Kelly and David Adar on the birth of a granddaughter in Israel

CTA Varsity Boys' Basketball Team fared well in the Maimondes School tournament last weekend in Boston.  We were very fortunate that the tournament ended when it did as Boston experienced a storm of epic proportions soon after we left. Our athletes represented Columbus Torah Academy, the athletic department and our Columbus Jewish community very well. Mr. Bailey, Athletic Director, commented, "I heard only great praise about our boys and how appreciative they were to their host families, tournament organizers, and volunteers at the Maimonides School." If you missed it, the results are listed below. 

Maimonides 84, Torah Academy 65

Kohelet Kings 61, Torah Academy 50

Torah Academy 47, Beren Academy 36

Tier 2 Championship - Torah Academy 60, Beren Academy 50 OT

Again, thank you supporting Columbus Torah Academy athletics! Go Lions!

Appreciation of the Birds: This Shabbat has a special name called Shabbat Shira (Shabbat of the Song, Shirat Hayam). It is already a tradition in CTA to be aware of the nature surrounding us. In keeping with this, the students made bird feeders to place on trees outside. The feeders show appreciation to the birds; acknowledging a famous midrash about a flock of birds that helped the Jewish people keep Shabbat. 

The Art of the Chumash in Fourth Grade: For one period the third graders became art critics.  As a concluding activity for the study of Akeidat Yischak, the binding of Isaac, the students divided into groups and examined a variety of pictures and art work depicting that story, They compared them to the biblical text, noted the differences and learned why sometimes artists add metaphors and other aspects to their pieces.  I am sure that this new skill will help them look at biblical art in a new way.  Shabbat Shalom!

Connecting with Our Past

This past Tuesday marked the 70th anniversary of Auschwitz's liberation.  1,500 survivors attended the commemoration a decade ago, compared to 300 on Tuesday. This is one poignant expression of how crucial it is for today's generation to connect with their past. Rabbi Savage's 10th grade Jewish History class studied the experience of displaced Jews after the war. In order to connect with their own past and understand who they are in the context of where they came from, the class embarked on a Family Tree project.  Students learned from each other the importance of family, our Mesorah (Tradition) and heritage.

IT'S HERE! Miss Chocolate Order Forms are going home with students in grades K-6 today! We look forward to making this the best year yet to raise money for our amazing school...CTA!!

It has been a time-honored Jewish tradition to give tzedakah in recognition of important events. Todah Rabah to the following for their donation to:

To the Annual Giving Fund: 

Bernie Moreno in honor of Joey and Lindsay Schottenstein

Gary Liebesman and Stacy Leeman in honor of Yair Karavani, grandson of Dror

   and Irit Karavani

Robert H. Book in honor of the Buckeyes

Evsey and Rita Neymotin in honor of their son, Benjy (Class of 2003),

   successfully defending his PhD dissertation "Determinants of variation in

   mRNA degradation rates," at the Center for Genomics and Systems Biology

   of New York University.

Mitchell Gilbert in honor of Julia Cieplinski's Bat Mitzvah

Don't Forget: Grandparents and Special Persons Day next Friday, February 6 from 12:30-2 pm.  The program will feature a short presentation in the shul and then invitees will go to the classrooms to engage in learning activities with the students.  Please share or forward the invitation to your child's special someone.  Please do not plan to bring younger children.  If you do not have a grandparent in town, help your child choose an adult (ie:  babysitter, neighbor, rabbi, teacher) who will enjoy spending time with them at school.  The children are excited to have a special someone and sad if they do not. 

12:30-12:45 pm  Presentation in Shul

12:55-2:00 pm   Classroom Activities by grade level

To RSVP, contact info@torahacademy.org or call the front office.

Christopher and Jeanette Canyon, noted illustrators, will be at CTA next week and the students in grades K-6 couldn't be any more excited to meet the people who illustrated the books they have been reading in library.  Pre-orders of books can be made with forms that are available at the front desk or by clicking here for the forms.

Purchased books will be autographed and personalized by the Canyons and delivered back to the school after their visit.

 For more information, contact cmiller@torahcademy.org.

Columbus Conference for Jewish Women:  Sunday, February 8 from 9:15 am - 1:45 pm at Franklin Park Conservatory (FPC).  A day of engagement, education and introspection for women of across the community.  With the theme, "What Can I Say, What Can I Do?" addressing the high and low moments that we face as individuals and as a community.   

To register, go to http://thekollel.givezooks.com/events/columbus-conference-for-jewish-women-2015 or 237-7133.

PJ Library Community Day:  Sunday, February 8 from 10 am- 12 pm at Franklin Park Conservatory (FPC).  This event is perfect for families with children ages 1- 8 years old and includes Tu B'Shevat activities.  Cost is FREE for children and $13 for adults.  FPC members are free.  For more info, contact arussell@tcjf.org.

By demand, the E-Dateline will now be offering advertising space in its weekly newsletter.  Space is limited and rates are weekly as follows:

Weekly Dateline Sponsorship $150 (includes tribute line at top of newsletter)

Full Weekly E-Dateline Sponsorship:  $150 - Name at top

Full Size Submission:  $75 - size is 780 x 432 pixels/10 x 6"

Half Size Submission:  $50 - size is 390x 216 pixels/5.4 x 3"

1/3 Size Submission:  $30 - size is 260 x 144 pixels/3.6 x 2"

Rates are weekly and all submissions must be received by Wednesday at noon.  At this time advertising is only available in the e-Dateline, not paper version.  Advertising submissions are subject to content review. Contact sherszage@torahacademy.org for more information.