by Miriam Schiller

Principal

It is easy to understand why we celebrate holidays like Chanukah, Purim and Pesach. Each represents an attempt to destroy the Jewish people and, ultimately, our victory over these forces. These are joyful holidays, celebrated with excitement and fanfare. Yom HaShoah, which we commemorated this past week at Akiba, is a different story. This holiday does not mark a Jewish victory, per se, because we cannot accept the death of 6 million as anything but a tragedy. So why do we spend so much time learning about the Holocaust? It was such a tragic time for our people, and indeed, for all of mankind. Two out of every three Jews in Europe was killed, a third of all Jews on the globe. Shouldn't we shelter our children from knowing that such evil could exist?

No.

To understand why, I turn to our school mission, especially one key line: "By focusing on the individual gifts and needs of each student, our teachers create a caring family of learners who are committed to responsible citizenship and the performance of Mitzvot."

When a well-known psychologist of the '60s, Chaim Ginott, was addressing a group of parents, he asked them, "What is your goal for your children as parents?" He received responses like, "Help him get a good education; make sure she can get a good job; insure their happiness." His response was that none of those were parents' jobs. The real job of parenting is to turn children into Menschen. Literally, "Mensch" means "person" in German or Yiddish, but what it really means is a caring person in thought and action.

In order for children to gain depth of character, they need to experience sadness along with happiness.  If we shelter our children too much, they can't empathize with individuals who have experienced real tragedy. As a child of survivors, I had great respect for my parents who were able to come out of the Shoah and move on to become active members of the community. What pride I took knowing that in spite of the attempt to destroy all Jews, Judaism survived!

Akiba students sing "I Still Believe" at Yom HaShoah Commemoration

I take great pride in the fact that our graduates get into top selective enrollment CPS schools, prestigious private schools like the Lab School or ICJA, and move on to world-class universities like Stanford, Princeton, or Oxford. But that is not enough. On Monday night I witnessed our students participate in the Hyde Park Community Yom HaShoah Commemoration, which included people into their 90s.  I did not need to talk to my students about how to act, how to be respectful, how to represent themselves. They have already inculcated those values. I was so proud of them. It is easy to see that they are well on the way to being the young adults who will be leaders of the Jewish community in the future.

Shabbat Shalom!

The Green Kindergarten was so excited to get back into school this week. On Monday the class boarded an airplane and arrived at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. They went straight to Jerusalem where they learned all about the Old City and made their own Kotel filled with their hopes and wishes. On Tuesday they hung out in Tel Aviv and compared it to Chicago. They also learned about David Ben Gurion and watched as he declared Israel to be a free and independent country. On Wednesday they traveled down south to the Negev and also visited some famous sites like Masada and the Dead Sea. The children also learned about the chalutzim (pioneers) and what it's like to build a city from scratch in the desert. They finished up with visits to Eilat and the Galilee. With all that preparation, they can't wait to celebrate Yom Ha'Atzmaut next week!  

The Blue Room kids embarked on their first swimming lesson this week.

Swimming, swimming, in the swimming pool! The Blue Room children had their first swim lesson this week. What a great way to welcome spring, even though the weather is not cooperating. The children had a great time in the water learning a life skill that is so important that the Rabbis in the Mishna stress it as the responsibility of parents to make sure their children know how to swim. Since it's almost the end of the year, the children are also reflecting on the time that has passed. They talked about how they have grown over the time and what they have learned. After this discussion, each child drew a beautiful picture expressing his or her thoughts and feelings and added words into it. 

The Purple Room has an exhibit on outer space. There is a hot, hot sun and eight planets (Sorry, Pluto!). The children have learned a bit about each planet and about what astronauts do when they are in space. Next week, the Purple Room will be celebrating Yom Ha'Atzmaut and will turn their classroom into a small Kibbutz with animals and one big fruit tree, filled with orange candies. A birthday cake will be enjoyed by all as well - Happy 66th Birthday, Israel!

Earlier this year, the Middle Schoolers learned about Theodor Herzl and attended a Zionist Congress. On Tu B'Shvat they did activities simulating Rothschild's first agricultural communities in Palestine. This week, they drew closer to the social, political and public health issues involved during the prestate era of Israel. On Wednesday they played a game of three-way capture the flag between the British, Hagana and Arabs, simulating the struggle at that time. A discussion led to an understanding of the inequities and difficulties perceived by each side. 

Bartering in Mrs. Esse's class

The 3rd and 4th graders in Mrs. Esse's class are experiencing the harsh realities of economics. In the above picture they are choosing what item they wish to use for bartering, and then trying to convince others that what they have to "sell" is just what the "buyer" needs. Students discussed why the sweets went first (the demand is high), and the fruits and veggies were the last to be chosen ("We can always get these from home," so the supply is high). They also discussed some of the weaknesses of bartering and will compare it to using currency. They are earning "Esse Bucks" for their work, which they will learn is Capitalism, and compare this with Communism and Socialism.  

Mrs. Rapp's 1st and 2nd graders are studying honey bees. Here Ayalah is the scout who flew out to locate nectar and performs a "bee dance" to tell her teammate Meira where to find the nectar (in the form of M&Ms).

In Mrs. Willner-Schreiber's 5th/6th grade Language Arts class, students have begun their journey through two of Mark Twain's most famous novels, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Tom Sawyer is a rambunctious and creative young boy who gets into all sorts of trouble, but always seems to have a good time! At the same time, students would be remiss to read Mark Twain and not pay attention to his social commentary. Huckleberry Finn, on the other hand, is one of Mark Twain's most contentious novels, as he uses Huckleberry Finn's interest in making sense of what he has been taught to show the pitfalls and hypocrisy of some of the most valued and unquestioned pillars of society. Over the course of his trip down the Mississippi, Huck begins to decipher what he thinks is truly "right" despite what he has been taught. Students will read these novels in groups, focusing on deciphering the dialects, all the while tracking Twain's social commentary and Tom and Huck's adventures. 

Students in Mrs. Willner-Schreiber's 7th/8th grade English class are completing their unit on George Orwell's novel Animal Farm. Students have evaluated events and characters to understand the allegorical nature of the piece and what critique Orwell is making about the dangers of Communism in the hands of a dictator. Looking at the novel as not only a story, but a persuasive tool, has tied in with our previous unit on persuasive speech with Julius Caesar. Now students are working on completing their final project in which they will pick one character and artistically depict what or whom it represents, incorporating a quote from the novel to reflect Orwell's critique of the subject. They will write an explanation of their work and present it to the class next week.  

5th/6th grade students work on Fertile Crescent Topography Map in Ms. Schiller's History class.

Some super deals are left over from the Silent Auction:

WNBA Chicago Sky Tickets - 4 floor level seats (excludes playoffs). Regular price: $350, Our price $125 

Scuba Certification at Camp Neegela - for a camper.  Regular price:  $500; our super special rate is $200

Enso Shotokan Karate Sessions - 6 weeks for adults or children.  Regular price: $200; our price $75

Enso Shotokan Tai Chi - 12 week session.  Regular price: $125, our price $60

If interested, email Debbie Schneider or call her at 312-208-0427.

Stay tuned for more next week!

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