Focused players

Casino Dealer aka Head of School, Russ Klein

Science World's BC Green Games was designed to motivate action, enable sharing and reward and celebrate the green efforts of schools in BC. King David High School was selected as one of the digital media winners!
 
The King David Green Team was delighted to win a Sony Bloggie Touch camcorder this week and we look forward to using it for our environmental music video which will debut in February, 2013!

Ms. Gardiner, Jacob, Liza, Anna, Janine, Dena, Aliza and Ms.Baloun with the camcorder received from the two Science World representatives

King David has started to gear up for Random Acts of Chesed (RAC) week! This year RAC week has three components: learning, service and showcase. In the months before RAC week, each grade will be learning with Grade 12 Chesed facilitators. Together they will to do research around their specific theme to enhance their collective understanding and to create a plan of action.

We have now had two "RAC hours" in which the entire school, divided into four groups, has brainstormed ideas and discussed the issues related to their themes. On December 3rd, during our second RAC hour, we were honoured to be joined by four influential members of our community who took time to talk with our students.

Rabbi Bregman discussed "Self" and how we raise awareness for mental and emotional wellness, with the Grade 11 students.
 



"Rabbi Bregman explored the notion of releasing our generation from the standards of happiness that society puts on us. By doing this we realize how invaluable materialism is and the extreme importance of mental and emotional wellness. He talked about specific circumstances that we can relate to which enforced the achieving of awareness and moreover acceptance."  - Anna, Grade 12


Shelley Rivkin talked with the Grade 10 students about "Friends and Family" highlighting inclusiveness in the community:




"Shelly Rivkin taught us the importance of welcoming people into the Jewish community, and especially our school. It tied in to our theme of Friends and Family really well. By the end of the hour, our group had decided to participate in making a change by supporting the Jewish Food Bank and making challas for seniors."  - Vivian, Grade 12


Rhonda Sacks worked with the Grade 9 students around "Global Community" with reference to our ability to impact the world. She also spoke about international atrocities.




"Rhonda helped our group understand the different ways in which we can help the global community. We explored the idea that a single life is a world of its own and that if we can help just one person it is still incredibly significant. In order to truly make a difference we have to be passionate about what we are doing which led us to the conclusion that we need to find something we can all get excited about in order to help."   - Mijal, Grade 12


Rabbi Infeld talked with the
Grade 8 students about "Earth" especially the impact of what we eat and how it affects our planet.




"It was a great experience. We learned a lot about different ways we can help the earth with Rabbi Infeld. We look forward to our first RAC week at King David!"  - Michelle, Grade 8

The Talmud says that "the mitzvah of Chanukah is to advertise the Miracle." (Shabbat 21b).  In fact everything we do these days is geared toward publicizing of the miracle.

 

In Talmudic times, the Sages prescribed that the Chanukah lights be placed at the street entrance to one's home. In modern times the custom has become to place the Menorah at a window facing the street. Both ideas share the same purpose: to place the lights where they can be seen by the most number of people. 

 

In the days before electricity just before sundown was the time you would find the most most people on the streets hurrying home before dark. This is one reason why Chanukah lights are to be lit at sundown. If one has not however done so, he may still perform the mitzvah through the remainder of the night as long as the members of his household are still awake, or if there is significant traffic in the streets. But we do not light during the daytime, even if there are people around, because it is far too light outside for candles to be seen.

 

Lastly, while many mitzvot in the home are done through representatives (Mom lights the shabbat candles or Dad makes the blessing over the wine) the Chanukah candles are customarily lit by everyone. 

 

All of these customs serve to maximize the publicity of the miracle.  But what are we publicizing? That the oil lasted for extra days? Really? A cellphone that only had enough battery power for one day but lasted eight might be worthy of a tweet but not a national holiday.

 

So what are we publicizing? There are many answers to this and the question is left open by the sages to allow each person to reflect on it and come up with their own understanding. But there is one overt idea that is worthy of reflection. After millennia of attempts to assimilate us into our host culture, whether through force or persuasion, we are still here. Chanukah is the holiday that most clearly celebrates the Jewish nation's ongoing victory against the forces of assimilation. But ironically it has become, in our day, the most assimilated Jewish festival.

 

Lighting the candle represents the willingness of the Jewish people to fight for the survival of true, genuine Jewish life. We are a nation of families and a family that is a nation. Jewish revival starts in the home. We make sure to fulfill our mitzvah by lighting there and not in the synagogue. Lighting the candles at night teaches us that one small, pure flame emanating from our home can light up the deepest darkness and has the potential to set the world on fire.  Happy Chanukah.