this
alone one can and should make the blessing “she’hechiyanu v’kiyamanu v’higeeyanu
lazman hazeh.”
Shabbat Shalom and Chanukah Sameach!
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Rabbi Rohr's Parsha Questions
Bring Your Answers to The Elementary School Office and Win Prizes!
1.What were Pharaoh’s dreams?
2. What was the first word that Yosef said to Pharaoh when he was
asked to interpret the dreams? (See )פרק מא פסוק טז
3. What name did Pharaoh give Yosef when he appointed him as
viceroy? What does it mean? (See פרק מא פסוק מהand Rashi there.)
4. What did Yosef accuse the brothers of? How were they able to
prove their innocence?
5. Who did Yosef keep in jail when he sent the rest of the brothers
back to Eretz Canaan? Why that brother specifically? (See פרק מב פסוק
כדand Rashi there.)
6. Which brother ultimately accepted responsibility to bring Binyamin
back to Yaakov?
7. How many times did Yosef cry in this parsha?
JHS Test Schedule
Tuesday Thursday
7 Science Test 8 Brody Math Test
Wednesday Friday
7 Faibish Math Test 8G Chumash Test
7 Lowinger Math Test
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