July 21, 2016,  15 Tamuz 5776                       Hashavua - The Week
MESSAGE FROM 
THE RABBI

Growing up at Camp Newman (or as it was known then, Camp Swig) we had the custom of calling things Shehechyanu moments. The shehechyanu is the Jewish blessing said upon reaching a special occasion or doing something for the first time. From the simple (the Israeli staff eating their first burrito) to the sublime (reading Torah at sunrise with your bunk), when someone would do something for the first time another person would call out "Shehechyanu moment!" Sometimes we would then burst into song singing the traditional blessing, and other times that calling out was enough to give us pause, awareness, and gratitude for the experience.

This summer I have been blessed with many shehechaynu moments. I turned 40 surrounded by loving family. I watched as my daughter gleefully danced around holding a 4th of July sparkler for the first time. I marveled from afar as my son, previously timid of new people and new situations bravely and excitedly ran to his bunk at Camp Ramah in the Poconos, self-sufficient and independent. We all squealed with delight when we tried tubing, and soared over waves behind a motor boat, and the kids squirmed when they baited their first fish hooks. As we reveled and marveled at these amazing experiences and enjoyed the many gifts of summer, I also found myself despondent and overwhelmed by the news: Hallel Ariel, Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, Dallas, Nice, Baton Rouge... With each passing day this summer, I have become more anxious and scared to find out what might happen next and yet also simultaneously found myself compulsively searching for more information - the words of the biologist E.O. Wilson echoing in my ears, "We are drowning in information, while starving for wisdom."

This week, I find myself drawing wisdom from the Torah. In this week's Torah Portion, Balak, the prophet Bilam is sent to curse the Israelites. God turns Bilam's words of curses into words of blessing. In what feels like a dark, shaky and teetering moment in American and World history, I'm holding on as strongly as I can to words of blessing. I'm searching for the good, for the hopeful, for the acts of holy chutzpah and courage. I'm doing my best to seek them out, to find them, to acknowledge them to amplify them so that all of us can have many more shehechyanu moments in which we can thank God for giving us life, sustaining us and for being able to reach today.

Shabbat Shalom,
Laurie

FACULTY SUMMER LEARNING
The faculty and staff at Yavneh engage in professional learning during the summer. In this spot, we will highlight reflections on this learning.
Jamie Zimmer:
This past week I had the privilege and pleasure of attending the first conference of American Jewish History Educators at the National Museum for American Jewish History (NMAJH) in Philadelphia, PA, alongside our talented Global Research teacher, Ted Pierce. It was a tremendous week of learning and networking along with the opportunity to enjoy all the sights, sounds and synthesis that Philly has to offer. I mention synthesis because at the core of everything we learned over the past week, the museum educators had their sights firmly set on the integration of the Jewish narrative into a wider American Historical narrative, a narrative that we as the Yavneh staff are working hard to give voice to in our school. 
 
The conference aimed to revolutionize the teaching of history, especially American Jewish History, from the lachrymose model (that of being the persecuted pariah throughout time) into one that more closely resembles the American story - one of hope, of firm establishment within wider society, of ideals and empowerment, with the use of artifacts and teaching tools from museum itself. We were delighted to be able to hear from and interact with top scholars in the field, including Professors Jonathan Sarna and Jonathan Krasner of Brandeis University, Professor Robert Chazan of New York University, Professor Abby Reisman of the University of Pennsylvania and many more. 

Having been to a fair amount of specifically Jewish Professional Development before, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. As well, being a relative novice in the field of American History (no, an encyclopedic knowledge of The West Wing apparently isn't enough of a resource to go on) I was somewhat concerned about my ability to engage fully. Thanks to the incredible work and dedication of the museum educators, Katarina Romanenko and Ronit Lusky, I am excited to say the NMAJH is a direct resource we will be using with our students throughout the year. They gave us ample planning time and support to build curriculum, as well as making themselves and the museum's resources available to us whenever we wish.  It was a wonderful chance to learn, to listen and to really shape a very exciting curriculum that we will be teaching this year, with a host of new resources and tools that we will use in the classroom to help document our own personal histories like never before.  

As the daughter of a woman whose name was changed from "Kreindel" to "Karen" at Ellis Island, to see the promise of a new land and all of the hope and possibility it offered its very first "tired, poor and huddled masses yearning to be free" and all those who who still seek that promise today, I am truly excited to share all I have learned this summer to write the next chapter of the story with our students this year. 

FACULTY SUMMER SNAPSHOTS
Morah Gila, Morah Aviva, and Morah Ilana attended a summer conference in Tel Avivv for teaching Hebrew as a second language. The conference was offered by The Mofet Institute, an academic portal for Jewish and teacher education. The website contains numerous items on Jewish pedagogy and instruction. The objective of the portal is to improve the flow of knowledge between teachers around the world, and assist in instruction.







Morah Judy and Morah Sue took an encaustic painting class this week. Encaustic comes from the Greek word "to burn". The process involves painting layers of melted medium (beeswax, damar resin, and pigment) followed by fusing each layer with a torch
 
The Bernard Slavitt Memorial Scholarship Fund - Donate now

CALENDAR

AUG 18-19
Family Conferences

SUN. AUG. 21
Welcome Back Picnic

TUE. AUG. 23
First Day of School 

SUMMER MAILING 
REMINDER
Please get your forms in by Monday, August 15th! 


Sunday, August 21

IN THE COMMUNITY
JOIN US FOR JEWISH HERITAGE NIGHT AT THE OAKLAND A'S!

Tuesday, August 9th

SILICON VALLEY JEWISH COMMUNITY 
TISHA B'AV OBSERVANCE

Saturday, August 19th
9:00pm

BACKPACK DRIVE
Jewish Family Services is collecting backpacks and school supplies. 

June 22-July 26

AN EVENING OF PIANO MUSIC WITH KONSTANTIN LIFSCHITZ

Tuesday, July 26th
7:00pm

LIKE us on Facebook
  
  
FOLLOW us on Twitter
    

SUBSCRIBE to 
our YouTube Channel
 

CONNECT with 
Yavneh Alumni