ES Update

October 7, 2016 - 5 Tishri 5777 - Vayeilech

ES Highlights

Welcome

D'var Torah

Thoughts of the Rav

Simchat Beit HaShoava

Hebrew Birthdates

PTA Girls' Clothing

2016-17 Calendars

Handbook Online

Vehicle Policies

Lost and Found

Online Directory

ECC/MS/US Newsletters

Maimonides LinkedIn Group

Maimo on Instagram

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ES Calendar

Mon, Oct. 10

Regular Classes

School Open

Tues, Oct. 11

Erev Yom Kippur

12:00 p.m. Dismissal

Wed, Oct. 12

Yom Kippur

No School

As always, please see the Kol Rambam Weekly for the all-school calendar, events and PTA notes.

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Welcome!
Dear Parents, We had a great (but short) week at school celebrating and learning about the chagim! Please read on for the latest Elementary School news and information about upcoming events.

D'var Torah

by Rabbi David Saltzman

וְהָיָה כִּי תִמְצֶאןָ אֹתוֹ רָעוֹת רַבּוֹת וְצָרוֹת וְעָנְתָה הַשִּׁירָה הַזֹּאת לְפָנָיו

And it will be, when they will encounter many evils and troubles, this song will bear witness against them

The Gemara in Chagiga says the following:

ר' יוחנן כי מטי להאי קרא (לא כא) והיה כי תמצאן אותו רעות רבות וצרות, בכי, אמר: עבד שרבו ממציא לו רעות רבות, תקנה יש לו.

When Rabbi Yochanan would read this pasuk, he would cry. He said, is it possible for a slave whose master puts him through terrible trouble to find a way to rectify his plight?

The Kli Yakar wonders: What is so terrible about the predicament described in this pasuk? Certainly we do not want to be on G-d's bad side, where He metes out punishment to us, but there are other pesukim which describe similar fates. Why did Rabbi Yochanan cry at this verse specifically?

He answers that the word אֹתוֹ in the pasuk is extra, as the verse transmits the same message without this word. He continues to explain:

ואומר אני לפרש דברי ר' יוחנן כלפי הערבות, שנעשו כל ישראל ערבים זה בעד זה עד שכל יחיד חטא רבים נשא

The extra word teaches us that this verse is talking about ערבות. When even one person sins, the entire congregation suffers. And Rabbi Yochanan was crying because וזה דבר שאין הציבור יכולין לעמוד בו - this is something that the community will be unable to endure.

This situation, described by the Kli Yakar, teaches us that the entire group could be held responsible for the deeds of an individual, and that responsibility could lead to deleterious consequences for everyone. This is a concept that has the potential to destroy a community.

The Kli Yakar continues and explains (from the word וצרות) that arvut has a positive side and is a powerful mechanism for effecting change. Combined with shalom pervading the nation, arvut has the potential to help people change their ways. As he explains:

לפי שבזמן שיש שלום וריעות בין ישראל אז אין הערבות מזיק להם כ"כ, ואדרבה מועיל, כי בזמן

שרואה את חבירו שהוא נוטה מדרך השכל, אז הוא מדריכו בדרך ילך להחזירו למוטב מיראת הערבות, כי אין התוכחה מצויה כי אם מן האוהב לנאהב . .

At the time when there is peace and friendship amongst the nation, then arvut does not cause damage, in fact the opposite is true - arvut helps the situation. Because when a person sees their friend doing something incorrect, since the onlooker feels responsible for the friend's behavior, they will guide the one acting incorrectly to follow the correct path. The person who is not acting the right way will be moved to change because they know that the one giving guidance is giving it out of love and caring - not to chastise or find fault.

Arvut + shalom = a strong, caring, and humble nation, acting according to G-d's commands. Let's use these qualities to strengthen ourselves and our communities.

Thoughts of the Rav on the Parsha

by Rabbi David Saltzman

Last week, we explored the concept of mechila. Today, we will define the idea of kapara and slicha.

The Rav explains that when someone transgresses against Hashem, they are deserving of punishment, and mechila lessens the punishment's severity. A second deterrent which affects the transgressor is metaphysical. The person's nefesh (soul) is sullied when not following the word of G-d. A sin detaches us from our Father in heaven and places a hole in our soul.

Yom Kippur has the additional aspect of repairing our connection to G-d as He heals our spiritual wounds and brings our soul closer to being complete. As the pasuk states:

כִּי בַיּוֹם הַזֶּה יְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיכֶם לְטַהֵר אֶתְכֶם, מִכֹּל חַטֹּאתֵיכֶם לִפְנֵי ה' תִּטְהָרוּ.

For on this day atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you of all your sins; you shall be clean before the L-rd.

As the pasuk states, Yom Kippur brings kapara (slicha), which spiritually purifies the transgressor. Let's pray for a complete mechila and kapara for this coming Yom Kippur.

Save the Date for Simchat Beit HaShoeva
Please mark your calendars for a wonderful Simchat Beit HaShoeva celebration on Wednesday, October 19. The festivities will include bouncy houses and great food. More details to follow!

Hebrew Birthdates

We recognize student birthdays at Monday Morning Assembly each week, and in class on the actual day of each student's birthday. While most of our students celebrate on their English (secular calendar) birthdate, some children celebrate on their Hebrew (Jewish calendar) birthdate. If your child celebrates their Hebrew birthday exclusively, we would appreciate your sending us their birthdate information, as we don't have a record of Hebrew birthdays in our database.

PTA Partnering with Girls' Clothing Store

The PTA is very excited to announce a new partnership with Maya's Place, a clothing store for women and girls in Great Neck, NY. As we know that many parents struggle to find appropriate skirts for their daughters to wear to school, we have decided to partner with Maya, who offers many great options for women and girls on her website at reasonable prices. So please click on the link below and shop! 5% of all purchases made through this exclusive Maimonides link will go back to our PTA. Be advised that any purchases must be made using this link and not directly through the website or our PTA will not receive credit. If you have any questions, please contact the PTA.

Printable and Electronic Calendars Online

The printable school calendar for this year is now online at http://www.maimonides.org/content/2016-17-printable-school-calendar-pdf

The electronic calendar for 2016-17 is also online. You can visit maimonidescalendar.org/calendar throughout the year for the most up-to-date information on everything that's happening, both throughout the school and in each individual division.

The online calendar can be customized to show only the divisions and events you wish to see. See maimonidescalendar.org/calendar-instructions for more detailed information on how to use the calendar.

In addition, you will be able to subscribe so that school events and alerts will appear on your personal calendar. More information will follow soon.

Handbook Online
The Parent/Student Handbook is now on the Maimo website! Read it online here. Username is: maimoparents Password is: horim

Vehicle Policies and Procedures
Please see this link for current information on the school's parking policies, as well as updated drop-off and pick-up procedures.

Lost and Found
Do You Recognize Anything? We have a lot of nice items here. Please retrieve your child's lost items and remember to label everything!

Online Access to Directory

We know many of you are eager to connect with each other! The printed Maimonides School 2016-17 Directory is in production, but parents can access the directory information online via MyBackpack.

In order to locate family or classmate contact information, follow these steps:

Log into My Backpack
To find a single family, search by last name in the Directory box
To generate an entire grade list, click on "Advanced Search Options" and follow these steps:

Click on the "Search for Student" tab
Select the grade you want and click on "Search"
Click on "Detail" to see email address information

NOTE: In order to return to the entire grade list, do NOT hit the browser back button. Instead, click on the "Back to Search Student/Parent" button, found above the student name (at top left).

See What's Happening in the Other Divisions
Lots of wonderful things are happening at Maimonides School! If you'd like to take a peek at the other divisions' newsletters, please click here. If you would like to contact a specific school office, please use these emails: es@maimonides.org ms@maimonides.org us@maimonides.org

Maimonides LinkedIn Group
Maimonides School is rapidly expanding the LinkedIn group called Maimonides School Community. The far-reaching connections through LinkedIn can not only enhance professional opportunities but also serve as a resource for new ideas and conversations. The link to join is http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Maimonides-School-Community-6537785/about.

Follow Maimo on Instagram
We're expanding our social media network! Please follow us on Instagram at @Maimobrookline.

Check us out on Facebook!
Let's be friends... on Facebook! Fans of our Maimonides School Facebook page get an insider's view of all that's going on at Maimo, with the latest photos taken in the classrooms, on the playgrounds, and all around the Brener and Saval campuses. If you'd like to be in the know, just click here to "like" us on Facebook.

!שבת שלום

Rabbi, Reena, and the Maimonides ES Faculty