We gratefully thank Rabbi Naftali Herrmann, MDS parent Rachel Solomons, and Beverly Wolfer-Nerenberg of the Major Stuart Adam Wolfer Institute for helping prepare a special and meaningful Memorial Day Program.  Our first guest speaker was Commander Samuel Sperling, grandfather of Avi (4B), Aaron (2A), and Tova (N4B).  He spoke about his tours of duty on a ship in Vietnam.  While he spoke, students were able to look at maps on our smart board to better understand where he traveled and what the soldiers were working to accomplish.  Our second speaker was Mr. Willie Kellman, grandfather of Ayelet (7G), who survived the Holocaust and came to America.  He was quickly drafted into counter-intelligence to fight the Germans during WWII.  Even though he was in many dangerous situations, Mr. Kellman put on his tefillin every day and did his best to keep kosher under extremely difficult circumstances.  He was able to help Holocaust survivors emigrate to Palestine, and he was able to secretly ship confiscated German weapons to the Hagana.  After the powerful and moving presentations, our fourth graders led us in singing patriotic songs.

            Where did the years fly? Over the past few months (and continuing for a few more months), the 7th grade boys have been celebrating their individual Bar Mitzvahs. On Friday, May 7, the 7th grade boys and their parents came together in the beit midrash to celebrate this milestone event as a group.

            After davening, the boys and their proud families enjoyed a delicious breakfast from Aleta's kitchen.  Then, Rabbi Yablok gave a very inspiring speech about responsibility. How, until their Bar Mitzvahs, the boys were "takers" - that is, things were done for them and little was expected of them in return. Now, after the Bar Mitzvahs, they are expected to move on to a new role, and to become "givers" and take on more responsibility as befits someone who has reached "gil mitzvot."

            Mrs. Leora Sulimanoff spoke about the value of being an individual and of kindness.  She emphasized the importance of standing up for doing the right thing, and not being swept away by what the group does.

            Then it was time for presents. Each boy received his own set of machzorim, personally inscribed, which he will use with pride for years for all the chagim.

            Once the ceremony was over, there was one more event. Rabbi Schwartz took the boys bowling in Teaneck (thank you Mrs. Haberman for helping drive the boys!), but, consistent with the message of giving back, the bowling involved tzedakah.  For every pin the boys knocked down, their sponsors made a donation to Chai Lifeline.  After bowling, Rabbi Schwartz and the boys delivered bagels to a homeless shelter and then returned to MDS.  The day of the celebration was over, but the memories of the Bar Mitzvahs - which will be brought to life every chag when the boys open their machzorim - will last a lifetime.

Yashar koach to those who successfully answered last week's challenge: Avi Cohen (1C), Jake Cohen (1A), and Samuel Halpern (2A).

The answers to last week's challenge, Calendar Magic, are:

1) Feb 19th is the 50th day if starting in January       2) the day is WEDNESDAY

3) The end the cruise is on a MONDAY                4) 100th day of school.   If starting on the first day of school (September 10th was this year) then 100th day was FEBRUARY 25th 2010.   Makes no difference if its a leap year or not because we didn't pass Februry 29th!

Good luck with this week's challenge, Love and Marriage!  In honor of Ms. Wolf's upcoming wedding, how many words can you make out of the words LOVE AND MARRIAGE? 

Email your answers to mwolf@mdsweb.org by Tuesday.  Any student who answers the challenge of the week will receive a prize!

• Mazal tov to Marissa Wolf on her forthcoming marriage to Ari Fries.

• Mazal tov to Michael Sternbach on the marriage of his niece Michal Jager to Eli Lesser.
  



• Mazal tov to Batya Virag on the engagement of her sister Shari to Andrew Fein.




• Mazal tov to Nelly Brody on her daughter Leora's graduation from Johns Hopkins with a degree in International Studies and Business Entrepreneurship.

• We regret to announce the passing of Harav Zechariah Hakohen ben Meshullam, father of our 3^rd grade teacher Mrs. Shula Khen.  Morah Shula is sitting shiva at her home in Englewood, New Jersey, 240 Van Nostrand Avenue, Englewood, NJ  07631.  Phone number (201) 567- 7884.  Shiva will extend until next Wednesday morning.  There will be a minyan for Mincha/Maariv at 8 pm on weekday evenings.  Driving directions: George Washington Bridge to route 4, exit at Jones Road by bearing right, at the first intersection turn left onto Van Nostrand.  The house is halfway down the block on the left.  Donations in Harav Zecharia Hakohen's memory can be made to the Library Enhancement Fund through the Business Office or on our website.

• A white Motorola PCS cell phone was found along the parade route.  If it is yours, please contact Rabbi Besser, mbesser@mdsweb.org.

Q: What are some of your favorite memories from your years at MDS?

A: Defying the Tide, our eighth grade play with Mrs. Melzer, was so much fun to create.  I played Maria, a righteous gentile who gave identity papers to Jews during the Holocaust.  In fifth grade, we got to go on a lot of trips and do lots of fun projects with Mrs. Berkowitz Sulimanoff.

Q: What were some of the biggest changes that you found in high school?

A: There were a lot of changes at Manhattan High School.  First, it's all girls.  Also, only two other MDS graduates are in my class, so there were a lot of new people to meet.  There were so many different types of girls in my class at MDS, and this helped me build relationships in high school.  I still stay in touch with many of my former MDS classmates.

            There are also a lot of new classes and tests.  I'm really grateful that Mrs. Fine, Mrs. Alter, and Mr. Apter prepared us really well for high school.  For example, at the beginning of the school year, we read To Kill a Mockingbird, which we had read in 7^th grade.  And in history class, we started the year learning about landforms, which we had learned about in sixth grade with Mrs. Dahan.  Morah Rifkey Guber was such a good teacher.  She taught us how to analyze as opposed to just memorizing Tanach and dinim.  This year in Hebrew language has been really easy because I learned so much through the NETA program here.  Even though the high school curriculum is very challenging, my great foundation at MDS has prepared me really well.

Q: What are your plans for this summer and next year?

A: This summer, I am going to Camp Chaviva, and I am working in a summer camp in a bungalow colony.  Next year, I hope to take AP classes for most subjects to earn advanced college credit.

Q: Do you still have any siblings at MDS?

A: Yes, Leah is in 7G.  

Q: Do you have a final message for us?

A: MDS was an extraordinary experience.

We have been learning about money and how to use different combinations of coins to give change.  We have been learning about decimals and how they apply to money, for example $2.20 is $2 and 20 hundreths of a dollar.  The students have been learning plastic money for good midot and derech eretz.  They had an opportunity to spend their money and put their learning into practice.  We were selling all sorts of trinkets such as stickers, bouncing balls, playing cards, pencil cases, mini-baseball sets, etc.  Students took turns being the buyers and the sellers.  A great time was had by all!

When Dr. Jeffrey Ratz, father of our teacher Ms. Tara Ratz, visited our class, he spoke to the kids about the importance of taking care of our bodies. He brought in model spine and showed them how the body works and discussed healthy foods that we can eat to keep our bodies strong. The students have been bringing in healthier snacks ever since.

We would like to thank Dr. Keith Lustman and Dr. Lawrence Limb for recently visiting our school and teaching us all about oral hygiene and eating the right foods to keep our teeth healthy.  Dr. Lustman is an oral surgeon, and Dr. Limb is a pediatric dentist.  They even brought some nurses along with them, and a giant bear so kids could practice brushing the bear's teeth.  Dr. Lustman and Dr. Limb played fun games with our students about teeth, such as pin the toothbrush on the tooth, and gave out a gift bag for each child filled with special goodies such as toothbrushes and treasure cases to hold baby teeth.

Everyone in the library was seeing red this week.  And white.  And blue.  In celebration of Memorial Day, our library classes explored books about all things American: the flag, our national anthem, American folk songs, the White House, Betsy Ross, the Pledge of Allegiance, and the First Family.

Our preschool classes enjoyed a sing-a-long with Ms. Lyons as she accompanied enthusiastic vocalists on the keyboard.  We sang "This Land is Your Land, This Land is My Land" by Woody Guthrie and enjoyed the beautiful paintings by Kathy Jakobsen in a book of the same name.  We also sang "America the Beautiful" and learned that this song started out as a poem by Katharine Lee Bates.  A stunning book called America the Beautiful with illustrations by Neil Waldman took us on a National tour of some breathtaking landmarks including Niagara Falls, the Redwood Forests, Mount Rushmore, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Statue of Liberty.

Students in our older classes enjoyed Red, White, and Blue: The Story of the American Flag and heard the amazing story behind the composition of the "Star-Spangled Banner."  Other classes enjoyed The White House by Denise Rinaldo and learned a ton of fascinating White House trivia.  (Did you know that Dolley Madison stayed behind in the White House-even after White House guards had fled the British invasion in 1814-to save a precious painting of George Washington?  The portrait is still on display in the White House today!)  And speaking of the White House today, some students enjoyed First Family by Deborah Hopkinson and learned all kinds of fun facts about the Obamas.

Though most of our students know how to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, what exactly do all those fancy words mean?  What is a "pledge?"  What is "allegiance"?  What is a "republic"?  And what is "indivisible"?  Inquiring minds wanted to know and that's exactly what they found out in the marvelous kid-friendly book I Pledge Allegiance by Bill Martin and Michael Sampson.  May the flag-waving and celebrating begin!

A word on library procedure:  Please (please!) check for any stray library books in your homes and classes.  We are taking stock and making lists for replacements at this time of year.

And finally...great news!  Our collection is growing nicely.  We received a recent shipment of wonderful new books that have already been processed and are now waiting to be checked out.  This shipment included award-winning fiction for older readers (4^th, 5^th, and 6^th graders), as well as popular series books for younger readers (Flat Stanley, Abby Hayes, more Goosebumps, and more A to Z Mysteries).  Stop by.  Take a look!  And check them out!

Thank you to Jaden's dad, "Top Chef" Michael Mehler, for helping the Toddler Alef class bake cookies!  Yummy!

• May 31                   Memorial Day

• June 1                    Grade 1A and Primary Trip to Greenhouse at Barnard College
  

• June 1                    Grade 7 Parents: Orientation evening to prepare for eighth grade

• June 2                    Afterschool clubs: Karate Graduation / Belt Promotion
• June 2                    Afterschool clubs: Make up date for all Wed. afterschool clubs: Yoga, Karate, JV Girls
• June 3                    Grade 1C Trip to Greenhouse at Barnard College
  
• June 3                    Afterschool clubs: Make up date for Mixed Media
  

• June 1-3                 Grade 8 Washington Trip

• June 8                    MDS Celebrates Our Students
• June 9                    Student-Faculty Basketball Game
  
• June 11                  Kindergarten End-of-Year Program
• June 11                  Grade 4 Play, 9:30 am in the Beit Midrash
  

• June 12-13              Rosh Chodesh Tammuz

• June 15                  3C Publishing Party, 9:30 AM
• June 16                  3A Publishing Party, 9:30 AM
  

• June 17                  Grade 8 Graduation

• June 18                  Last day of Preschool

• June 20                  Father's Day

• June 21                  Last day of school grades 6-7

• June 22                  Last day of school grades 1-5

• June 29                  Fast of Tammuz

• We are delighted to let you know about a brand new weekly chessed project, Zeidy and Bubby Chat at the Esplanade. 
  
• Parents Tehillim group meets each morning at 8:15 am in the library
• We are continuing to collect cell phones in the lobby for the Major Stuart Adam Wolfer Cell Phone Drive.  These phones will be exchanged for calling cards which Jewish U.S. soldiers can use to call home. 
• Please label your childrens' clothing and other items.  We have a large lost and found for misplaced items.
• Thank you for keeping our school nut-free.

1. (a) (1) Why did Hashem command the menora's kindling after the nesi'im gave inauguration gifts? (2) Why did Aharon not offer gifts with the nesi'im (3 reasons)? (b) Why does the Torah say "be-ha'alotcha" (raise up), rather than be-hadliykecha (light) the lamps (3 reasons)? (c) Why did the 6 outside wicks point the toward the center branch (2 reasons)? (Bamidbar 8:2)

(a) (1) Since Aharon was perturbed that he, Sheivet Levi's nasi, was not included with the other nesi'im, Hashem gave him the mitzvah of lighting the menora (Rashi). (2) (i) After participating in the cheit ha-eigel, Aharon was ashamed to offer Mishkan gifts without Hashem's command; Hashem never told Moshe that Aharon should do it (Medrash Tanchuma). (ii) Since Moshe believed the Mishkan would move supernaturally, Aharon did not offer wagons like the other nesi'im; after Hashem accepted the nesi'im's wagons and korbanot, he could no longer donate since Efrayim and Menashe had completed the group of 12 nesi'im (Tiferet Tzion). (iii) Hashem told Moshe that instead of offering one-time donations of korbanot like the other nesi'im, Aharon merited 2 mitzvot for his sheivet to be done forever, even when there is no Beit haMikdash, i.e., the mitzvot described immediately before and after the nesi'im's gifts - Birchat Kohanim and lighting the menora (for Chanukah) (Ba'al Haturim). (b) (1) The mitzvah was fulfilled by lighting each flame until it rose by itself; (2) The menora was on a platform with steps leading to it, which the kohen ascended to light it (Rashi). (3) Lighting the menora spiritually elevated the kohen; afterward, lighting the Chanukah menora would spiritually elevate each Jew (Medrash Tanchuma). (c) (1) Pointing inward showed that Hashem does not need our light (Rashi). (2) The 3 right lamps symbolized those devoting themselves to spiritual matters - Torah learning, tefilah and chesed; the 3 left lamps symbolized those who engaging in farming, business and commerce to support their brethren. These activities should all be dedicated to Hashem's Will, which is represented by the middle lamp (Sforno).

2. (a) Why is the Korban Pesach, which was offered in Nisan, described after Parashat Bamidbar's census, which took place in Iyar, a month later (4 reasons)? (b) Who were those impure from contact with a corpse and unable to offer the Korban Pesach (3 opinions)? (c) How did offering Iyar's Pesach Sheini differ from offering Nisan's Korban Pesach (2 ways)? (Bamidbar 9:1-6)

(a) (1) To teach that the Torah does not always recount events chronologically; (2) this was the only time Bnei Yisrael offered the Korban Pesach in the 40 years in the midbar, and it was a dishonor for them, because the meraglim's sin prevented them from entering Eretz Yisrael to offer it each year; the Torah did not begin Sefer Bamidbar on a negative note (Rashi). (3) Since Sefer Bamidbar's main focus is to show Bnei Yisrael's connection to the Mishkan, the sefer begins with their set up around it (Ramban). (4) It was impossible for only 3 kohanim (Aharon, Elazar and Itamar) to offer the Pesach korbanot by themselves for all of Bnei Yisrael; the Torah first describes the consecration of the levi'im (8:5-22), who assisted the kohanim (Oznayim laTorah). (b) (1) Bearers of the coffin containing Yosef's bones; (2) the levi'im Mishael and Eltzafan, who removed Nadav's and Avihu's corpses from the Mishkan on 8 Nisan; (3) kohanim who had buried a meit mitzvah (an unattended, unidentified corpse) (Sukkah 25a-b). (c) Those offering Pesach Sheini could: (1) possess chametz when offering and eating the korban because it was not the Pesach holiday; (2) perform melacha (labor) when they ate it because it was not Yom Tov (Rashi).

3. (a) How did Moshe's chatzotzrot (trumpets') kedusha differ from the Mishkan's other vessels? (b) Why were: (1) Yehoshua and subsequent leaders unable to use them? (2) they made of silver, not gold? (c) In the Beit Hamikdash, for which 6 reasons were trumpets scheduled to be blown? (Bamidbar 10:2)    

(a) All of the vessels were kadosh forever; these chatzotzrot were kadosh and could be used only during Moshe's life (Sifri). (b) (1) These chatzotzrot were used to assemble all of Bnei Yisrael in one place; Moshe was the only leader who could gather all of Bnei Yisrael together to accept whatever he said (Satmar Rav). (2) Gold chatzotzrot would have recalled the cheit ha-eigel (Sifri). (c) (1) Each morning, upon opening the gates; during the (2) daily morning and (3) afternoon korban tamid, and (4)  korban musaf; (5) on erev Shabbat, to signal the people to stop working; (6) when Shabbat was about to begin (Sukah 5:5)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

4. (a) What is the purpose of the inverted letters around the parasha of va-yehi binsoa ha-aron (when the aron would journey) (2 explanations)? (b) Why is the letter nun inverted (3 explanations)? (Bamidbar 10:35-36)

(a) These symbols: (1) show that these verses are out of place; Hashem inserted them to separate 2 of Bnei Yisrael sins: (i) hurrying away from Har Sinai like children dashing out of school; and (ii) complaining about the mon and demanding meat; (2) indicate that these verses are a separate Torah Book (Shabbat 115b-116a). (b) (1) The nuns symbolize Bnei Yisrael's "turning their backs" on Hashem by sinning; if they had not, they instantly would have crossed the Yardein, whose width is 50 (nun) amot; (2) Va-yehi binsoa ha-aron belongs after the verse stating that the ohel moed shall travel in the levi'im's midst (Bamidbar 2:17); from that verse to here, there are 50 parshiot - the nuns indicate that these verses were delayed 50 parshiot (Moshav Zekeinim). (3) These 2 verses include the entire range (50 gates) of Divine wisdom, like the other Torah books (Tiferet Tzion).

Do you like having Ice Cream Sundaes in school? 

If your class brings in the most Box Tops before the end of the school year, your class will have an Ice Cream Party!  The last day to bring in box tops for the contest is May 31st.  We have raised over $500 for our school.  Keep up the good work!

Congratulations to Spencer Lehman (Nursery 4B) who is our April winner!