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THIS WEEK AT TVT
SEPTEMBER 21
LS PICTURE DAY
COLLEGE VISIT - DREXEL
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING
SEPTEMBER 22
GRADE 5: SPECIAL PROGRAM
COLLEGE VISIT -
GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
US
HIGH HOLIDAY CARNIVAL
SAT PREP CLASS
SEPTEMBER 23
SENIOR TRAVEL DAYS BEGINS
MS FLAG FOOTBALL
MS GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
EVERYDAY MATH PARENT MEETING
SEPTEMBER 24
GRADE 4 & 5: TASHICH
MS BACK-TO-SCHOOL NIGHT
SEPTEMBER 25
GRADE 6 & 7: TASHLICH
KABBALAT SHABBAT
SEPTEMBER 28
YOM KIPPUR SCHOOL CLOSED
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ROSH HASHANAH D'VAR |
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The story is told of a king who would go out to the towns and villages and visit the citizens one month out of the year. At that time, he was accessible to everyone, and showered all who came to him with kindness. At the close of the month, the people would accompany him as he returned to the palace.
The Baal HaTanya, the great Chassidic master, explained that this parable refers to the Almighty and the nearness of His presence during the month leading up to Rosh Hashana. It is a time when the Almighty is "near to all who call to him."
With the advent of Rosh Hashana, however, the Almighty returns to His palace where we affirm the majesty of His Kingship.
On this theme, we find an interesting exception in Jewish law. Normally, on the Sabbath before each new lunar month, blessings are recited welcoming the new month. But before Rosh Hashana (i.e. the new month of Tishrei) no such blessings are said. This, the Baal Shem Tov explains, is because it is the Almighty Himself who blesses the new month of Tishrei and provides the blessings for the entire incoming year.
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In the Torah portion of Vayelech, which we read last Shabbat, Moses is on the final day of his life. He gathers the entire nation together and has every man, woman, and child reaffirm their commitment to the covenant with God. It is in fact this covenant, not the one that was made at Mount Sinai and later broken with the Golden Calf, that forms the basis for the Jewish people's eternal bond with the Almighty.
But it is not with God alone, however, that the Jewish people enter into this covenant. They also enter into a covenant of responsibility for one another. It is only when all Jews are sincerely concerned about one another's welfare, that God's teachings can be properly fulfilled.
This idea is not one to be relegated to history; it remains as alive today as it was 3,000 years ago. In fact, the Baal Hatanya explains that this "gathering of all Israel together" also alludes to the Jewish people's gathering together every year on Rosh Hashana. Just as in Moses' time we affirmed our loyalty to the Almighty, so too in our day on Rosh Hashana we reaffirm the Almighty as our King. Just as then we took responsibility for one another, so too it is on the High Holidays today that we ask forgiveness from one another and heighten our concerns for one another's welfare.
On Rosh Hashana, every Jew stands equally before the Almighty, for we all have ultimately been given the same assignment: to fulfill His will.
by Rabbi Yehuda Appel |
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THE CUBS' ROAR! |
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| The Lower School Cubs' Roar publication is now part of the TVT Shabbat Shalom e-mail from Mr. Derek Gavshon, TVT's Acting Head of School!
Please look for the CUBS' ROAR link to keep you informed of all of the exciting events happening in the Lower School. Enjoy reading it every Friday!
The CUBS ROAR document is in Adobe Acrobat file format. If your computer does not currently have Adobe Acrobat Reader capability (Adobe Reader), you can download it for free at www.adobe.com.
You can click on thisCubs' Roar Cubs' Roar link or in this email's Quick Link Section above on the left. |
| WISHES FOR A SWEET NEW YEAR! |
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Our Lower School students have been very busy preparing gifts for a Sweet New Year: Kindergarten Apple Bowls and First Grade Honey Pots. Sixth grade students conducted a magnificent seder Rosh Hashanah in their classes. Middle and Upper school had a meaningful ceremony during today's Kabbalat Shabbat and will participate in special High Holiday Activities (Shofar Workshop, Tashlich Ceremony, etc) on Tuesday, September 22nd during Study Block.
Shabbat Shalom!
Shana Tovah Umetukah!, A good and Sweet Year! |
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CELEBRATING ORANGE COUNTY'S JEWISH HISTORY |
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| While most of us think Jews weren't a big part of Orange County until the 1970s or even later, that couldn't be further from the truth. In the photo below of Anaheim in the 1880s, the two stores on the left were owned by Jewish businessmen Hippolyte Cahen and Morris Goodman. Our early Jewish pioneers were accepted members of the community and their events were regularly noted in the local media.
When Yom Kippur fell on a weekday in the year 1880
(10 Tishrei 5641), the Jewish store owners all closed up shop in observance. This prompted the following commentary in the September 18, 1880 edition of the Anaheim Gazette:
"Owing to the closing of many of the stores on account of it being a Jewish holiday, the town was abnormally quiet and dull."
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UPPER SCHOOL REMEMBERS 9/11 |
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Eight years ago on September 11th, our world changed in unimaginable ways. This year our students remembered the heroes of 9/11.
A very solemn, moving and respectful assembly, coordinated by history teacher and ASB Advisor , Ms. Candy Peleaux, was presented to the Middle and Upper School students.
With the quiet piano of music teacher, Mr. Kevin Bachelder
playing in the background, a brief introduction was given by ASB President, Sabrina Gladstone (12), followed by Jessica Sukert's (12) poem about her youthful memory of the day. Shanni Suissa (11)spoke about heroes and Robben Levine (11) told us of the tragic loss of her young neighbor on that day. Students Nicole Babaknia (11), Adam Cohen (11), Megan Traub (12), Michael Franklin (12), Jessica Samson (12), Max Bidna (11), Ilan Penn (10) , Kevin Liberman (9 ), Alex Davis (9), and Jessica Agranovich (10) and faculty members Mr. Daniel Epstein and Ms. Susan Miller read eyewitness accounts of September 11th.
A Hebrew passage on loss was read by Yonatan Sevy (12)with Ryan Kasoff (11) reading the English translation and Ashlyn Katz (12) and Maya Or (12) read a poem and lit candles for a moment of silence.
Everyone stood for the Pledge of Allegiance before dismissal, leaving with a profound sense of the importance of September 11th. |
| PARENT PASSWORD CHANGE |
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Mark your calendars, the parent password for access to the school's internal website will reset on October 22, 2009. Keep an eye on your mailbox for updated login information, which will be distributed shortly. |
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TVT SWEEPS 2008 - 2009 AP AWARDS |
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Congratulations to the sixteen students who have earned AP (Advanced Placement) Scholar Awards in recognition of their exceptional achievement on AP Exams during the 2008 - 2009 school year.
The College Board's Advanced Placement Program provides students with the opportunity to take rigorous college-level courses while still in high school, and to earn college credit, advanced placement, or both for successful performance on the AP Exams. Over 90 percent of four-year colleges in the United States provide credit for qualifying exam grades. AP exam grades are based on a scale from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest. About 18 percent of the nearly 1.7 million students worldwide who took AP Exams at the end of last year performed at a sufficiently high level to also earn an AP Scholar Award.
The College Board recognizes several levels of achievement based on student's performance on AP Exams.
Ten students qualified for the AP Scholar Award by completing three or more AP Exams with grades of 3 or higher.
The AP Scholars are:
Joel Elster - Senior
Jared Ginsburg - Alumnus (USC)
Evan Goldblatt - Senior
Zachary Hart - Senior
Sam Kaplan - Senior
Danielle Lazerson - Alumna (Chapman)
Serah Lukoff - Senior
Britt Malatskey - Alumna (UCLA)
Elon Rov - Senior
Matthew Timsit - Alumnus (UCLA)
One student qualified for the AP Scholar with Honor Award by earning an average grade of at least 3.25 on all AP exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams.
Michael Gil - Senior
Five TVT students qualified for the AP Scholar with Distinction Award by earning an average grade of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams.
The AP Scholars with Distinction are:
Alexa Cohen - Alumna (UCLA)
Jonathan Elzur - Senior
Nathaniel Grouse - Alumnus (NYU)
Sivan Hecht - Alumnus (Gap Year/ MIT)
David Hirschberg - Alumnus (UCI)
Kol HaKavod!
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BATTLE OF THE BOOKS |
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Bring on the Battle of the Books! A team competition for 4th, 5th, and 6th grade bookworms. Students read from a list of books and then, in teams, compete against each other by answering questions about the books. The competitions are similar in style to the TV series Family Feud. This year's Book List and sign up sheet/contract will be sent home with students on Monday, September 21st.
Interested 4th, 5th, and 6th graders will be coached by 4th grade General Studies Teacher, Nicole Fierle. The teams will meet once a week on Wednesdays from 7:15-7:45 AM beginning October 7th. In March, we will have a school-wide competition in preparation for the competition between local private schools.
We are so excited about providing this wonderful reading incentive opportunity for our interested 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students.
Please complete and sign the B.O.B contract.
Return it to the Lower School TVT Receptionist by Friday, September 25th.
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TVT PARENT SPONSORS FLU SHOTS FOR FACULTY |
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Our sincere thanks to Dr. Jeffery Klein, parent of Dora (Grade 7) grade, Paytra (Grade 5) and Bram (Kindergarten), for sponsoring this year's faculty flu inoculations. Dr. Klein and his wife
Dr. Kathleen Hutton-Klein are both dermatologists have been avid supporters of TVT.
Todah Raba! |
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AN AUTHOR AMONG US |
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Educated at UCLA, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Hebrew Union College-Institute of Religion (where she earned a Master of Arts in Jewish Education), Ms. Jacobs got her start as a writer in 2001, when she joined the Jewish Family and Life! Media, a large multi-media publisher out of Massachusetts.
Aside from her obvious knowledge of Hebrew and Judaica, Ms. Jacobs also has an extensive background in education, having taught at the Cohen Hillel Academy (Marblehead, Massachuesetts), Morasha Jewish Day School, Leventhal-Sidman Jewish Community Center (Newton, Massachusetts), Peninsula Jewish Community Center (Foster City, California), the Merage Jewish Community Center, and - most recently - Sinai Akiba Academy in Los Angeles. She is very excited to be at TVT and looks forward to an exciting and dynamic year! |
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DID YOU KNOW. . . ?
NEWS FROM THE MS & US JEWISH STUDIES DEPARTMENT |
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*Upper School Minyan
Our students had the opportunity to hear compelling messages from two wonderful Rabbis of our community. Rabbi Miller of Temple Bath Yam shared the message that "the High Holy Days remind us that free will is God's choicest gift that we choose our destiny and mold our character moment by moment." Rabbi Spitz of Congregation B'nai Israel spoke about "the Shofar's call for all of us to l'shapir-improve ours and the importance of truly listening to each other."
This past week the Upper School Minyan was expertly led in songful prayer by our new faculty member Rabbi Leah Lewis. She enlisted the wonderful support of two students, Einav Silverstein and Sarah Lukoff. Additionally, Rabbi Lewis shared our new vision for this year's Minyanim, which was well received by the students.
*Middle School Retreat Rich in Jewish Values and
Spirituality
Over the course of the Middle School Retreat last week, the students enjoyed the rock climbing, hiking, zip lining and, of course, the dance. Additionally the students participated in wonderful programming that explored TVT's Core Jewish Values. In their Advisory groups, the students discussed the values and what the values meant to each of them personally. They created skits, raps, and posters that represented their understandings of the values and presented them to their entire
class.
 Faculty members Noah Hurwitz and Damian Zoppo led a beautiful T'Fillah in the outdoor amphitheater. In their Advisory, out amongst nature, the students explored different notions of God. There is nothing like being in nature to bring out our spirituality. Everyone, student and adult alike, experienced a sense of wonder.
Shana Tovah,
Dr. Joseph Hakimi Maghen,
Upper School Hebrew & Judaica Director |
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COMMUNITY UPDATE |
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OC Kosher is now under new ownership - TVT parents Clive and Judi Wolder family, parents of Gideon (10)and the triplets, Cara, Jessica and Liora (6). Aside from having some wonderful new products, the store is also sporting a new, updated look. |
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CORRECTION. . . |
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We reported last week that the PTSO was sponsoring a chaperone to the AIPAC conference. The chaperone is actually being sponsored by a generous TVT parent-member of the PTSO. |
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L'SHANA TOVAH! |
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The administration would like to wish you a joyous and meaningful New Year.
L'Shana Tovah, Derek Gavshon, Laura Roth, John Fowler, Jean Oleson, Joseph Hakimi-Maghen, Avi Chelouche & Wendy Leberman
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