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HEADMASTER'S MESSAGE |
 In this week's Torah portion of Vayera, we read about the famous story of the destruction of Sodom and the surrounding cities. The Torah relates how Avraham Avinu, the patriarch Abraham, tried to avert the impending catastrophe by asking G-d to save the cities on behalf of the righteous people who lived there. Avraham even negotiated with Hashem regarding the amount of righteous people that would be deemed sufficient to stave off destruction. In the end, Avraham's efforts appear to have been wasted, for Sodom and its environs were in fact obliterated. However, the truth is that Avraham's pleadings with G-d serve as a profound lesson for all generations. We see from his actions that we must always concern ourselves with the safety and well-being of other people, even strangers, and even those with an unsavory reputation. All human beings were created in Hashem's image and we are obligated to assist people in distress in all circumstances, and in whatever ways that we can. Shabbat Shalom! Rabbi Zvi Kahn |
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CTA'S ATHLETES: MOVING UP AND WINNING |
 Leading off the list of fall accomplishments is the great season put together by our girls' volleyball team. It really picked up steam at the end of the season, winning its last three of four matches. The team finished second in the conference. Tov m'od! Special congratulations to the great teamwork of seniors Griffin Schroeder and Shoshana Menaged. We will miss you when you graduate this year.
 Meanwhile, the middle school girls' volleyball team (left) gained much needed experience. Nine of the 12 team members are in sixth grade this year. But they are doing a great job. Look for them to move up from this year's eighth-place finish in the conference.
 The middle school soccer team (left) had their greatest season ever, with a record of 8-3-3! Fabulous job, team! They finished third in the conference and third in the tournament.
 The CTA varsity soccer team (left) finished third in their division with an overall 5-6 record. They will have to fill some holes next year with the departure of senior leades Jordan Grubb, Tal Benatar, Ilan Levine and Michael Osborne.
This has been a great year for all of CTA's fall athletes.
We want to especially congratulate senior Zach Ebner, who finished first  out of 205 other high school boys in a cross-country invitational at John Bryan State Park in Yellow Springs.
Zach finished the 3.2 mile race in 17 minutes and 29 seconds and almost a whole minute in front of the second-place finisher.
Zach has been running since he was about 10, inspired by his Aunt Patty Schiff. "I love it because it makes you feel good, plus it's a good way to be in shape. You put yourself out there and when you win, it feels great."
This is a first for CTA. We have never had a cross-country competitor before. Great race, Zach! |
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Monday, Oct. 25: Pizza Bagels-Volunteer: D. Meyer
Grandparents and Special Persons Day, Grades K-8, 11am
Choir Practice, 4-4:45pm
Tuesday, Oct. 26: Tacos-Volunteer: M. Napper
Wednesday, Oct. 27: Lasagna-Volunteer: H. Katz
Kindergarten Open House, 9:30am
Choir Practice, 4-4:45pm
Thursday, Oct. 28: Chicken Wraps-Volunteer: K. Binsky
Friday, Oct. 29: Fish Sticks |
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Friday, November 5: End of 1st Quarter
Sunday, November 7: Daylight Savings Time Ends-turn clocks back 1 hour
Friday, November 12: 2:00pm Friday Dismissal Schedule Begins
November 15-19: Scholastic Book Fair
Tuesday, December 7: Chanukah Hop, 4:30-7:30pm, JCC New Albany |
SCRIP UPDATE - PLACES TO PURCHASE SCRIP |
CTA Scrip Office - Monday-Friday - 8:00am-4:00pm
Giant Eagle Apples for the Students Program for 2010-2011: Beginning September 15, 2010 through March 14, 2011 your support can earn points by registering your Giant Eagle Advantage Card. This year, all supporters must register their Giant Eagle Advantage Card, even if they registered in the past. To register, go to www.gianteagle.com and follow the instructions. Our school ID is 4389.
Parent Volunteer, Aliza Finegold, is selling Scrip from her home and taking orders via phone (239-6356) or email ( scrip@torahacademy.org). She also delivers! Contact Aliza today! Please note that Aliza's home email address has changed to: ajfinegold@gmail.com |
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During evening activities at the school, we need a parent volunteer to sit at the front desk and let people in. All the dates are listed on the CTA calendar. If you are interested, please contact Parent Volunteer Coordinator, Robin Garvin at rgar234@yahooo.com. |
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DATE CHANGE: CTA'S ALUMNI TRIVIA NITE | |
Join us
Saturday, December 4
at 7:30 p.m.
RSVP to: rportnoy@torahacademy.org |
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PTO RAFFLE TICKETS AVAILABLE |
Raffle tickets are NOW AVAILABLE at the front desk and from Kim Binsky. Tickets cost $100 and are limited to 250 tickets. Fifty percent of the purchase price will go towards your Give & Get. A $10,000 prize winner will be announced at the Scholarship Dinner. Profits to be split between PTO and Athletic Dept. for baseball field. Student selling the most tickets wins a brand new iPod Touch + $25 iTunes gift card. |
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CHOIR NEWS | |
Have you heard the choir's wonderful CD? Put it in the car for a family sing-a-long/practice. Do you need a CTA polo shirt for the dinner? The deadline to order is November 1. |
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PLAY BALL | |
Choir members are looking for major league or university baseball caps to wear at the Annual Scholarship Dinner. If you have any to lend us (even the Clippers), please send them in with your name inside on masking tape. |
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PTO PARENT DIRECTORY | |
The CTA PTO Directory was sent home with the youngest child of ALL PAID PTO members this week. Don't miss out on this important booklet. Become a member of PTO for just $20! Please send your check, made out to CTA PTO, to the school office. We'll send the Directory right away! Please make the following correction to your copy:
NEW ADDRESS & PHONE: Danielle Goldfarb & Chris Hall, 1113 Tulsa Dr., Columbus, OH 43229, 396-6560 |
| 8TH GRADE CHINESE DINNER & AUCTION | |
On Wednesday evening, families and friends of our eigth-graders served and enjoyed a great homecooked Chinese meal and competed to win exciting items (including a custom-made Astor & Black suit and an iMac computer) to raise funds toward the class' fall trip to Washington, D.C.
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FIFTH-GRADERS LEARN THROUGH CREATIVE STORY INVENTION | |
 Every year, CTA's fifth-graders show off their creative abilities by composing and creating their own stories and assembling them into book form. This week, at the first showcase of their creative work, parents came to see what the students had written. Lower School Principal Patty Sapp stopped in to check out the stories, too. The writers' workshop is part of a curricular focus on the mechanics of English, including editing skills, correct punctuation and spelling, and the art of writing for many different purposes.
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ISRAEL'S IMAGE: SENIORS TALK ABOUT THE MYTHS AND MISPERCEPTIONS | |
Will your kids be ready to defend the State of Israel from misreprsentation?
 CTA's graduating class of 2011 definitely is. When asked why Israel is the subject of delegitimazation efforts, they responded that Jews have been scapegoats for the world's problems for centuries; Israel's enemies are trying to unite their allies around a common cause; and Israel is perceived among some to be an imperialist state.
"I am very impressed," said Ethan Felson, vice president of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. He visited CTA on Tuesday to speak to Headmaster Rabbi Zvi Kahn's Jewish Philosophy class, part of CTA's emphasis on Zionism.
JCPA is the coordinating body for 14 national Jewish agencies and 125 local Jewish Community Relations Commissions and federations. Felson focuses on interfaith relations and has played a leadership role responding to anti-Israel divestment and delegitimazation campaigns in American churches, including by the Presbyterian Church.
Felson was visiting the Columbus Jewish Federation and took some time to come here. He and the students discussed ways that they can help correct misperceptions, including talking to friends about Israel, including sharing experiences from their travels; and supporting pro-Israel Facebook sites and other virtual communities.
Felson told the students about polls that prove these simple strategies work. Recent proof: Members of the Presbyterian Church rejected divestment in Israel again this year despite a well-coordinated campaign.
"This is so very important," said Rabbi Kahn of the discussion. "Part of our charge at CTA is to prepare our students for life beyond these walls. Unfortunately, many of them will confront the ugly face of anti-Israel propaganda. We must prepare them to address challenges to their identity. The only way to do that is through education." |
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NEWS FROM THE LOWER SCHOOL JUDAICS DEPARTMENT
By Dror Karavani | |
 The month of Cheshvan is without holidays, but this did not prevent our school from being full with activities and learning experiences. We started off the month with a large, friendly greeting to welcome Cheshvan and remind all of us to pray for rain, especially in Israel. We also:
- Learned that Cheshvan is actually an Aramaic word and that the
 Hebrew word for this month is "bul" (from the word "mabul" - the great flood of Noah, which began this month). In modern Hebrew, the word "bul" means "stamp." The Judaic studies and Hebrew departments worked together on a project by creating an Israeli stamp. - Saw the inside of an etrog, smelled it and blessed it with a shehecheyanu, then ate from the new fruit.
- Learned about aravot, or willows. Dr.Tanenbaum brought some from his garden and helped us plant a bunch of them in the school garden. We hope to see them blooming this coming spring and use them next Sukkot.
- Held our own "Yom Ptirat Rachel Imeinu," a day that falls on the 11th of Chesvan. On this day, we discussed our Matriarch, Rachel, and were "visited" by her husband, Yaakov (recognize me in the beard?), who went from class to class to teach about Rachel, her attributes and how to learn from them.
 The Kindergarten was also honored with a Biblical guest: Avraham Avinu, whom they "visited" in his tent (again, costumed, bearded and all!), and together we told the stories about the parsha.
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STEAK NIGHT | |
Sunday, November 14, 2010
6:00-8:00 p.m.
Beth Jacob Congregation
Dinner Includes:
12 oz. Ribeye Steak or
Grilled Salmon (must be specified)
Baked Potato
Vegetable
Salad
Dessert Bar
For reservations, contact Eddie Karmia at 402-2793 or
Sara Beth Kahn at skahn@torahacademy.org or 235-2084
All proceeds go towards the 8th Grade Washington Trip
and the Girls' Basketball Trip |
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GRANDPARENTS' AND SPECIAL PERSONS' DAY |  |
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SAY IT IN HEBREW
By Galit Golan, Hebrew Language Coordinator | |
 Wednesday, 12 Cheshvan, was the 15th anniversary of the assassination of Israel's former Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, Yitzhak Rabin.
Rabin was born in Jerusalem, in March 1922. He volunteered for the Palmach, (early the commando unit of the Jewish community). He served for 27 years, culminating his military career as I.D.F. chief of staff.
Rabin served as Israeli Ambassador to the United States and was elected to the Knesset in 1973 after the Yom Kippur War. Prim Minister Golda Meir appointed him Minister of Labor in 1974, but shortly afterward, her government folded, and Rabin, through a vote of confidence, became head of the new government.
 As Prime Minister, Rabin placed a special emphasis on improving the economy, solving social problems, and strengthening the I.D.F. With American mediation, Rabin concluded the interim agreement with Egypt in 1975. As a result of this agreement, the first Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Government of Israel and the United States.
In June 1976, the Rabin government ordered the Entebbe Operation and rescued Air France passengers being held captive on a plane grounded in Uganda.
From March 15, 1990, to June 23, 1992, Rabin served again as a Member of Knesset and in June 1992, he was elected Prime Minister. In 1993, Rabin and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat signed the Declaration of Principles in Washington, D.C., outlining the proposed interim self-government arrangements. Rabin Following received the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize together with Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Arafat. On October 26, 1994, Rabin and King Hussein signed the Israel-Jordan peace treaty.
On November 4, 1995, Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by a Jewish gunman in central Tel Aviv after attending a rally. He was laid to rest on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem. On the Memorial Day for Yitzhak Rabin, CTA students learned about the man and his life achievements.
Students watched a PowerPoint presentation, Upper school students did research on the computers about Rabin, while the Lower School learned about tolerance as opposed to violence.
The students learned that, as Jewish People, the rules "ואהבת לרעך כמוך",יהה כבוד חברך חביב עליך כשלך" ("And you shall love yourself as yourself", "Respect your friend as you respect yourself are the building blocks of our identity, and therefore, we must keep these fundamental values at the forefront of our minds. |
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It has been a time-honored Jewish tradition to give tzedakah in recognition of important events. Todah Rabah to the following for their donation to the Scholarship Fund:
Gary Liebesman and Stacy Leeman in memory of Susan Wasserman's father Michael Saks Tod and Cheri Friedman in memory of Rebbe
Irene Wexler in memory of Thea Press
The Bloch Family in memory of Rebbe Lowy's father
Sheila Cutler in memory of Thea Press |
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1. Why did G-d appear to Avraham after the brit mila?
a. Avraham was sick, so G-d came to "visit" him.
2. Why was Avraham sitting at the entrance to his tent?
a. He was looking for guests.
3. What were the missions of the three angels?
a. To announce Yitzchak's birth, to heal Avraham and to destroy Sodom.
4. Why did Avraham ask specifically Yishmael, and not someone else, to prepare food for the guests?
a. To train him in the performance of mitzvot.
5. Why did the angels ask Avraham where Sarah was?
a. To call attention to Sarah's modesty, so as to endear her to her husband.
6. When G-d related Sarah's thoughts to Avraham, He did not relate them precisely. Why?
a. For the sake of peace.
7. What "cry" from Sodom came before G-d?
a. The cry of a girl who was executed for giving food to the poor.
8. How many angels went to Sodom?
a. Two; one to destroy the city and one to save Lot.
9. Why was Lot sitting at the gate of Sodom?
a. He was a judge.
10. Lot served the angels matza. Why?
a. It was Passover.
11. Why did Lot delay when he left Sodom?
a. He wanted to save his property.
(Parsha Vayera Quiz originally appeared on the Ohr Somayach website www.ohr.edu) |
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