7:38 A well-meaning mother had strong opinions about the sweets her ten year old was earning at school. While delighted with her son’s motivation toward achievement, she felt that both faculty and peers provided her son with an inordinate amount of sweets as a reward for achievement or friendship. She led a campaign for parents to advocate for change in the school culture. Her most compelling argument was that the school seemed to undermine her health-conscious, sweet-free home environment. The principal met with her and others and explained the rationale for such incentives, acknowledged and underscored that rewards must be distributed in moderation, and pledged to make some changes within the school culture. Neither the mother nor the principal could have been prepared for the next month’s development. The child’s locker became jammed and the school’s custodian was called to the rescue. When the locker was finally opened, the school personnel were astonished to see dozens of cans of soda tumble out of the student’s locker. Apparently deprived of sweets at home, the student compensated for what he was lacking and made a regular stop at the grocery store on his way to school each day thereby adding to his growing collection of snacks. Is it reasonable for parents to strive to maintain a health-conscious home? Absolutely. Is it reasonable to request that the school distribute candy with less frequency and in moderation? Certainly. But in this particular vignette emerges a familiar dynamic in human nature. The well-meaning mother had led a campaign to blame others for a disappointment that may well have been self-induced. In an effort to provide an admirable healthy home environment, she deprived her son of the moderation that typical families provide their children. In this week’s parsha, Shemini, Rashi comments that, upon completion of the mishkan, Ahron HaKohen was both disappointed and distraught that, despite significant effort, the Shechina, Divine Presence had not rested upon the mishkan. Ahron blamed no one but himself, stating: “I know that Hashem is angry at me because of the sin of the egel, golden calf, and thus the Divine Presence has not descended upon Israel” (9,23). Rabbi Yeruchem Levovitz, zt”I, Mirrer Mashgiach indicates that human nature dictates that we often become blame-oriented and are quick to blame others but slow to incriminate ourselves. Ahron had every reason to attribute the absence of the Shechina to the national transgression of the egel. Instead, Ahron assumed sole ownership and full responsibility for the violation of trust. Certainly, there were greater transgressors than Ahron HaKohen, yet his focus was personal introspection. Rav Levovitz concludes that when one is confronted with challenge, his personal transgressions might actually be the cause. Worse, his shortcomings might be the catalyst for a communal crisis. We can’t change human nature but with introspection we might gain sharper clarity on any given blame-based situation. It might not be someone else’s fault. Indeed, if we could share the blame, we could sooner work towards resolution. Have a wonderful Shabbos! APRIL 8 Solar Eclipse 2:00 Dismissal (Dismissal Will Begin Earlier) UPDATE: NO BUSSING • • • • • • APRIL 18-MAY 1 Pesach Vacation • • • • • • MAY 2 School Resumes-Regular Start בס’’ד פרשת שמיני | כ”ו אדר ב’ תשפ''ד | 2024, 5 April Only at Plaza Leasing: Sales and Rentals simplified! All of your vehicle needs in one place! Call 216-707-9000 or email [email protected]
| | 81st Scholarship Tribute Dinner The incredible ruach at our school’s 81st Scholarship Tribute Dinner last Monday continues to linger! The event, honoring our fabulous honorees, Drs. Shaya and Tamara Lempel, Rabbi Yitz and Rochelle Frank and Rabbi Maimon Elbaz, brought well over 900 enthusiastic faculty, parents, supporters and friends to the magnificent venue, the Cleveland Museum of Art. The feedback from so many appreciative attendees continues to come in, by email, text, calls and in person! Once again, we thank all those who ensured the success of the evening. Our appreciation to all those who ensured the success of the memorable evening: dinner hosts, Mr. and Mrs. Nati Klein, Dr. and Mrs. Ian Neeland, Mrs. Rivki Silver and Mrs. Shirah Stern. Also, Rabbi Moshe Marcovich, the finance office personnel, Mr. Moshe Greenberg; Mr. Yosef Aryeh Greenberger; and our faculty and parents who made the effort to be there together! Photo Credits: Yochanan Katz Photography, New Image Photography
| | 81st Scholarship Tribute Dinner (continued) The HAC Boys Choir, under the direction of Rabbi Shmuel Yaakov Mann was joined by the Junior High Guitar Class led by Mr. Meister. They did a fantastic job. HAC parent, Mr. Yehuda Fleishman provided musical inspiration. Mazel tov to Mr. and Mrs. Louis Schonfeld on winning $10,000! We appreciate all those who participated in the raffle campaign. A special thank you to all the Junior High boys, and the Yavne students who sold tickets. Also, thank you to Mrs. Daniella Botnick and Mrs. Bina Drazin for helping with the raffle during the dinner and made a big difference in the campaign. We look forward to hosting the next dinner iyH in Yerushalayim with the coming of Moshiach!
| | Early Childhood Morah Feifer and Morah Gitti’s kinderlach have been working diligently all week decorating their kittels and aprons with fabric markers and paint. Morah Chani and Morah Devorah’s kinderlach decorated pillows and afikoman bags with paint stampers and colorful gems. The children in Morah Naomi and Morah Miriam’s class were engrossed working on a Makkos Booklet where they learn each makka in depth and then color a picture to reinforce what they learned. In Morah Shani and Morah Elisheva’s room, the children created Bedikas Chometz hats to wear while helping to search for chometz. In Morah Chumee and Morah Yitty’s class the children were introduced to a Mitzrayim box filled with sand, bricks and mentchies. The children love the texture and enthusiastically got busy with this sensory experience of building Pisom and Ramses in the sand. The children in Morah Dina and Morah Chasi’s class started talking about spring and the children painted and decorated pretty flower pots. Our kinderlach are captivated by the wealth of knowledge surrounding Pesach and are thrilled with their hard work on their beautiful projects. They can’t wait to bring everything home to share with their families during Pesach. Kindergarten We are so proud! Most of our Kindergarten classes have reached our goal of practicing to be Bucket Fillers, as is evident by the completion of their Bucket Filler class charts! In celebration of this accomplishment, they colored medals, which were then hung on our Bucket Filler bulletin board for everyone to see. They also received a special treat, and heard the story Of Benny the Bucket Filler, bringing a clear example of what it feels like to be a Bucket Filler, and how one feels when his bucket is emptied. Every day, the kindergarteners can be found happily learning about the upcoming Yom Tov of Pesach, and preparing their magnificent Haggados, which they will proudly use at the Seder. Pesach songs and the sweet sounds of Mah Nishtanah fill the air!
| | Girls Elementary During the Bas Mitzvah program on Thursday, Mrs. Goldbaum introduced Esther HaMalka and the midah of shtikah (keeping quiet). To underscore this lesson, the girls played an enjoyable game emphasizing just how wisely they can use their words when communicating. The girls were then treated to delicious muffins and hot cocoa. Correspondingly, we were privileged to hear wise words from Rabbi Maimon Elbaz, a Hebrew Academy alumnus and recipient of this year’s Alumnus Award. Rabbi Elbaz shared with the girls a presentation on Birchas HaShachar, and they indeed walked away with a deeper understanding of the words of this tefilla. If you walk into Morah Dier's kitah aleph classroom after the bell rings, a beautiful sight will greet you. The girls are all looking inside their siddurim, pointing to each word, and davening with kavana. May they always feel a cheishek, a powerful desire to daven with hislahavus, true yearning, and may Hashem answer their pure tefillos l'tovah! Our fourth-grade classes were treated to a firsthand matza baking experience. Each girl was able to make her own matzah in less than 18 minutes! This was a delightful and informative way for the girls to learn how to bake matzos l’sheim mitzvah! Keeping step with this week’s creativity and learning, our fifth graders did an incredible job translating and illustrating pesukim from Shiras Devorah. Their beautiful masterpieces decorate the walls outside their classroom. Kindergarten (continued) The Little Red Hen came to visit kindergarten on Friday, as the teachers acted out the popular children’s story in an activity reinforcing CVC words with the vowel “e”. The classes then wrote a sentence and drew a picture about the story in their journals, and enjoyed rolling dough, as the Little Red Hen did, and forming challah rolls, which they took home to be baked for Shabbos!
| | Girls Elementary (continued) General Studies: Welcome to STEM! Excitement pulsed through the auditorium last Thursday when Grades 4-6 were introduced to: "Thinking Like an Innovator," led by Mrs. Geberer. The girls were presented with different inventions and how they evolved over time. There was plenty of surprise and humor in the room as the students thoughtfully analyzed the evolution of the computer, map, watch, carseat, copying machine, and car. The girls had to determine which problems each iteration (a new STEM word for most!) solved, and which problems remained. Their bonus homework activity was to suggest a FUTURE iteration of their invention. The most realistic invention idea will receive a prize from Mrs. Stelzer and Mrs. Geberer. Keep those ideas coming! Our 2nd graders did a great job creating a Solar Eclipse flip book with all the information they learned about the upcoming Solar Eclipse! Yeshiva Ketana Our talmidim were treated to an incredibly exciting and informative presentation, as Rabbi Maimon Elbaz masterfully presented one of his world acclaimed Torah Shows. Using slides, and other forms of media, he entertained the boys while inspiring them at the same time. Going through each brocha, he highlighted the things we should focus on during Shemona Esrei. With stories, ma’marei Chazal, and anecdotes from tzadikim, he held the boys spellbound as they gained a new perspective on chasivus hatefilah. Our talmidim walked out of the assembly with a heightened enthusiasm for davening and a commitment to try their best by putting what they learned into action, b’ezras Hashem.
| | Yeshiva Ketana (continued) Over 120 talmidim, ka”h, from grades 3 through 6, received the third Keser Shem Tov award given out this year. This award recognizes excellence in kavod haRav, as well as proper middos tovos toward their classmates. These boys also show exemplary behavior in the afternoon, during General studies. Parents of these talmidim should be proud of their sons who translate their learning of Torah into action. Another 24 boys received the “Ben Aliyah” award. This award recognizes those who are striving for the higher level, and have shown a marked improvement in their middos and overall behavior. Our fifth and sixth grade boys have been studying and reviewing five common Shas milim per week. Recently, they took a bechina on the first 100 milim. Many of the boys have mastered all 100 milim and are eager to add to their growing list. The test scores are recorded and tracked to monitor the improvement and success of all of our talmidim. Mazel tov to Hillel Breslow on the momentous occasion of his upsherin. Rabbi Berman placed honey on the aleph beis letters and Hillel first said the osiyos out loud and then licked the honey from them with his lollipop. May the simcha and the mesikus of Torah last a lifetime as he provides nachas to all, b’ezras Hashem. Junior High School Last Thursday, Rabbi Boruch Hirschfeld shared that the upcoming total eclipse allows us to pause and reflect upon the beauty of Hakadosh Boruch Hu’s world. He pointed out that the longest bracha recited daily during Shacharis, Yotzer HaMeoros, is a reminder of the gift of sunlight that pumps unbelievable energy into our lives. Moreover, the light that we have is a perfect measure of light, not too bright nor too dim. Add to that, the warmth of the Sun in a variety of seasons and its benefit to the growth process. Each fruit, each vegetable, and each grain that grows and ripens and all the water that we drink and use for a variety of purposes are due to the solar energy. The gravity of the Sun keeps us grounded as the speed of the earth matches the gravity of the earth. We shouldn’t take any of this for granted and the total eclipse allows us to reflect upon it all. The day after the dinner, Junior High boys gathered around Rabbi Marcovich and eagerly awaited to hear who sold the most raffle tickets! Thank you, boys!
| | Yavne High School Over 100 girls davened Neitz on Purim morning – wow, incredible!!! They were treated to doughnuts! This past Sunday, Yavne High School presented an inter-active exhibit displaying the work that our High School girls have done throughout the year in their project-based learning based on pieces of Tefillah: Birkas Hamazon, Hashkamas Haboker, Aleinu and Nishmas. Four classrooms artistically displayed the themes of these Tefillos, the uniqueness of the Expo is that it provided an opportunity for Fathers to enjoy the fruits their daughters talents and labor. The messages were further expressed in their production through dance, song, drama and our own Yavne band. Thank you for the incredible artistic direction of Mrs. Rochie Kutoff, the sound and lighting assistance of Mr. Yosef Aryeh Greenberger, musical direction by Mrs. Rachel Covitch and Mrs. Chaya Samowitz, our production directors, Mrs. Shifra Hanson and Mrs. Nechama Gila Kahn and our student production heads, Malka Koval and Sarah Berkowitz. Our talented students and supportive staff created a contagious feeling of achdus and excitement throughout the weeks leading up to the incredible positive energy felt this past Sunday. The following are examples of feedback we received from parents: “Please pass on tremendous gratitude to all of the incredible staff who made expo and production happen;” “Production was, as always, beautiful. The real highlight for me this year was the Expo. My husband was so happy to be able to see it as well. We both agreed that the creativity, the level of thought and care put in, and the professionalism of the end result was something special. Yavne staff and girls should be really proud of what a gorgeous event they created;” “May Hashem bless you and your staff with the kochos to continue to do all that you do!” “Lichvod Menahalos, and everyone else who put together a phenomenal production and Expo, we were absolutely amazed and blown away at the effort and hard work that was obviously put into Sunday night's exhibits and performances. The expos were phenomenal - incredibly creative, interactive, and leaving us with so much to learn. The production and all its songs and dances were exceptional, and my Yavne daughters thoroughly enjoyed themselves throughout these last few weeks. Yasher Koach, thank you, thank you!” From a student: “I just wanted to say thank you for everything that went into making our production possible and such a fun and enjoyable experience… Thank you for giving us so much class time to practice! Thank you for allowing Song Dance to take a "bonding" trip to Speedway, it was so much fun! Thank you for sponsoring snacks, and hiring the snack squad! They made it so fun and they were our biggest cheerleaders! All the little things made the biggest difference and motivated us! Thank you for giving us the best heads ever. Every practice, they put a smile on their face, no matter how difficult we were! They made every girl feel loved, and they sacrificed their spots in the front for us, only because they love us! They helped create so many memories I will forever cherish!... Thank you for everything! Thank you for all the hours and hours that went into making every detail possible. I cannot wait to be a part of future productions!”
| | Yavne High School (continued)
| | Mazel Tov! • Rabbi & Mrs. Naphtali Burnstein on the birth of a grandson to Yudi and Elisheva Goldfein • Mrs. Smadar Chafetz and Dr. & Mrs. Aaron Lundner on the engagement of Aviva & Meyer Mazel tov to Mrs. Beverly Chafetz and Dr. & Mrs. Jeffrey Gross. • Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Clements on the engagement of Leah to Elior Dayani (Queens) • Mr. & Mrs. Reuven Dessler on the birth of a great grandson to Dovid & Leah Jurkanski • Mr. & Mrs. Binyomin Hoen on the birth of a grandson to Mendel & Raizy Gordon Mazel tov to Mr. & Mrs. Michael Hoen. • Mr. & Mrs. Yitz Horowitz on the bar mitzvah of Chaim • Rabbi & Mrs. Yaakov Kellner on the birth of a daughter • Mr. & Mrs. Shmuel Neuman on the marriage of Chana Leah to Sendy Roberg Mazel tov to Mr. & Mrs. Dovid Neuman. • Mr. & Mrs. Yitzchok Neuman on the birth of a grandson to Yehuda and Meira Neuman Mazel Tov to Mr. & Mrs. Moshe Neuman. • Mr. & Mrs. Motti Scheinerman on the marriage of Adina to Shamshi Rosenfeld • Rabbi & Mrs. Moshe Schubert on the birth of a daughter Mazel tov to Rabbi & Mrs. Pinchus Klahr. Yavne High School (continued)
Want to Donate up to $1,500 to HAC for Scholarships Without it Costing You a Penny? Use Your Tax Dollars to Help Our Families! YOU’RE DONE! IT’S THAT EASY! * The tax credit maximum cannot exceed a tax payer’s Ohio State liability before withholdings or estimated payments. Please consult with your tax advisor/accountant before participating. For More information or assistance, please contact Rabbi Moshe Marcovich at (216) 727-3008 or email [email protected] 3 EASY STEPS: 1) Make your donation* at everychildeveryfamily.org/donate by April 15th (before you file your taxes). 2) Designate Hebrew Academy of Cleveland as your school. 3) Submit the email receipt to your accountant with your tax documents. Deadline for 2023 Donation April 15, 2024