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Hadashot
Vancouver Talmud Torah's Weekly E-Newsletter
Volume VIII, Issue 17
Jan 18, 2013 7 shevat, 5772
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GAMES NIGHT IS ON WEDNESDAY, JAN 23rd from 5:30 p.m.
FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY (ALL AGES)
 Friday, January 18th at 4 p.m. is the deadline to pre-order discounted game cards and food. Click this link to place your order. Otherwise, regular-priced game cards will be for sale at the door. Some snacks will be sold as well.
Thank you to e-Renter.com, the presenting sponsor of Games Night and Strathcona 2013.
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WEEKLY TORAH PORTION WITH RABBI BELLAS
Shabbat Parashat Bo
The New Year of the Trees Needs Our Commitment and Action!
This week's parasha contains the first official commandment given to the Israelite people in the Torah: to observe the first day of the "spring month" as the first of all months (i.e. a New Year). The children of Israel were freed from slavery, achieving their first taste of freedom in four hundred years. This new independence was accompanied by the responsibility of self governance. One aspect of this new independence was the creation of an official calendar, which was set to begin with this spring month, known to us now as "Nisan," during which we celebrate the festival of Pesah.
The Mishna, the first official Jewish law code edited by Rabbi Judah the Prince in approximately 220 CE, teaches that there are actually four official new year celebrations in one twelve month cycle: the first of Nisan, the first of the twelfth month, Elul, the first of Tishrei, on which we celebrate our Rosh Hashana to this very day, and the New Year which falls in the month of Sh'vat, over which there was a debate about whether it should fall on the first or fifteenth day of the month. Eventually, Hillel's opinion won out and the New Year of the Trees, named for its date on the Hebrew calendar - Tu Bish'vat - was established on the fifteenth of the month of Sh'vat ("Tu" stands for the letters tet and vav adding up to 15 when converted to numerical form based on their places in the Alef-Bet: 9 + 6).
Read more online...
Shabbat Shalom,
Vice-Principal, Judaic Studies
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VTT REMEMBERS DENNIS FRANKEBURG
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Click on the image to enlarge
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It is with great sadness that we mourn the passing of Dennis Frankenburg (z'l).
Dennis was a strong advocate for Jewish education and devoted more than 50 years of service to making VTT a successful community day school. He began volunteering in the 1960s and continued through the 1990s, keeping the books and making collections for the two previous building campaigns. He was a treasurer on the Vancouver Talmud Torah Foundation board for over 40 years and sat on the VTT Board as well.
The Frankenburgs continued to support VTT to the present, making one of the earliest gifts to the VTT Campus Campaign. With Dennis's passing, we have lost a true visionary and leader, and passionate advocate for Jewish education.
Our heartfelt condolences go out to his wife Naomi, their children Robert, Ruth (Becker), Frances, Judy (Cole) and Charles, their respective spouses and the entire family.
May his memory be for a blessing.
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SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Suzanne Ferera, annual chair of the event, requires people for set-up, sales and break down. This sale generates much needed revenue for our library. Your help is much appreciated! Click this link to help out on January 29th, 30th or 31st. Many time slots need to be filled!
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SCHOOL NEWS (photos from December)
VTT staff, with help from alum Ya'akov Bellas, strategize on their defensive play in the annual Staff vs. Student Hockey Game on the last day of school.  Despite their loss, the staff displayed true sportsmanship at the end of the game.
Round 2! Students from Grades 3-7 participated in the second round of skill testing questions in the Canada-wide Caribou math contest. The students who chose to sit for the test were: Asher Teperson, Emma Greensite, Jonah Ezekiel, Jack Tritt, Noam Guralnick, Max Laskin, Maya Bellas, Romy Ashkenazy, Hannah Lando, Lyrie Murad, Jordan Rosenfeld, Aaron Schaffer, Yuval Tanne, David Fishman, Megan Greenwald, Chloe Pulver, Ben Abro, Eric Zylchinski, Rachel Bugis, Josh Bergida, Aaron Casseres, Daniel Teperson, Milena Markovich, and Liron Gertsman 
In science this term, Grade 4 students are doing a unit on the weather. The teachers have set up a "weather station" in front of the school so students can measure the daily temperature and precipitation.
In addition to relying on the weather station, Grade 4 students will determine and chart the weather using their five senses.
Kindergarten students get their groove on in music class with Mrs. Jacobson.
VTT parent and Registered Holistic Nutritionist, Heidi Barnett, visited Grade 2 students to stressed the importance of eating from the "rainbow" and sourcing food locally for optimum health and nutrition.
Steve Karagianis, a VTT parent and music teacher, rocks out with K2 students.
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Dates to Remember
| Light candles at 4:28 p.m.
Shabbat ends at 5:40 p.m. | |
Deadline to pre-order cards and food for Games Night
Friday, Jan 18th, 4 p.m.
Click this link to access the form Beauty & The Beast RehearsalSunday, Jan 20th, 11-3
To view the complete rehearsal schedule, click hereFor the lunch time rehearsal schedule, click here
Vancouver Talmud Torah's 8th Annual GAMES NIGHT Wednesday, Jan 23rd, from 5:30 Pro-D/Collaborative Planning Day--No SessionsThursday, Jan 24th
Beauty & The Beast Rehearsal
Thursday, Jan 24th, 9:30-3:30
Tu Bish'vat Assembly (K-7)
Friday, Jan 25th, 12 noon
Tu Bish'vat
Saturday, Jan 26th
Scholastic Book Fair
Tuesday, Jan 29-Thurs, Jan 31
25th Annual Public Speaking Contest for students in Gr 4-7
Wednesday, Feb 27, 7 p.m.
Friday, Feb 15th is the last day to register
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 Thank you to Belinda Gutman and Naomi Evans for donating games to our weekly lunch time Games Room.
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Community Announcements
You can't beat this deal!
A JCC Teen Membership for students in Gr 8-12 for only $18/mo. (+ tax). No other fees!
Join the JCC between Jan 14 and Feb 1 and pay just $20.18!!! A savings of up to $480. Read about the special here.
JCC Maccabi Games 2013 in Orange County, California
For teens aged 13-16
Parent Info Night
Tuesday, Jan 22, 7 p.m., JCC
Beth Israel "Mac 'n Cheese Shabbat" for Young Families
Friday, Jan 24, 5:30 p.m.
$5 kids / $10 adults
Beth Israel Armchair Travel Club
"Around the World with Abba" Avishai Infeld talks about his recent travels with his father, Rabbi Infeld
Sunday, Jan 27, 7 p.m., JCC
Sunday, Jan 27, 10-11
Mt. Pleasant Community Centre
FREE story time and crafts
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SHONOT | ODDS 'N ENDZ
Mazal tov to Tal Bogdonov, VTT alum, on the occasion of his Bar Mitzvah in early January. Mazal tov as well to Jack Pekarsky who is celebrating his Bar Mitzvah this weekend.
As a child, do you remember planting trees in Israel for Tu Bish'vat? JNF forms will be sent home with the youngest child of every family. Please consider making a donation to plant a tree in Israel. Help continue a diaspora tradition!
Do you know Jewish/Israeli families living in Burnaby or the tri-cities area wishing to connect for Shabbat and other Jewish holidays and celebrations? Please share this Facebook group with them:
Video of the Week
 This profile is sure to inspire. Imagine living your life with no limbs? Watch the story here
Can You Check Your Labels?
Some parents are noticing that labelled items are not finding their way home nor are they ending up in the Lost and Found. Please check the labels inside your children's uniform items. If they don't belong to you, please return them to Jennifer in the communications office.
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GIVING TO VANCOUVER TALMUD TORAH
Did you know that giving to VTT is easier than ever?
Click this link to access our secure online giving page
or feel free to email Tirzah Abraham in our development office. Please consider a minimum donation of $18 for tribute cards so that more funds can go towards our students.
Your contribution can be allocated to the following funds:
Alumni Fund
VTT Campus Campaign Fund
General Fund
Gita Kron (z"l) Fund for Special Education
Library Fund
The Lorne (z"l) & Sylvia Cristall Tikkun Olam Chair
Mitzvah of Valuing Philanthropy Fund
Performing Arts and Band Fund
Strathcona Fund
VTT Family Fund
To read more details about these funds, download our "Generosity" flyer. Beautiful tribute cards, designed by Jasmine Sasky, are sent by the school development office to mark any number of occasions, milestones and/or life cycle events.
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GRANDPARENTS ARE VTT COMMUNITY MEMBERS TOO!
Bubbes & Zaydes, Sabas & Savtas, Grandmas & Grandpas are vital members of the VTT community. We'd like to include them in relevant school communications, including invitations to our annual Hanukkah concert and other events of interest. Kindly forward email address to Jennifer Shecter-Balin, our Director of Communications.
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Vancouver Talmud Torah is a traditional Jewish community day school dedicated to excellence in an engaging and respectful learning environment in which Jewish children can become proud, caring, responsible, and dedicated members of the Jewish people and Canadian society.
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We are a community of faculty, staff, students, parents, grandparents, alumni, family and friends! Feel free to join us.
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