31 Nadolny Sachs Pr.
613-722-0020
www.hillelacademy.ca
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March 26, 2010
Volume 2, Issue 55
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In this issue ...
- Important notes.
- Brighton Beach Memoirs.
- Walkathon Information.
- Many Model Seders.
- Hillel Goes Green.
- Teacher Profile.
- D'var Torah.
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Coming Up ...
- Have a great Pesach! School starts again on Wednesday, April 7th.
- Re-registration and $300 deposit are due.
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From the Administration
We end the month on a high note, with the smashing success of the play, Brighton Beach Memoirs. While the production primarily involved YRHS, all the cast and crew are former - and in two cases current - Hillel students. We were delighted to see so many parents and community members come out to support them and have a great time as well. The play was a joy to watch. Who knew there was so much talent in our little school!
There's hardly been a time in the last few days when we couldn't hear the sounds of a model seder as we walked the halls of Hillel. The students have done a great deal of learning and preparation and we know they are looking forward to the real thing next week. See you in April!
Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach,
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Some Important Notes
Please take note of the following:-
Please take note that there are no hot lunches the week we return.
The lunches resume the first full week, the week of April 12.
- We have been alerted that there is an error in one of the Passover recipes in the Hillel Cookbook, just in time for Passover. Liz Sorok's Gefilte
Fish Mold on page 8 has a missing ingredient - 4 eggs. We hope this saves some possible frustration.
- The 6th grade students are gearing up the
fundraising in April and May for their Tikkun Olam project, Guide
Dogs for the blind - both in Israel and and Canada. They will be baking
kosher cupcakes and creating crafts to sell. Keep tuned after the
Passover holiday for more details.
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Students from ADK to 8 held model seders this week,
practicing the order, songs and brachot.
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Brighton Beach Memoirs 
This week, Hillel's gym was transformed into an auditorium
and the stage into a 2-storey house in 1930s Brighton Beach, New York. The play
ran for 4 evenings (as well as a dress rehearsal in front of the grade 7s and
8s, and fellow YRHS students).
Right, YRHS student Itzy Kamil as Eugene Jerome, the
narrator of Brighton Beach Memoirs. Below, the cast, minus Eugene - Michaela
Sadinsky as the mother, Kate, Raphael Sandler as brother Stanley, Zachary
Kershman as father Jack, Stephanie Hagerman (blocked) as Aunt Blanche, and
Hillel 8th grade students Mirren Lithwick and Cassandra Starosta as
cousins Nora and Laurie. (photos by Howard Sandler)
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Walkathon Information
Hello Hillel parents - for those of you who don't
know us, we are parents of Rachel and Zev (in Grade 1 and ADK). We are the new Chairs
this year of the annual Walkathon event that takes place June 6, 2010. By now,
you have received your packages in your kids' backpacks and so before you throw
them away, we wanted to tell you a bit more about what is new this year at the
event!
For those with young
families, we have included a special 2km walk route so that the entire family
can participate. In addition, for those who like a bit more of a physical
challenge, we have added a timed run component of the route, which is
approximately 9km. We are looking forward to crowning the male and female Walkathon winner!
This year your child will
be participating in gym class to complete approximately 8km of the 9km route so
that on race day they will finish their race and receive a special
certificate. So as a family be sure to come and cheer them on!
And don't forget to
collect your pledges!! You can now do it online.
- Jackie Luffman and David Lyman
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Hillel is Going Green!
April 22 is Earth Day, and to celebrate, Hillel is going green all month. We will have lots of special activities, crafts, guest speakers and contests.
Weekly Activities - Every
Thursday there will be a different environmental activity, including crafts and movies aimed at all grades. Location is
TBA. Listen to announcements for details!
April 22nd - Students are asked to
wear green or blue to school for Earth Day! Bring in a loonie or toonie and all money raised will be going to an environmental cause.
Cleaning
up our school yard - Each grade will be assigned a day in April where they
are responsible for cleaning up the Hillel yard. Help keep Hillel green
and clean!
Litterless Lunches - Throughout
the month, we are asking students to bring a litter-free lunch.
This will help reduce our waste at Hillel and is an easy way to help the
environment. The class with the greatest number of students that bring a
litterless lunch throughout the month will win a pizza party! And to help you out, the PTA has a great fundraiser right below.
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 Do you know that buying disposable lunches creates 30 kg of waste per student every year? Even better than recycling is reducing the waste we produce and the PTA wants to help. In April, they will be selling reusable lunch containers, bottles and cutlery. Not only does it save you money in the long run, but they are stylish and fun to use!
Watch for more ads like the one on the left for more information about what is available and how to order.
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Teacher Profile Eliana Mandel-Carsen is new to Hillel this year. She teaches
General Studies to grade 6 and Study Skills and Social Studies to grades 6, 7 and 8.
Ms. M-C, as the students call her, is another import from Montreal and has taught in both
Montreal and Ottawa. And, as well as being a teacher, she is still a student
herself, as she is working on her Phd. in Education. She admits that it is a fair amount of work, both teaching and working on her own degree, but is just delighted to be teaching - and teaching in a Jewish school is a great bonus. She says she loves teaching the older students and seeing them grow and gain a greater understanding of the world.
One might expect, as an import from Montreal, that Ms. M-C might
miss being in a more cosmopolitan city with its much larger Jewish community,
but that isn't the case. Ms. M-C says she loves it here in Ottawa. Avid joggers
and bikers with an energetic chocolate lab, Ruby, Ms. M-C and her husband have
a great appreciation for Ottawa's many parks and bike paths, as well as easy
access to Gatineau Park.
Ms. M-C has also developed an equal appreciation for Hillel
Academy itself. She says she loves the sense of community here and finds Hillel
has a warm family feel.
Above, Ms. M-C poses with the Canadian flag, wearing the gear she wore as a volunteer at the Vancouver Olympics during February break.
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Alex, David, Eitan, Shira and Alex all finished reading 100 books this week.
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D'var Torah
The opening command of Tzav to proceed with the proper protocol for
sacrifices is defined by the rabbis of the Talmud, as a call to all Jews to
diligently observe the mitzvot, especially those that may involve financial
loss. Apparently, the rabbis are acutely aware of the tendency of individuals
to observe Judaism selectively and cautiously, especially when it comes to
spending money to fulfill a particular mitzvah.
One could speak about the unnecessarily high cost of Passover food
staples as an indication of the necessity to couple financial expense with the
fulfillment of the halachot. However, more seriously, one could cite the
rabbinic statement that one should beautify one's observance of the halacha through
proper embellishment, such as to the purchase of a lulav and etrog, tefillin,
talit, etc. One does not buy the cheapest pair of tefillin, for example, or the
least expensive etrog. We are reminded of the Talmudic statement that
technically one may observe the law of Terumah (priestly contribution) by
simply donating one grain, or fulfill the mitzvah of tzedakah, by contributing
a penny to the poverty-stricken individual. However, in truth, our trademark
has not been one of minimal mitzvah fulfillment, but one of generosity and
magnanimity in terms of what we do as Jews.
In the same vein, the Talmudic sages urge us to use our best vessels in
celebrating the Seder to demonstrate we do not simply go through the motions
when we observe our holidays and other practices. We are diligent in our
performances of these mitzvot.
- Rabbi Howard Finkelstein
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The 3rd grade students made a giant cheque to represent Hillel's donation to the Kosher Food Bank and presented it to Food Bank representative Karen Finestein.
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