5:52 The Haftorah of this week’s parsha, Terumah, records the fascinating details of the construction of the Beis HaMikdash. Seventy thousand carriers, eighty thousand workers, and numerous supervisors assisted Shlomo HaMelech in its construction. Even spirits and ministering angels helped out (Melachim 1; Midrash Shir HaShirim 1,5). Amid the construction narrative the Navi teaches us an important lesson: Vayiven es habayis vayechalehu, He built the House and completed it (Melachim 1,6,9). Only two pesukim later we read the words spoken by the Almighty to Shlomo HaMelech: habayis hazeh asher atah boneh, This House that you are building, im telech bechukosai, if you follow my decrees, perform my statutes, observe my commandments then I will uphold my word with you: V’shachanti bsoch bnei Yisrael veloh e’ezov es ami Yisrael, I will dwell among the children of Israel and I will never forsake my nation, Israel (Melachim 1 11- 13). If the Navi confirms that Shlomo completed the construction of the Beis Hamikdash (Vayiven – past tense) why, only two pesukim later, is Shlomo told about the house that he is building (boneh – in present tense)? Malbim provides a fascinating explanation. The purpose of this particular House – the Beis HaMikdash – was to create a structure for avodas Hashem, Divine service whereby the Almighty maintains His presence. Unlike the conventional home, with its structure of bricks and mortar as its ultimate purpose, the Beis HaMikdash was built so that Klal Yisrael can follow the decrees and statutes of Hashem and thereby merit the Almighty’s presence among them. That type of building – the building of one’s spiritual growth and his relationship to G-d – is reflected in the present tense (boneh) because it is a lifelong aspiration and calling. Just as avodah, spiritual service and growth, is a lifelong endeavor so is chinuch, the world of Jewish education, an evolving process. Educating children in the twenty-first century requires dedication and perseverance, effort and energy, time and talent and, of course, siyata d’Shmaya, divine intervention. But with all of the above, the child has still not reached his growth potential. Nor has the parent reached the point at which he or she might relax. Like the recurring waves in the ocean, we are never quite there yet. The process lives as long as we do. This is both our blessing and our challenge. Have a wonderful Shabbos! FEBRUARY 25 PTA Ladies Melava Malka 8:30 P.M. at the Klein Campus • • • • • • MARCH 6 Taanis Esther Early Childhood 1:40 Dismissal Kindergarten 2:00 Dismissal Grades 1-6 2:00 Dismissal Jr. High Boys 12:30 Dismissal Yavne 2:05 Dismissal • • • • • • MARCH 7-8 Purim - NO SCHOOL • • • • • • MARCH 20 HAC Scholarship Tribute Dinner 6:00 P.M. at the Cleveland Museum of Art בס’’ד פרשת תרומה | ג' אדר תשפ''ג | 2023, 24 February N.Y. prices with Midwest service only at Plaza Auto Leasing! Call Will Evans at 216-707-9000 or email [email protected] for your next vehicle!
| | Daf a Day Siyum Yeshiva Ketana The sixth grade Gedolim Fair was held this past Sunday and the boys did a fabulous job. A big yasher koach to Rabbi Eli Newman and to Rabbi Shmuel Yaakov Mann, Rabbi Nochum Sokol and Rabbi Akiva Udman. Mazel tov to Dovi Cohen in Rabbi Berkman’s second grade upon his siyum on Meseches Pe’ah and Berachos! Mazel tov to Ari Rokowsky in Rabbi Ruck’s class upon his siyum on Meseches Beitzah! Mazel tov to Yehuda Shyken and Moshe Weiner on their siyum of Maseches Yoma which they learned in its entirety throughout mid-winter break. While the other boys in Rabbi Drazin’s class were completing their “daf-a day” quota during break, Yehuda and Moshe chose of their own volition to learn the entire Meseches, one recently completed in class. What a beautiful and accomplishing undertaking on their part. May they continue bringing nachas to their parents. Have you ever looked forward to an event with such tremendous anticipation that you are convinced the actual event cannot possibly match your heightened expectations; and then it does! It is rare indeed, yet, this is what occurred at our fourth annual Daf-a-Day Mid - Winter Program. As the boys counted down the days with the numbers posted on the hallway bulletin board, the day finally arrived, and what a celebration it was! The program was an incentive for Yeshiva Ketana and Junior High divisions. To truly appreciate it, well, you had to be there. Nevertheless, we will try to sum it up as best we can in the space we are allotted. We began with a magnificent concert in the auditorium. Everyone joined together as the singing reached a crescendo, united with soaring emotions, each talmid proud of his wonderful accomplishments over Mid-Winter. What a performance, led by Rabbi A.Y. Nakdimon, and accompanied by Mr. Avi Lampert, Mr. Tzvi Turner, and our very own and beloved Rabbi S.Y. Mann. Nearly 100 prizes were handed out from the daily raffles over vacation, topped off with the grand prize for each division: a Shas and Chumash Mikraos Gedolos. Everyone enjoyed a sumptuous seudah as they were regaled with a spellbinding story told by Rabbi Eli Newman after the siyum. Thank you, Mr. Yisrael Freilech, for preparing the meal (and for every day) and a deep expression of hakaras hatov to the mothers who came to help out. A special note of thanks to the ones who wish to remain anonymous, despite the fact that they worked tirelessly before, during, and after vacation to make this dream a reality. The magnificent ceremony concluded with leibideg dancing as the boys expressed their deep sense of pride for their accomplishments and the kiddush Sheim Shamyim we all witnessed together. We are extremely proud of the fact that over 98% of the boys participated in the program and lived the lofty ideal that limud haTorah is the primary focus of our lives and we never let a day go by without it! As the boys walked back to class afterwards, there was a noticeable smile on their faces, and a bounce in their step, fully aware that they had grown in ruchnius and had taken part in something quite unique. As one Rebbi so aptly expressed it: “Thanks again! I will, bli neder, work with you to spread this idea to the rest of the country next year!” Mazel tov and continued nachas, b”ezras Hashem! (Pictures on next page)
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| | Girls Elementary Walking into the building on Rosh Chodesh, you felt the spirit of Adar in the air. With music playing and the hallways beautifully decorated, we welcomed Chodesh Adar in the happy spirit it is known for. At an assembly, our moros introduced the new unit of our middos program by performing humorous skits about judging favorably and seeing every situation in a positive light. Mrs. Dier's first grade was delighted to celebrate the culmination of learning all the alef bais in script. They had a great time creating the hebrew letters through edible art! To reinforce their kriah skills, Mrs. Dimarsky's sixth grade paired up with Miss Schottenstein's second grade and practiced hebrew reading. The experience was two-fold, the girls really enjoyed and they worked so well together, too. The third grade classes are becoming brachos pros. As a review of their knowledge on brachos, Miss Schneider's second grade cut out foods from grocery fliers and matched them up to the correct beracha rishona displayed on the board. The building pulsated with excitement and the achdus was tangible as grades 4-6 gathered together Thursday night at the Klein campus for our annual Erev Shira (Evening of Song). Under the talented direction of Mrs. Penina Sauber, each class presented a magnificent song with choreography, expanding on our theme, ayin tova. Of course, the beautiful aesthetics and tasty food added to this wonderful evening. A touching video with a message of hakaras hatov, created by Morah Faigy Zuckerman, was enjoyed by all. Thank you to Mrs. Penina Sauber, Morah Faigy Zuckerman, Mrs. Rochi Kulefsky, Mrs. Malki Schwartz, Mrs. Sori Weinschneider and Mrs. Shira Schwarzmer for your unparalleled help! (Continued on next page)
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| | Yavne High School The 11th grade Physics students worked hard designing and building catapults to better understand how motion works in 2-directions. They were also able to relate this project to their understanding of forces and how the different amount of force affects the distance the projectile can travel. Rosh Chodesh Adar was celebrated with joy and delicious ice cream in Yavne. Pictured here are Adar Jr. High G. O. heads, Devorah Cohen, Hila Cohen, Minna Halpern, Gabi Kimmel, Rikki Lampert, and Esther Rotshtein serving the soft serve ice cream! Our seniors also celebrated Rosh Chodesh Adar with high spirits and good taste turning our building into a real live farm. They danced with ruach and involved the whole school. They are truly the “cream of the crop”. Juniors took us on a journey through a real life handbook allowing us to live the daily experience of a Yavne student. The G.O. prepared a surprise activity – silent dancing. The girls thoroughly enjoyed the freedom of dancing to their own rhythm! After the dancing, the girls were treated to soft ice cream from Grand Judaica ice cream machines which were brought to Yavne for the day. Our 11th and 12th graders are enjoying creating delicious and eye-appealing delicacies with Mrs. Rochie Kutoff this semester. Starting with appetizers, they put together a delicious salad and last week made chicken wontons. The girls took them home to fry them fresh for Shabbos – Yum! A delightful way to express their creativity. Mrs. Mager's biology class was eager to use the equipment in the lab as they learned how to extract DNA from wheat germ. They were fascinated to learn that they could actually see the DNA separate from the cells. Then they rolled the stringy DNA out of solution and onto the microscope slide so they could observe it in more detail under the microscope.
| | Kindergarten Mishenichnas Adar Marbim Besimcha! Happiness is definitely in the preschool air. On Tuesday, in honor of Rosh Chodesh Adar, the children got Rosh Chodesh treats and we sang and danced with them in our hallways. Our kinderlach worked hard decorating Adar signs and were so excited to bring them home! Early Childhood Rosh Chodesh Adar was celebrated with a bang in Kindergarten! It was so nice seeing all the children dressed in their Purim costumes. Thank you, Rabbi Kirsch, for coming in and sharing with us the Purim story. We all enjoyed dancing and a special treat in honor of Rosh Chodesh. Thank you to our in-house videographer, Mr. Boruch Reiss for producing yet another fabulous video clip for the Academy Family. If you haven’t seen it yet, click here and enjoy! Rosh Chodesh Adar School Video Clip We are happy to report that over 100 elementary school children have enrolled in after school classes and they are enjoying the chance to learn new skills. Girls ice skating begins this Sunday. Registration for all classes is closed as the groups are all full. If anyone has an area of expertise to share with our students and would like to hear more about becoming an instructor, please contact Mrs. Modes at [email protected] Enrichment Parents, please remind your children that bussing transportation is a luxury and that they should always be on their best behavior. As you are aware, transportation is provided by the district in which you reside, and questions and concerns can be addressed to the district office directly. District Transportation
Mazel tov! | | • Doctors Michael and Brenda Altose on the engagement of Batsheva Miriam to Eliyahu Dowek (Lakewood) • Rabbi & Mrs. Avraham Bensoussan on the engagement of Adina to Ben Szennes (New York) • Rabbi & Mrs. Avrohom Cohn upon the bar mitzvah of Eliyohu • Dr. & Mrs. Howard Goldman on the engagement of Michal to Moti Last (New York City) • Rabbi & Mrs. Aryeh Soroka on the birth of a girl • Mr & Mrs. Dovi Zilber on the bar mitzvah of Shmuel Ahron Condolences to • Mrs. Gayle Fink, Mr. Shawn Fink and Dr. Elise Resnick on the loss of their husband and father, Mr. Phil Fink, ל”ז The voice of Jewish radio in Cleveland for a half century, Mr. Fink always mentioned with pride that his wife is a veteran Academy General Studies teacher. An alumnus of the Academy, in his retirement, Mr. Fink was happy to serve as a substitute teacher in the Academy’s Junior High School. When he wasn’t subbing, he was seen in the Academy halls ready to chauffer Mrs. Fink and, of course, along the way he made new friends and acquaintances adding to his growing list of Cleveland fans. • The Zuchowsky Family upon the loss of their husband and father, Mr. Charles Zuchowsky, ל”ז המקום ינחם אתכם בתוך שאר אבלי ציון וירושלים.
A N N U A L S C H O L A R S H I P T R I B U T E D I N N E R • מחיל אל חיל • Hebrew Academy of Cleveland 1800 Warrensville Center Road Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44121 For ads email [email protected] or call 216.382.3300 x 372 For dinner reservations email [email protected] or call 216.382.3300 x 360 Ads and reservations can also be placed online at hac1.org/apps/pages/dinner IN TRIBUTE TO IVAN & MARILYN SOCLOF GARY GROSS THE MENDY KLEIN COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD RABBI MENACHEM MEISELS THE ALUMNUS AWARD NEW DATE! M O N DAY, M A RC H 20 , 2023 · תשפ״ג אדר כ״ז C L E V E L A N D M U S E U M O F A RT · AT R I U M BA L L RO O M כ״ז אדר תשפ״ג VAS 3.20.23 E THE DATE!