Erev Shabbos Parashas Yisro February 13, 2009 Licht Bentchen: 5:25 Volume XV, Issue 23 Dear Parents, The REALLY big news of this week is that we can no longer harass you about attending our 2009 Chinese Auction. (However, February 2010 is just around the corner). This is because THE EVENT happened on Sunday night, and it was terrific. Financially, it topped our expectations, and the room was teeming with people from all segments of our community, everyone had a great time, the prizes were super, the food was outstanding, and the set-up was magnificent. (Thanks to Wraps to Go for catering.) Among the comments that I heard was that the evening was crafted so professionally, that it was the most enjoyable fundraiser around, and that it was amazing how every small detail was anticipated and planned with care. An Auction is the most all-pervasive, time-consuming effort for any institution, and we profusely thank Jessica Eizenstat, Elana Garfield, and Rochel Rabinowitz for all their unbelievable, tireless efforts. We also express appreciation to the dedicated “cast of thousands” without whose help this could never have happened. However, to be safe, we will only mention the following three (and their Sunday helpers) who were partial partners in this endeavor: Melissa Miller, Chana Biberfeld, and Pirchie Greenspon. The latter two outdid themselves with the creative and classy Winter Wonderland theme. Also to be profusely appreciated are the husbands and children of these six women whose help and patience were crucial, vital, and necessary for the beautiful program. Finally, we include Rabbi Hershel Lutch who was really involved in so much and Yoni Tyberg whose “MCing” really livened the affair.

Trivia Question: How many balloons are needed to float plastic 1’ diameter snowflakes? Answer: 14

Looking for a “Super Sunday”

The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington’s SUPER SUNDAY is only 9 days away. In spite of its familiar-sounding title, this is not a major sports competition. Rather, it is the day when our entire community gathers together to raise critical funds for local and international Jewish needs with a special focus on Jewish education and Eretz Yisrael. As we are major beneficiaries of Federation’s generosity and because they support so many worthy causes, we ask everybody to join us in volunteering on –

Sunday, February 22 at the

Jewish Community Center in

Rockville (or D.C. or Northern Va).

HELP: Support local Jewish

education. Local charities. Eretz Yisrael. International Jewish needs.

$$””22"" TToorraahh SScchhooooll ooff GGrreeaatteerr WWaasshhiinnggttoonn

EE..SS..TT..EE..RR.. EErreevv SShhaabbbbooss ““TToorraahh”” EEvveennttss RReeppoorrtt

This year everybody’s involvement is more crucial than ever before. When you register, please make sure to indicate that you’re from the Torah School.

What’s the Matter: Chemistry with Fizz, Foam,

and Flash Wednesday’s Traveling Science Program brought to us by the Maryland Science Center was, as usual, fun, fascinating, and informative. The hands-on, eyes-on presentation examined what matter is, the changes through which it can go, and how it can be combined to create something totally different. Among the vocabulary and concepts in which our kids gained expertise are: solids, liquids, gases, molecules, plasma, phase change, physical change, chemical change, molecular motion, combustion, condensation, energy, evaporation, polymer, sublimation, exothermic, flammable, and more. The “preamble” to the show was a series of safety rules to always follow when “doing” science. You can (try to) debrief your sons and daughters for a less brief report of what they learned. We extend condolences to Estee Teitelbaum, upon the passing of her mother, Z’L. May the entire family be comforted among the mourners of Tziyon and Yerushalayim.

We wish a heartfelt Mazel Tov to:

Maurissa Mailman, her parents, Jodi and Fred; her siblings, Arly and Rami, Ross, and Alana, and her entire family upon her engagement to Chananyah Pinsky.

The Charners, upon the birth of a boy to the St. Louis branch, Yossie and Bracha Pessie Charner.

Abie Franco, his parents, Simi and Sammy; his siblings, Nathan and Jessica, Luna, Mikey, and Jessie; all the Francos and Rotenbergs; and his entire family, upon his forthcoming marriage to Hadassah Elling.

May they continue to be blessed with Simachos.

2009‐2010 is “Tomorrow” 

Registration forms for next year are in the mail (really) and should hit your homes very soon.

Coming Home Today Classroom Close-ups by Rabbi

Feldman. Olomeinu. Magazine from Old Yosef Chai.

Matanos LaEvyonim

Purim is only 24 days from this evening. That means that it’s time to think about lots of things, including this holiday’s special Tzedakah, Matanos La’evyonim. As is the case each year, our daily in-school Tzedakah collections are designated for Od Yosef Chai.

Over the years, this organization has achieved renown for the assistance it provides to thousands of poor in Israel and America and for the way in which assistance is provided. Od Yosef Chai is committed to helping our less fortunate brethren in a manner that in no way compromises the recipient’s dignity and self-respect. Much thought is given to the achievement of this goal. For more than twenty years, Torah schools in the United States, Canada, and Australia have undertaken Matanos L’evyonim Campaigns on behalf of Od Yosef Chai. Matanos L’evyonim - that is, the giving of gifts to two impoverished Jews – is a Rabbinically mandated Mitzvah which every man and woman must fulfill on Purim. Preferably, one should give the monetary equivalent of a Yom Tov meal to each poor individual. In some communities, there is difficulty finding Jews who are considered impoverished by Halachic standards. In Jerusalem, there is, unfortunately, no shortage of such poor. We are grateful for having the privilege of assisting thousands in Jerusalem whose needs are vastly greater this year. We encourage you to also set aside funds to contribute to this cause. Checks should be made out directly to Od Yosef Chai and sent to school.

We wish a Refuah Shelaimah to: HaRav Eliyashiv, Shlita. Richie Broth’s maternal grandmother. Shlomo Katz’ mother.

“In Lieu of Mishloach Manos Cards” In response to requests, we are again

printing cards for you to send to people in lieu of Mishloach Manos. They will say that a

donation has been made to the Torah School. Cards are $2 each; $10 for 6.

Ongoing Stuff

Our fourth week of focus on Emes emphasized the opportunity to make a Kiddush HaShem by returning found objects which do not belong to us.

Chemdas points earned continue to rise higher and higher. Only 94 days to go.

Parshathon $ is trickling in. Please remember that contributions need to be in by Monday, February 23.

6B/B Masmid Govoha voluntary learning minutes are now at the stratospheric heights of 19,623.

We express HaKaras HaTov to: • Simmy Pollock for covering the front desk

on Sunday. • Naomi Schwartz and crew for handling Tu

B’Shevat fruit for all kids and teachers. • The parent who fully subsidized the 6B

Siyum on Parashas Yisro.

Searching for a Chairperson

We are looking (everywhere) for someone or some”two” to chair “Mishloach Manos To Go.” If you are THE right person for the job, please contact Aviva Rosen 301-299-6668 or Julie Vogel 301-326-4826.

Project Ahavas Yisroel Many of our classes will soon decorate receptacles and pack them to give as Mishloach Manos to people who would not otherwise be recipients of this beautiful, unifying Mitzvah. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE encourage your sons and daughters to give these packages to an appropriate party – as this is truly in the spirit of Chazal’s plan. We thank Baruch and Rochelle Werteinteil for initiating and once again sponsoring this project. We’re doing it a bit differently this year; stay tuned. Some 3G Riddles from Parashiyos

VaYeira and Chayei Sarah I was born to a maid My evilness would never fade

When Yitzchak was born I said I would play Even though I don’t mean what I say Sarah said that I was bad So she sent me away since I wasn’t a good lad. I was mevater, I let Yitzchak go first Even though in the rest I was worst, at 137 I did die Even though I was bad I am not telling a lie I had a very special name that’s why I got some fame. Do you think you can guess this game? Who Am I? – by Rachelli Rappaport I married a tzaddik and had one child, he was not very wild. He was great and followed Hashem’s “rate”. He would learn all day and sometimes go out to play. His half brother was bad, usually very mad. He was not the bechor, but he really knew more. When I died, he was very good, and married someone like he should. Who am I? – by Esther Schwartz I am sneaky and bad I am not a good little lad I jumped in front of my father I acted as if it did not bother And then my sister wanted to go And got married to a man I did not know. Who am I? – by Shani Sukol & Chaiky Backman

A Couple of Doin’s

1B/1G/2B/2G are working on a Ke’ri’ah enhancement project for Purim. Each child is reading all of Megillas Esther, taping it, and turning the tape/CD in for teachers to hear and monitor.

3G did a remarkable job of putting on a play and puppet shows about stories they had read. They are also into indentifying nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs and participated in an outstanding activity to learn and retain what they’ve studied.

3B are mastering multiplication and are really into special tricks or patterns for the 9’s tables.

Rabbi Biberfeld’s 6B had a Siyum on Parashas Yisro and heard a D’var Torah from the Vilna Gaon. The GRA’s focus was on the lessons from Nekudos (vowels) that change in the Aseres HaDiberos depending on the set-up of the Trop. Nothing in Torah is just by chance – even the smallest changes teach us something important.

KB/G and 5G had great times making salads for Tu B’Shevat. The Kindergartners also made a Bingo game for the letter 9, are learning about animal habitats, and made animal ABC books.

1B/G, in timely fashion, are studying time and learning about hills, mountains, plains, and birds.

1G have been on the lookout for finding, in Davening, Shoroshim with which they are familiar. This has really helped them understand what the Tefillos mean.

2B/G are writing persuasive letters to me. I’ve heard that one young lady would like me to teach her every year through Sixth Grade, but I won’t let this inflate my ego. I always look forward to reading these letters.

Other stuff being studied in various rooms: long division, Native Americans, figuring out meanings of Pesukim using context clues, Reuven “negotiating” with Yaakov Avinu to take Binyamin to Mitzrayim, completion of Meseches Megillah, prepping for Berachos Bees/Bowl, Lincoln’s 200th BD, the idea of K’siv and K’ree in Tanach, pre-algebra (variables and expressions), making volcanoes erupt, and lots of other fun stuff.

Good Shabbos!

Sincerely,

Rabbi Yitzchak Charner Headmaster

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who made our 6th Annual Chinese Auction the tremendous success it was. We could not have pulled it off with out our volunteers. You helped solicit prizes, made phone calls, donated money and or prizes, helped with mailings, hung up posters, made the ticket packages, contacted shuls, spread the word, brought your fiends, schlepped the prizes to Beth Sholom, set up our sound system, helped set up the day of, built the lawn mower and stroller, entered all the pre-ordered tickets, created the play dough teeth, sold tickets, exchanged tickets, welcomed all the guests on the evening of the auction, emceed, helped with the ticket drawing, kept record of all the winners, gave out prizes at the end of the evening, stayed late to clean up, schlepped crates etc. back to school, and were supportive until the end. Thank you so much! Chana and Pirchie, your creativity and dedication once again helped to make this evening so beautiful. You are the ones who pull everything together in the end and make our "dirty work" look so presentable! Working with you is always enjoyable! To an anonymous dedicated soul, thank you for the enormous time and energy you spent bringing us into the 21st century. Azik and Chaim, thank for the delicious food and BIG cookies! Marlene, Anne and Jodi, we know we added to your already packed daily schedules, - we could not have done it without you. We won’t bother you again for a couple months... Rabbi Charner and Rabbi Lutch thank you for doing any job we asked you to do. And last but not least, we want to thank our families for their dedication to the Chinese Auction. Elana, Jessica and Rochel P.S. Thanks Sam & Jay for taking home the babysitters.

rExEl©Y§t¦il̈d

!

A Project of theTorah School of Greater Washington

Berachah of the week:Berachah #9 - ohbav vfrc

“Year of Prosperity”This is a request for Parnassah, making a good living. It opens with our asking Hashemto bless this year and all of its “crops” for good. In “Rav Schwab on Prayer” (pg. 463), itsays: The word vtuc, (crops) here does not refer only to “grain” or “produce” - that is thefocus of the next phrase - but rather, it means all forms of “production,” which means all

business, manufactured goods, and services to others that we produce. We, then,specifically ask for a Berachah for agricultural produce. Depending on the season, we

either request dew and rain or just blessing “on the face of the earth.”

Wake up to prayer!

We all work very hard to “bring bread toour tables” and, therefore, we tend to think that ourefforts and talents are the determinants in ourHatzlacha. Nevertheless, in this blessing, weagain underscore our belief that we are entirelydependent on the Ribbono Shel Olam for successin all our endeavors.

The Talmud (Beitzah 16a) tells us that theamount of one’s livelihood for the year is decidedby HaKadosh Baruch Hu between Rosh HaShanahand Yom Kippur. Since that is so, what is thepurpose of our thrice-daily petition to G-d forParnassah? Hasn’t the decision already beenmade? Rav Schwab, ZT’L (pgs 461-463, 466)answers (based upon the continuation of the aboveGemarrah) that the “predetermination of one’sParnassah can be changed by the amount onespends for Shabbos and Tom Tov or the amount hespends for the Torah education of his children.”This “means that the more one extends hisactivities in the areas of Shemiras Shabbos and insupporting Torah learning, the more money he willearn. This does not mean merely that one willmake up his additional expenditures, but rather, uk ihphxun ;hxuv ot, which means: If a personincreases his expenditures in these areas,

HaKadosh Baruch Hu will increase His benefitsto this individual, and he will receive much morein return.

Therefore, the meaning of /// ubhkg lrc" ",tzv vbav is that we ask HaKadosh Baruch Huto bless the efforts that we have made in earningour livelihood, the benefits of which we used forexpanded expenditures for Shabbos and Yom Tovand for the support of Torah.”

In this Berachah, we can add personalrequests for ourselves and others who are infinancial need. Obviously, the current economicsituation gives us plenty of reason for theseheartfelt entreaties. Such an insertion should bemade just before the words "///ub,ba lrcu".

s"xc

vk̈h ¦p §T©k UrUgVolume II February 13, 2009Issue 15