תושדח inside the academy - Hebrew Academy of Cleveland

‫חדשות‬: INSIDE THE ACADEMY
June 12, 2015 | ‫פרשת שלח | כ''ה סיון תשע''ה‬
www.hac1.org
‫בס''ד‬
Educationally Speaking
Rabbi Simcha Dessler
Educational Director
JUNE 15
Yavne HS Graduation
8:00 p.m.
• • • • • •
JUNE 16
8th Grade Boys Program
7:00 p.m.
• • • • • •
JUNE 18
Last day of school
1:45 dismissal
The Talmud (Gittin 45a) relates the story of Rav Ilish who was captured and incarcerated. During his captivity, a raven chirped at him. He questioned a fellow
inmate, familiar with bird-talk, as to what the raven said, and the man replied:
“Ilish, run; Ilish run!” Rav Ilish did not trust the raven and dismissed its messge
until a dove appeared and chirped at him. Once again Rav Ilish asked, “What is it
saying?” and once again the fellow replied “Ilish, run.” Rav Ilish concluded that a
miracle was about to be performed on his behalf and, indeed, he escaped while
his fellow inmate remained behind and perished.
Rabbi Chaim Shmulevitz zt”l, Mirrer Rosh Yeshiva, explained that Rav Ilish asked
for an interpretation twice because he trusted neither the raven nor himself. He
knew that man tends to hear that which he wants to hear and perceives that
which he wants to perceive. Because Rav Ilish feared that he was a victim of human nature, only upon receipt of an objective confirmation of his assumption
was he ready to escape his imprisonment.
In this week’s parsha, Shelach, as the Jewish people prepared to enter the Promised Land, twelve representatives of the twelve tribes were sent to examine the
land. “Eretz ocheles yoshveha, a land that devours its inhabitants,” they declared
(13,32). They did not address Moshe Rabbeinu who had sent them, but rather
addressed the public, thereby inciting them. Their negative attitudes and erroneous evaluations delayed the entire nation’s entrance into Eretz Yisrael for thirtynine years.
In every arena of life the glass is either half full or half empty. If we choose optimism we usually merit optimism; if we choose to perceive the positive points of
any situation we will see it. Attitude is simply a choice.
A veteran mechanech once said that the word, chacham, wise man, is also an
acronym for chatzi kos malei, a glass half full. Thus, the message is that parents
and educators alike will be most successful when they perceive the equivalent to
a half-filled glass. No child is perfect, no family is perfect, and no school or shul is
perfect for that matter. Life is about striving towards perfection. As we do so,
we have an ability to focus on that which is positive or that which is perceived as
negative.
To focus on a child’s strengths is to raise the child’s bar in such a manner in
which, in time, foundations will be built, skills will be developed, and weaknesses
will be strengthened.
8:42 p.m.
Diamonds are polished. It takes strength of character to be naturally optimistic
and to envision the potential of a fabulous future.
Isn’t it worth it?
Have a wonderful Shabbos!
I NSIDE T HE A C ADE MY
P AGE 2
Yeshiva Ketana
With only one more week of school remaining,
there is still a lot of learning going on in the
Yeshiva Ketana. Our third grade talmidim presented their Sefer Bereishis Siyum for a
second time this Sunday for the benefit of
parents and grandparents who missed it the
first time. The boys, once again, did a great
job. The boys also enjoyed a special seudah in
conjunction with this important siyum later in
the week. Thank you to Rabbi Muken and
Rabbi Matitia for arranging the seudah and to
Mrs. Greenberger for the additional french
fries! Rabbi Weimer’s class completed Sefer
Tehillim this week and Rabbi Drazin’s class completed Meseches Pesachim and Sefer Yehoshua. Next week, both classes hope to complete
Parshas Mishpatim. Our BEAM Grand Siyum
and Raffle is this Sunday at 5:30 p.m. The boys
have reached 20,000 Mishnayos and will likely
surpass their goal. Please plan on joining us at
this exciting event! Bechinos have begun and
there are many more special events planned for
next week – stay tuned!
Yeshiva High School
The school year may be winding down but the Yeshiva has been full of activity preparing for the end
of year events. Bechinos, finals, 12th grade graduation, 8th grade program and end of year siyum all
take place within a span of a busy few days. The
talmidim get to enjoy the accomplishments that
they worked hard to achieve the entire year. This
week, the Yeshiva held its last Kesser Chazzara
drawing of the year and administered the Kesser Chazzara bechina
which encompassed all the Gemara
that was learned this past year. The
raffles were won by Tzvi Fishman
and Yosef Rappaport and the prizes
for the bechinos will be announced
at the end of year siyum this Sunday morning. At that time, the Yeshiva will also be holding the Kesser
Chazzara raffle for a speed bike.
Any talmid who reviewed over the
course of the school year is entered into the raffle.
The Yeshiva is looking forward to greeting all the
fathers Sunday morning to the campus for this gala
end of year event.
On Monday, the Yeshiva was visited by Boro Park
Hatzalah member, Rabbi Shmuel Rosenbaum who
was in Cleveland for a transport of a patient from
New York to the Cleveland Clinic. He spoke about
his work as a Hatzalah member and gave the talmidim a firsthand glimpse of the importance of the
organization and
their life saving
work. He mentioned how Hatzalah was founded
and how with determination a person can come to
tremendous accomplishments. It was astounding
to hear Rabbi Rosenbaum recount his experience as a first responder
at 9/11. The talmidim
thoroughly enjoyed this
presentation of this great
institution of chessed and hopefully it will encourage them to incorporate more chessed into their
own lives.
Mazel tov to Rabbi and Mrs. Moshe Schottenstein
on the occasion of Yaakov putting on tefilin. Special
mazal tov to the grandparents, Mr. Jordan and
Morah Tikvah Schottenstein. May they have much
nachas. Mazal tov to Mr. Yitzchak and Morah
Chana Mahali on the occasion of Mordechai putting
on tefilin. May they have much nachas.
P AGE 3
J UNE 12 , 2015
Girls Elementary Division
The fourth graders celebrated their Chumash siyum by decorating cookies to depict the 10 makkos that they had learned about this last semester. Given an array of toppings, candies, and icing,
the creative juices began to flow as they fashioned frogs and hail, darkness and wild beasts. No
two were alike as the ingenuity encouraged by
Mrs. Ribiat and Mrs. Busel was let loose and allowed to blossom. The next day they enlightened
the entire division with their annual ‫ל''ט מלאכות‬
fair, which reviewed the laws of Shabbos in an
interactive and enjoyable manner. The girls expertly explained each ‫ מלאכה‬and its’ application
to daily living. Even the youngest student left with
a greater awareness of what is permitted and forbidden to do on Shabbos.
The fifth graders celebrated their Chumash siyum. Activities, games, picnic lunch,
and a special dessert were on the
agenda and enjoyed the camaraderie
of their classmates. Mrs. Schabes’ girls
were excited to hold their yearly
portfolio party. Each student went
through her portfolio of favorite assignments, work she was most proud of,
self-assessments, and compliments
from peers with an invited guest. What
an
enjoyable way to wrap up the school year
by sharing academic and social successes!
Several local Rabbonim gave of their precious
time to visit our division and listen to our students
share the wealth of knowledge they have acquired over the year. Each one was impressed
with the breadth and depth of understanding
demonstrated. Thank you to Rabbi Burnstein,
Rabbi Davidovich, Rabbi Gross, and Rabbi Lebovics for showing our girls how meaningful their
Torah studies are.
Kindergartners in Morah Modes and Morah
Esther’s class are having lots of fun learning
about “tzva’im” - colors. Tuesday was kachol/Blue Day as you
can plainly see!
Sweatshirt fittings are
this Sunday from 11:00-1:00 and 6:00-8:00 at the
home of Mrs. Roizie Jacobs, 4471 University
Pkwy.
Yavne High School
Mrs. Rappaport’s 11th grade Holocaust studies class will be creating their own Holocaust Museum that
will be on exhibit in the Yavne Library from Monday, June
15th – Thursday, June 18th. The girls did extensive research
on special topics pertaining to the Holocaust and created
breathtaking projects and elaborate posters representing
their research. Students, parents and visitors are welcome to experience and learn from their outstanding
work! The museum will be open on the night of the Yavne
graduation, Monday, June 15th, from 7:15-8:00 p.m. and
after the ceremony as well.
At right: 10th graders dissecting in Biology class.
P AGE 4
J UNE 12 , 2015
General Studies
Classroom Close-Up: Mrs. Kazdin 4th Grade Boys
The 2015 fourth grade State Fair was a big success. This year, the fair focused on Ohio in
order to better align with the new learning
standards. Visitors to the fair had fun while
learning about Ohio’s geography, history, government, and economy just to name a few of
the exhibits.
General Studies (Classroom) Close-up
Mrs. Tehillah Stelzer
While September seems like it was just a few
weeks ago, the year has been filled with exciting initiatives, new faces, and remarkable
growth for our students, staff, and the entire
General Studies team. The Professional Learning Communities, with funding thanks to a generous grant from the JECC, were a wonderful
addition to our teaching teams allowing for
alignment in curriculum and cross grade level
collaboration and communication. Upon completing our first year with our new math series,
My Math, our teachers are already brainstorming ways to make year two even more successful and engaging. Taking the place of the end of
year exams (previously the IOWAs), the iReady
Diagnostic assessments are now complete.
While this assessment is detailed, shows realtime information, gives teachers specific targeted skills for each student, and aligns with
our initiative
for progress
monitoring
with objective
tools,
the
most
rewarding
piece
was
hearing students
ask
when they
can take it
again! This
assessment
tool was looked at by many of the students as
engaging and exciting as it is interactively
aligned with student interests. Parents will receive data reports from the iReady Diagnostic
assessments with year-end report cards. While
the initial "trial run" has shown impressive data, we recognize the various circumstances
which may result in discrepancies when implementing a new computerized testing tool. It is
our intention to use this diagnostic tool
throughout next year to mark growth, target
skill sets, and improve curriculum. Lastly, the
year cannot be summed up without showing
appreciation to Dr. Schwartz for the incredible
work, dedication, and energy that he has
brought to the General Studies program. Time
flies when you’re having fun!
Mishpacha
If you are interested in receiving the Mishpacha over the summer, please send in your request
before Monday. Please note that it will be too late to join after the order goes through on Monday. The school year subscription concludes next week and the first summer issue will be delivered the week of June 20. For your convenience a box will be placed outside the doors near the
Blanche Rd. entrance where magazines can be picked up after Thursday afternoon.
I NSIDE T HE A C ADE MY
Pre-School
Morah Channa and Morah Dina's kinderlach made a tallis
and tichel for the letter "tes." The photo of our children in
talesim appears in this week’s “Binyan Magazine”!
Our preschool children took their school performance out
into the community when Morah Chumee and Morah
Yitty’s class performed for Cleveland’s Gila Program at
Young Israel this week. The sailors, who will be sailing away
to Kindergarten next year, delighted their audience at the
very special intergenerational program. Of special
interest to the
children was the
fact that a number
of
their
grandmothers or
relatives were in
the
audience
kvelling
with
nachas.
Thank
you to the moros
and to Mr. Yudi
Silber,
pianist,
for ensuring the
success of this
wonderful intergenerational opportunity.
This week we celebrated the graduations of Morah
Chumee and Morah Yitty’s class
and Morah Bluma
and
Morah
Smadar’s
class,
the bakers who
make
Torah
sweet. Stay tuned for Morah Rivky and Morah Devorah’s graduation on Tuesday!
P AGE 5
P AGE 6
J UNE 12 , 2015
PTA Fun Run & Carnival
It was a glorious warm spring day at the annual
Fun Run and Carnival this past Sunday. Scores of
volunteers came to help with ticket sales, registration, booths and food. It would be nearly impossible to list them all! We thank the coordinators of
the event (and their committees) for all their hard
work: Mrs. Ruti Wolf and Mrs. Malky Traube. Special thanks to Mrs. Sara Farkas and Mrs. Hillary
Gecovitch for organizing the Fun Run. Thanks to
the following people for
chairing specific committees: Mrs. Leora
Solowitch and Mrs.
Jessica Bonert, food;
Mrs. Malky Dym, inflatables; and Mrs. Esti
Marazov, rocket car.
A heartwarming incident
came to our attention.
During one of the Fun
Run races, one of the
boys in the race stumbled and fell. While all were focused on a win as could be expected in a
sports competition, one boy - Zevi Reich - stopped to help his friend. Later he expressed, “ It
doesn’t matter that I didn’t win as long as I helped somebody.” We are proud of you, Zevi!
We thank all of our HAC families for coming out and participating and making this such a
spectacular school event!
I NSIDE T HE A C ADE MY
P AGE 7
PTA Teacher Appreciation Programs
This week, as they do every year, our PTA honored and recognized our devoted faculty. Many parent volunteers prepared a beautiful luncheon and dinner for the General Studies and Limudei Kodesh staffs, respectively. Special thanks to our out-going PTA Presidium, Mrs. Malky Traube and
Mrs. Ruti Wolf for their service all year and particularly for spearheading the Teacher Appreciation
Luncheon. They were assisted by Mrs. Debbie Schlesinger, Dr. Yael Taub, Mrs. Sara Kushnersky,
and Mrs. Elana Berkovich. At the lunch, the General studies staff were addressed by Rabbi Dessler,
Dr. Schwartz and Mrs. Stelzer.
The Limudei Kodesh staff enjoyed dinner buffet and were addressed by Rabbi Asher Newman and
Rabbi Dessler who expressed hakaras hatov for all that the teachers do. Special thanks to Mrs. Julie
Newman, Mrs. Sharon Weimer and Mrs. Chantal Modes and volunteers Mrs. Rochel Burnstein and
Mrs. Chana Mahalli for setting up the dinner in honor of our teachers.
Anything that happens in our school which involves food means Mrs. Ranya Greenberger is working
behind the scenes to make it happen… Thank you, Mrs. Greenberger for always being to help us
out ensuring our successful programs!
Condolences to
Mrs. Susan Appelbaum on the loss of her father, Mr. Jerry Agular, ‫ז“ל‬
.‫המקום ינחם אתכם בתוך שאר אבלי ציון וירושלים‬
Mazel Tov! !‫ מזל טוב‬Mazel Tov! !‫ מזל טוב‬Mazel Tov! !‫מזל טוב‬

Rabbi and Mrs. Yochanan Greenwald on the birth of a granddaughter to
Rabbi and Mrs. Simcha Charnas

Mr. & Mrs. Jonathan Heifetz and Dr. & Mrs. Alan Schlesinger on the birth of
a granddaughter to Mr. & Mrs. Nissi Heifetz and to the great grandparents,
Mr. & Mrs. Mordechai Heifetz, Mr. & Mrs. Eugene Davidovits, Mrs. Barbara
Schlesinger; Mr. & Mrs. Jack Klein and Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Kraut.

Mr. and Mrs. Joel Hellman on the birth of a grandson to Rabbi and Mrs.
Binyomin Hellman.

Rabbi & Mrs. Binyomin Lichtenstein on the birth of a grandson to Rabbi &
Mrs. Shmarya Strimber

Mr. & Mrs. Martin Lipman on the birth of a granddaughter

Mr. & Mrs. S.Y. Mann on the birth of a grandson to Rabbi & Mrs. Shneur
Steinberg. Mazel tov to Rebbetzin Esther Mann.

Rabbi & Mrs. Moshe A. Strauss on the birth of a daughter
s"xc
Camp S.T.E.P. 2015 Registration
A leader in the orthodox day camp experience, now in its 34th year of providing quality education and
recreation in a Torah environment, announces the beginning of registration for the summer of 2015.
Session I June 29 - July 17
S e s s i o n II J u l y 2 0 - A u g u s t 7
Campers may opt to attend on a weekly basis.
‘Out of town’ trip weeks MUST be accompanied by the preceding or following ‘non-trip’ week.
Our program is geared towards each individual camper’s ability and age.
Trips to various areas of interest, sports activities, art & crafts, swimming (indoor and outdoor) and
overnights are arranged accordingly. Experienced Rebbeim and teachers teach educational classes.
All fees include daily hot lunches, snacks and insurance. Space is limited.
camp S.t.e.p. 2015
A. Boys Senior Division
at Sapirstein Campus Grades 4 - 8 June 29 - August 7Times: 9:30 A.M. - 4:00 P.M.
$148* per week register before June 10th : $173* per week register after June 10th
*please add $65 for week 3 and $65 for week 6 to cover overnight coach bus fare!
B. Girls Division
Grades 1 - 6 June 29 - August 7Times: 9:30 A.M. - 3:30 P.M.
$148 per week register before June 10th : $173 per week register after June 10th
C. Boys Junior Division
Grades 1 - 3 June 29 - August 7Times: 9:30 A.M. - 3:30 P.M.
$140 per week register before June 10th : $165 per week register after June 10th
D. K’tan Tan DivisionAges 3, 4, 5, 6 June 29 - August 7
Times: 9:30 A.M. - 2:30 P.M.
$75 per week register before June 10th : $100 per week register after June 10th
note: All K’tan Tan campers must be toilet trained in order to attend summer camp.
•
$40 discounts for full summer registration of each additional child in any division except for k’tan tan, if payment is paid in full before June 10th. (there are no partial weeks!)
•ALL OVER NIGHT TRIP MONIES MUST BE PAID IN ADVANCE OF TRIP DAY. pOST-DATED CHECKS ACCEPTED.
•
post-dated checks accepted dated no later then 8/31/2015
•special note: all registrations are final. no refunds can be provided.
•
If paying by credit card, an additional charge of $4.00 per week, per child will be assessed.
For more information,
please call,
Rabbi Hillel Drazin, Director
(216) 321-5838 ext. 176
Camp S.T.E.P. 2015 Registration Form
Please enroll my child (ren) listed below in the Summer
Torah Enrichment Program for the 2015 Camp Season.
Name __________________________________
Grade (Completed) / (Age) ______ Weeks 1 2 3 4 5 6
(please circle)
Date of Birth _____ / _____ / _____
(M/F)
School ________________________ Amount $ ___________
Name __________________________________
Grade (Completed) / (Age) ______ Weeks 1 2 3 4 5 6
(please circle)
Date of Birth _____ / _____ / _____
(M/F)
School ________________________ Amount $ ___________
Name __________________________________
Grade (Completed) / (Age) ______ Weeks 1 2 3 4 5 6
(please circle)
Date of Birth _____ / _____ / _____
(M/F)
School ________________________ Amount $ ___________
Name __________________________________
Grade (Completed) / (Age) ______ Weeks 1 2 3 4 5 6
(please circle)
Date of Birth _____ / _____ / _____
(M/F)
School ________________________ Amount $ ___________
Total Amount Due $ _______ **
(there are no partial weeks!)
Parent / Guardian’s Name ____________________________________________________________
Address _________________________________________ City ___________________ State ______ Zip _________
Home Phone # (_____) ___________ Cell Phone # (_____) __________ Bus. Phone # (_____) __________
If camper (s) will be residing with anyone other than parent during camp please provide:
Name ____________________________________________________________
Address _________________________________________ City ___________________ State ______ Zip _________
Home Phone # (_____) ___________ Cell Phone # (_____) __________ Bus. Phone # (_____) __________
In the event reasonable attempts to contact me at ________________ or _________________ at _______________
(phone number)
(other parent or guardian)
(phone number)
have been unsuccessful, I hereby give my consent for the administration of medical treatment deemed necessary by
______________________________ , or in the event the designated preferred practitioner is not available, by
(preferred dentist . preferred doctor)
another licensed physician, and the transfer of the child to ___________________ or any hospital reasonably accessible.
(preferred hospital)
This authorization does not cover major surgery unless the medical opinions of two other licensed physicians, concurring in
the necessity for such surgery, are obtained prior to the performance of such surgery.
Any trip week must be accompanied by a non-trip week.
**All applications must be accompanied by (post-dated) checks or credit card information completed below. Overnight trip
fees must accompany the camp registration to reserve a seat. If the trip fee is not sent with the registration a space on the
bus can not be guaranteed.
**Registrations must be accompanied with payment,
post-dated checks, or credit card authorization. We regret
that we can not accept registration from those families
whose tuition balances are not resolved.
______________________ CVV ______ _______________
Credit Card Number (Discover, MasterCard, VISA)
Expiration Date
_________________________ _______________________
Name on card (Please PRINT)
Signature
SignatureDate
‫בס"ד‬
HEBREW ACADEMY OF CLEVELAND
1860 So. Taylor Rd.  Cleveland Hts., Ohio 44118  216-321-5838
Phil & Mary Edlis Elementary School
Jacob Sapirstein Campus
Beatrice J. Stone Yavne High School
IF YOU HAVE ALREADY COMPLETED THE ONLINE REGISTRATION, PLEASE IGNORE THIS AND
THANK YOU.
Dear Parents:
We are currently preparing for the coming school year. Over the course of the last year we have
transitioned to a new database. This database provides additional opportunities for parent interaction
and convenience that we will be introducing. As our school grows, we are pursuing initiatives to
increase accuracy, bring greater efficiency to our operations, and reduce the paperwork burden on
parents and office staff.
For the 2015-16 school year, we have implemented online registration for all parents.
FOR PARENTS WHO HAVE ALREADY SUBMITTED PAPER FORMS, YOUR
INFORMATION WILL APPEAR ONLINE. HOWEVER, YOU ARE REQUIRED
TO REGISTER ONLINE TO VERIFY ALL INFORMATION. PLEASE FOLLOW
ALL THE STEPS BELOW. THANK YOU.
In order to register, please follow these steps:
1.
Go to https://staff.hac1.org/portal/
2. Register using your email address that is already on record with the school.
3. After you get your confirmation email, log in using the user name and password you setup. (Please
note that initial emails may go to spam rather than your inbox)
4. Go to the “My Account” tab – Select Online Registration and follow the steps to complete the
registration process. Then continue with the Medical Forms tab and complete it as well.
5. After submitting, you will receive an email with a registration confirmation. You can also print out
your registration forms by clicking the “Print Registration Form” tab located on the left side of the
portal page.
6. Complete the Medical information tab.
7. If you have any issues with the online registration, please contact the Registrar’s Office at ext.
140.
We appreciate your patience as we make the final adjustments to the system. We hope this will help
expedite the registration process.
Thank you,
Registrar’s Office
1860 S. Taylor Rd. Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44118 216-321-5838 Fax 216-932-4597