D'var Torah

זכור את יום השבת לקדשו                         

CANDLE LIGHTING - 7:45 PM

HAVDALAH - 8:48 PM

SHABBAT PARSHAT BEHAR/BECHUKOTAI (Vayikra - (25:1 - 27:34)

הסכום - Summary

• The Israelites were a farming nation. In order to keep the land from falling into the hands of a few people, making slaves of many, Moses ordained two basic laws.

1. The law of Shemitah, or the Sabbatical Year, a year of rest for the land to prevent it from being worn out.
2. The law of Yovel or the Jubilee year, which came each fiftieth year. In that year, every Israelite slave was set free, and all the land which had been sold was to be restored to the hands of the original owner.

• Parshat Bechukotai brings to a close the third of the Five Books of Moses -the Book of Vayikra.  In it, the Israelites are told that if they obey G-d's laws they will prosper and be well. On the other hand, should they stray from the path of righteousness, disorder and unhappiness would follow.
• We now have finished the Book of Vayikra. -

HAZAK, HAZAK VE NETHAZAK!!

SHABBAT SHALOM  שבת שלום -

Nachum Chasan

Head of School 

Inside the Classroom- 1st Grade

In learning the Hebrew letters Pay, Fay and Fay sofit with Ariot, Kitah Alef enjoyed reading the story of the mishPacha (family) of Peelim (elephants) and the story of the Peelone (little elephant) who used the clever argument that being a Peelone, he was not going to eat the "salat shel peelim"(elephant's salad), m'la'f'fonim (cucumbers) and peel'paylim (peppers)! His Imma Peelah countered that he has a pa'nim (face) like a peel, an Aff (nose) like a peel, etc. and since you are like us, and if you eat all the "salat" you may also eat Pooding (pudding)! They also learned a story "Aifo Ha'Afifone?" ("Where is the Kite") and learned Af (flies), Saf'Sal (bench) and telefone (telephone).

This week we are learning Tzadie and Tzadie Sofit, singing "Shalom Tzadie , Tzadie Tzofit". With the beautiful Spring weather, we are enjoying reading the story "Anachnu Lomdim Ba'Chutz" ("We Learn Outside). Our Hebrew vocabulary draws our attention to things that many of the students love to do: "M'tzayarim (draw, pl), Tzo'vim (color, pl), M'tzalmet (take a photo, fem.), Matz'layma (camera). We also are learning Tzvi (deer) Tzav (turtle) tzipore (bird). Students are looking forward to M'tzayarim (draw) and Tzo'vim (color) Ba'chutz (outside)!

Kitah Alef has been enjoying our shir (song), "Ani Rochetz Ya'diyim" (I wash hands) which makes washing hands all the more fun while singing! When I translated the song for one of the parents, they said it is so much better sounding in Hebrew. Kitah Alef enjoys the story of "Boker Tov Bina v Dove" (Good morning Bina and Dove) and commented that the story is "Kall" (easy!). They are becoming such excellent Hebrew readers!

We are looking forward to Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day) next week and have enjoyed our unit on M'deenat Yisrael (the State of Israel). As the week is drawing to a close, we are looking forward to our own Kabbalat Shabbat in our classroom. Shabbat Shalom from Kitah Alef and Morah Aviva !!!

 Inside the Classroom- 7th Grade

  

Alumni Spotlight

Each week, The Silver Summary will feature one alumnus from our rich alumni network. 

Martin Raffel

East Brunswick, NJ

What years did you attend The Silver Academy?

September 1957-June 1962. We moved to Harrisburg from Pikesville, Maryland where I had attended public school through the third grade. I started fourth-grade in English studies and second grade in Jewish/Hebrew studies. Already tall  -- even though I was only eight years old -- I recall sitting in the front of the second grade room feeling very out of place. But I made it to the fourth grade Jewish/Hebrew class toward the middle of the school year. 

Where did you grow up in Harrisburg?

We started out briefly in the 2700 block of the Green Street apartments and then moved to 4020 Green Street where my parents lived until 1994. A great location to be a Jewish kid in the 50's and 60's I might add. 

Where did you go to school after The Silver Academy?

Susquehanna Township public schools; Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster Pennsylvania; American University Law School for one year; Hebrew University School of Law in Jerusalem where I received my degree. 

Bruce Dorbian, Irving Levin, Martin Raffel

Where do you live now? 

East Brunswick, New Jersey.

What do you do?

I am senior VP of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, which is the Jewish community's umbrella/coordinating organization with 15 national and 125 local member agencies (JCRCs). My particular area of responsibility is Israel, world Jewry and international human rights.

What was your favorite class at The Silver Academy?

mmmmm. That's a tough one. It's been so long. Probably Jewish and general history, subjects I enjoy learning about to this day.

Who was your best friend at The Silver Academy?

I hung out with Bruce Dorbian a lot (even though he was a Yankees fan and my team was the rival Baltimore Orioles.) We would play wiffle ball home run derby in his back yard for hours on end.

What was your favorite school lunch?

Salmon croquettes. 

How many times were you sent to the principal's office?

Surprisingly, more than people probably think. I was there at least two or three times, and I once was sent home from school. If anyone is interested in knowing the circumstances, please contact me :). 

What was your favorite memory and/or do you have any funny stories about The Silver Academy?

I have many great memories, including seeing my dear aunt every day in school-Eleanor (Elkie) Koplovitz, z"l (although I was the only one of her nephews and niece not to be in her classroom). And I did my best to remember to call her Ms. Koplovitz, not Elkie. My brother was less successful, at least one time. I also recall fondly a debate Marion Frankston and I participated in as eighth graders against two seventh graders on the issue of nuclear testing in the atmosphere. Arthur Goldberg, z"l, came up to my parents afterwards and said that I would make a great lawyer someday, which, as you can imagine, gave them considerable nachas. In fact, I did go to law school-- in Israel -- and worked briefly as a lawyer, but shifted gears early on into the Jewish community relations/public affairs field.

What was your favorite thing to do at the JCC? 

Basketball, hands down. 

Who was your role model in Harrisburg?

In Harrisburg, and everywhere, my father Maurice (Maish) Raffel, z"l.