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Hillel Academy
of Pittsburgh
5685 Beacon Street
Pittsburgh, PA
15217
P: (412) 521-8131
F: (412) 521-5150
www.hillelpgh.org
October 28, 2011
30 Tishrei 5771
Candle Lighting: 6:05 pm
Havdalah: 7:04 pm
Parshat Noach
Rosh Chodesh
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Through the Hillel Happenings, we try to provide our readers with a sense of the exciting, engaging, and meaningful work that happens at Hillel Academy. Chizuk, which is Hebrew for strength, is vital to Hillel Academy. This section, thanks to the weekly insights of Rabbi Brodie, is intended to give our readers a little extra strength. Click here to send us your feedback.
Hashem tells Noach that He is going to destroy the world because it is full of robbery and violence. Question - Why is the world "full" of violence, isn't it only the robbers who are guilty? There are various answers. The Medrash Rabbah Ch. 31 par. 4 explains that the victims violently overreacted and thereby wronged those who had robbed them. Everyone was guilty of harming others. A lesson for us is to be careful to react appropriately to any given situation. Inappropriate reaction makes one as guilty as the original perpetrator.
Have a good Shabbos.
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The Hillel Minute
You know that you want to see The Hillel Minute. Keep scrolling, it's all the way at the bottom (you might have to click one of those red boxes to open the whole email).
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Syntactical Superheroes
The great minds behind Hillel Academy's exemplary English Department would like you to know:
Farther vs. Further
Farther refers to a physical difference.
Example: Even though I ran a lot farther than I expected, I still didn't finish the marathon.
Further relates to metaphysical distance or depth. Example: I didn't understand my homework assignment. I hope we go over the concept further tomorrow. Tip: If you're covering how FAR you are travelling, use farther. If you are talking about UNDERSTANDING something, use further (further your point). We have nothing further to say about this lesson. ;-) To learn more about good grammar please contact sfinder@hillelpgh.org or eclay@hillelgph.org
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New Line of Hillel Gear Available
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More Reminders
U turns in front of the school building are a No No and potentially very dangerous.
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Help Hillel
Please donate new items to Hillel Academy's Silent Auction. It is never too early to donate, and now is a great time to get it out of your house. Please bring your tax deductible donations to Hillel Academy.
Don't have the time, or need an item picked up in the Pittsburgh area? Please contact Aviva Kelsey at 412-421-5589. Thank you in advance for your support!
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Mazel Tov
Dr. Elana and Mr. Adam Dolin on the birth of a daughter
Dr. Tova and Dr. Joel Weinberg on the birth of a granddaughter
Refuah Shleima
Ms. Fayth Aronson - Faygie Devorah bas Shulamit
Condolences
Mr. Danny Riemer on the loss of his wife Meira
Ms. Paula Riemer on the loss of her dauther-in-law Meira
Mr. Sandy Riemer on the loss of his daughter-in-law Meira
Mrs. Sharyn Rubin on the loss of her mother Edith Fireman
Would you like to share something with the Hillel Academy family?
If so, please email us at
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Around Town
Sr. NCSY going
paintball THIS
SATURDAY NIGHT. Leaving from PZ at 8:45pm
Cost is $25 with a
special promotional
price of $10 for
those people who
have
already registered
and paid for Fall Shabbaton.
Sr NCSY Fall
Shabbaton: Nov 4-6
here in Pittsburgh.
All high school
students are
encouraged to
register at
NCSYce.com
Jr NCSY goes to Fun Slides: All 5th-8th
graders are invited to
try out the carpeted terrain park at Fun
Slides THIS SUNDAY. Leaving from PZ at
12:45 and returning
at 4:15pm in time
for the Steelers game. Cost is $10
NCSY Yeshiva Fair:
All 11th and 12 graders are invited to attend NCSY Yeshiva Fair and
meet representatives
from more than 30 schools in Israel. Nov 11th-13th in Cleveland. For more information and to register please go to NCSYce.com
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Who Wants an Awesome Kippah?
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Mordy Brown Catering
Every Thursday night, Mordy Brown Catering will be selling pizza for $16.00 a pie. $1.00 of each sale will be donated to Hillel Academy. Help support our school! Click here for a menu and more details.
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Box Tops for Education
Our first collection period has ended. Although we did collect an impressive amount, we have fallen short of our goal. However, the school year is just starting and collections are gratefully accepted. Box Tops for Education™ has a 13-year history of helping our school earn cash we need - from books and computers, to playground equipment. Take advantage of the bonus opportunities each month in Giant Eagle to earn extra Bonus Box Tops. It is not too late to use October offer (Buy 4 General Mills cereals - get 15 Bonus Box Tops) or you can just clip and save and don't forget to send your collection to the office. Remember that our grand prize is Kennywood tickets, so although it is chilly outside, we can look forward to next summer.
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Hillel Academy
of Pittsburgh
Administration and Staff
Mr. Daniel J. Kraut
Chief Executive Officer
dkraut@hillelpgh.org
Rabbi Avrumi Sacks
Principal and Education Director
asacks@hillelpgh.org
Mrs. Elky Langer
Coordinator of Curriculum and Instruction, Grades K-12
elanger@hillelpgh.org
Rabbi Sam Weinberg
Assistant Principal
Grades 7-12 Boys and Girls
sweinberg@hillelpgh.org
Rabbi Dov Nimchinsky
Judaic Studies and Educational Program Coordinator
Grades 1-6
dnimchinsky@hillelpgh.org
Mrs. Yikara Levari
Mashgicha Ruchanit
Grades 7-12 Girls
ylevari@hillelpgh.org
Rabbi Yisroel Smith
Masgiach Ruchani
Boys High School
ysmith@hillelpgh.org
Mrs. Phyllis Harris
Director of Special Services
Grades K-12
pharris@hillelpgh.org
Mrs. Barbara Chotiner
Early Childhood Coordinator
bchotiner@hillelpgh.org
Reb Danny Shaw
Coordinator of Athletics and Student Life
dshaw@hillelpgh.org
Mrs. Selma Aronson
Executive Administrator
saronson@hillelpgh.org
Ms. Hadar Glazer
Administrative Assistant
hglazer@hillelpgh.org
Mrs. Adina Shayowitz
Administrative Assistant
ashayowitz@hillelpgh.org
Mrs. Chevi Rubin Administrative Assistant to the Principal crubin@hillelpgh.org Ms. Sarah Hartman
Finance Manager
finmgr@hillelpgh.org
Mr. Adam Reinherz
Director of Community Relations
areinherz@hillelpgh.org Additional contact info for faculty and staff available by clicking here |
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Dvar Torah
Moshe Wasserman - 6th Grade
The parsha of Noach is always read as we end the month of Tishrei and enter the month of Cheshvan. We call this new month Mar Cheshvan, which means bitter Cheshvan. The reason is that in Cheshvan there are no days of Yom Tov (holidays). We just left the month of Tishre with all of its days of Yom Tov and all of the opportunities to do so many special mitzvos, especially to do Chesed for each other. Now, we're going into a month that doesn't have as many opportunities to do as many special mitzvos and chasadim (acts of kindness). That's a little sad, so we call the month Mar Cheshvan, bitter Cheshvan (and because there is a whole month without vacation). Hillel Academy teaches us about the importance of doing all the mitzvos and acts of chesed (kindness) for one another. So, we look forward to every opportunity to do so. I hope that you have a great Shabbos!
If you're interested in writing a Dvar Torah for the Hillel
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School pictures are scheduled for
Tuesday, November 1st and
Wednesday, November 2nd
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Watch The Hillel Minute.
You'll Love It!
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Message From the Chief
Dear Hillel Academy Parents and Friends,
I'd like to thank you for your generous support during the Day of Giving. Thanks to your efforts, we successfully raised over $56,000. Your generosity and incredible desire to support our school is truly inspiring. On behalf of everyone at Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh, I thank you and wish you only the best for this upcoming year.
Respectfully,
Dan Kraut
CEO
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Little Students Learn A Lot
Morah Devorah and Morah Leah
What a wonderful first week back for the Nursery students. Rabbi Nimchinsky opened up the Aron Kodesh (ark) and showed the children a Sefer Torah. They got to take a real close look at it and saw that the first letter in the Torah is a Beis. The students learned that all of the letters of the aleph beis wanted to be first, but Hashem chose the Beis. Additionally, this week, we learned the letter D. As we start to learn Parshas Berashis the children made a Display of the Days of creation. We will learn the Parsha at a Nursery pace and therefore we will not be on the exact parsha of the week. As we learned the letter, we Danced on Dots, Dug for D's in "Dirt" and played Drums when we heard the letter D. We also Dipped Different foods in Different Dips, and on Friday we made a Delicious Dipity Dip for a Shabbos treat....What a Delightful week we had!
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"I'm not doing hagbah, are you?"
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Parents, please notify the office and teachers of any early dismissals as far in advance as possible. Thanks.
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Intramural Hockey Update
Boaz Bachrach - 6th Grade
This past Tuesday was opening day for the HIHL (Hillel Intramural Hockey League). The match-up was between the Flower Girls, captained by veteran Ezra Kraut, versus the Venomous Vixens, captained by Jacob Wiesenfield, last year's league MVP. The game was exciting from the opening face-off, as each captain had a different strategy. While Jacob subbed rapidly to keep his players fresh, Ezra subbed only when someone was tired. The Flower Girls drew first blood, but the Vixens were undeterred. Jacob and Akiva raided The Flower Girl's net, scoring four goals. Ben Ungar and Zelig Langer put in a last minute surge, but was too little too late. The final score was 4-2 Venomous Vixens. The three stars of the game were Jacob Wiesenfield, Akiva Skaist, and Ben Ungar.
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Within this section of the Hillel Happenings, you'll find brief updates regarding Hillel Academy. These updates all have GRAVITAS. Apples for the Students
$1.1 million dollars in educational awards are available from Giant Eagle. From October 1, 2011 through March 17, 2012, you can earn points for Hillel Academy by registering your Giant Eagle Advantage Card and shopping at Giant Eagle, Giant Eagle Market District, Giant Eagle Express, and GetGo. If you have any questions, please call 1-800-474-4777. Now is the Time The time is now to support the Hillel Academy Athletics Department. We are putting a wind-up clock in a locked box. At some point, the clock will stop. If you pick the time that the clock stops, you will win your choice of either a complete set of the Schottenstein Daf Yomi Edition of Talmud Bavli or $720 cash. Contact the office at 412-521-8131 or dkraut@hillelpgh.org to learn more. |
Parents, please return your outstanding paperwork/forms to the office. Thanks.
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Interview with Ms. Clay
After months of dialogue, and a series of negotiations that made the NBA labor dispute seem like a joyous hug-a-thon, the staff of the Hillel Happenings has finally agreed to resume its interview feature. With all parties psyched for what is truly the Hillel Happenings most introspective section, we proudly present a series of interviews that will capture your minds and hearts, while always reminding you that Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh is the greatest school ever. Honored with this year's inaugural interview is Ms. Elizabeth Clay. She is a talented English teacher who can vouch for the merits of both iambic and trochaic pentameters while speaking in haiku. With a group of dedicated students, Ms. Clay is creating a utopian educational environment that even Sir Thomas More would relish. While the Hillel Happenings staff discussed various topics with Ms. Clay, including book lists, shopping lists, and listservs, we have chosen to select only the most pertinent details. For the benefit of our readers, excerpts of this conversation have been included below.
HH: Ms. Clay, thank you so much for sitting down with us today. How excited are you that Interviews are back in the Hillel Happenings?
Ms. Clay: Words can't describe how thrilled I am. I absolutely love celebrity interviews.
HH: Exactly. Who is your hero?
Ms. Clay: I think I have to choose more than one. Definitely my mom and brother. But there are so many people in the world that I admire. I like to think that I can see traits in everyone that would make me a better person.
HH: What made you become a teacher?
Ms. Clay: I actually went to school to become a journalist. I wanted to report on news stories around the world. But, shortly after college, one of my friends was teaching in Colorado, and I was so jealous of her-it was then that I realized how much I wanted to be a teacher. So I guess my decision was based solely on jealousy.
HH: What would you advise a struggling writer?
Ms. Clay: Find something you love about the topic. If your teacher assigns an essay prompt that you really don't care about, then figure out some slant that applies to your life. The more you write about what you know, the easier it is to write. Also, the first draft is not the final draft. And, the second shouldn't be either. Oh, and don't try to use big words to impress the teacher. I could go on and on...
HH: Is it safe to say that Monday lunch duty is the highlight of your week?
Ms. Clay: Absolutely! I am constantly learning new ways to mix food. Just this past Monday, I observed one student enjoying a mixture of applesauce, blue sprinkles, and yogurt. I thought that was sheer genius. And when he added tuna to the mix-well, let's just say I knew what I was making for dinner that night.
HH: Speaking of Mondays, if the Monday Memo is sent on Tuesday, what's it called?
Ms. Clay: Hmmmm. Probably the Tuesday Ticket, as that will be what's waiting for me on my car after parking on the wrong side of the street.
HH: Speaking of vehicular transportation, would you rather travel to the Vostok Station in Russia to build a wind turbine or El Azizia in Libya to install a solar panel?
Ms. Clay: Russia. Without a doubt.
HH: Squirrel Hill Trivia (because our readers love this stuff): True or False - While filming in Pittsburgh, the Batmobile was parked outside of Sweet Tammy's new location.
Ms. Clay: I'm gonna go with a true on this one. Yesterday, I was at Giant Eagle and someone made an announcement on the loud speaker that Christian Bale enjoyed subs from Giant Eagle at least twice while he was filming. Twice! And I'm sure Batman would want dessert after his sandwich.
HH: 100-year-old Fauja Singh recently completed the Toronto Marathon. When you become a centenerian, what are you going to do to top this?
Ms. Clay: I've actually always wanted to complete the Ironman Triathlon. But I've been struggling because I don't know how to swim, nor do I find running enjoyable. So, if that doesn't pan out at 100... I'd like to be a rappin' granny.
HH: Ok, but now about the present, why is Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh America's greatest Jewish Day School?
Ms. Clay: The small class sizes. The administrative support. The willingness of my students to try new activities. Oh and don't forget the Hillel Gear. Seriously-about the Hillel Gear-when will I get my sweatshirt?
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Ms. Clay (left) is seen here with fellow English teacher Mrs. Finder (right). At Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh, colleagues are friends - just another reason why we're America's greatest Jewish Day School.
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Do you want to see someone featured in an upcoming interview. If so, please email hillelhappenings@hillelpgh.org
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The Hillel Grid
Hillel Happenings readers, you wanted it and now it's back. Enjoy "The Hillel Grid," a regular window into the minds of America's greatest students (obviously we're talking about Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh students).
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Students in the Mix: Meet the GHS
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What unique decoration would I have found hanging in your Sukka?
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Should there be any rule changes in the NFL this season?
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This Year's GHS is great b/c...
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Tamar Wasserman
12th
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An air conditoner
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They should be more on top of the holding of good players
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It has new good teachers
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Maia Wiesenfeld
11th
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Family pictures
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I really don't care
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We have really awesome new curtains!
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Sara Nimchinsky
11th
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A Texas boot
| Whatever Reb Shaw says |
I go here
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Ilana Kisilinsky
10th
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Birds
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What?
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We all rock!
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Chaya Sarah Marizan
10th
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My little brother
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I am sure Amitai can think of one.
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We are so close
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Sari Joshowitz
12th
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Well, I would like to say chicken bait
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I have not really read up on football law
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We are the high school in the preschool
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Do you want to be featured in an upcoming Hillel Grid? If so, please email dshaw@hillelpgh.org
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The Hillel Minute
With each section of the Hillel Happenings, we try to convey the excitement and energy that fills the classrooms and hallways of Hillel Academy. While we all know that Hillel Academy is the greatest school in the world, there are certain aspects of Hillel Academy that are largely unknown. In this section, titled "The Hillel Minute," we present a minute long video dedicated to a particular aspect of Hillel Academy. The objective of "The Hillel Minute" is to provide our readers/viewers an opportunity to enjoyably learn more about one component of Hillel Academy. If you would like to see something featured in an upcoming "Hillel Minute," please email hillelhappenings@hillelpgh.org
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Click above to learn more about Art
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Missing: A zippered hooded sweatshirt with the Hillel logo on front and Hillel written on the back in pictures (a Torah, beaker, ruler, siddur, and pencil writing), probably a size children's large. Please email lifedesignis@verizon.net if you find it.
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Hillel Academy Library is now accepting volunteers for the 2011-2012 school year.
No previous experience necessary.
Please respond to the school office for more details - (412) 521-8131.
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Following a recent trip to the hospital, Hillel Academy parents Rebecca and David Knoll returned with a new addition to their family. Their super cute daughter, Ayelet (who is a third generation Hillel Academy student), is seen below sporting a cozy Hillel Academy onesie. Way to go Knolls!
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Hillel Gear and Cute Babies are like ice cream & sprinkles/cookies & milk/something really good & something really good. You get the point.
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Hey, Hillel Happenings readers, we all know that Hillel nation extends well beyond Squirrel Hill. So here's our chance to prove it. Send a picture of yourself in Hillel gear (uniform, t-shirt, etc.) to hillelhappenings@hillelpgh.org, and each week we'll select the best picture for inclusion in the Hillel Happenings.
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Reminder
Please remember that if your normal dismissal arrangements change, please notify the office by noon of that day, by phone or email.
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Hillel Academy Dinner Video 2011
Originally airing at the 64th Annual Hillel Academy Dinner, which honored Dr. Robert and Mrs. Lillian Brent for ensuring the future of the Boys High School, this video demonstrates how Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh, an Orthodox Jewish Day School, is at the forefront of the battle against intermarriage, instills its students with a love of Torah, and ensures a future for the Jewish people. Watch the video that captivated a dinner by reminding people that Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh, with its Jewish Day School education, is the guarantor of a successful Jewish future.
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Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh:
A Blueprint for a Jewish Life
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Email 