September 29, 2017 | 9 Tishrei 5778  Candle Lighting | 7:15 p.m.
Vol. XVII 
No. 04
 
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In The Sof
FJA Calendar
Student Life | PSAT
PSA | Jewish News
Athletics Dept.
Rabbinics Dept.
Visual Arts
Teacher's Pet
 
Fri., Sept. 29
Erev Yom Kippur
- 12:30 p.m. Dismissal -

Sat., Sept. 30
Fast Ends @ 8:04 p.m.

Wed., Oct. 4
Erev Sukkot
- No School -
Candle Lighting @ 6:51 p.m.

Thurs., Oct. 5
Sukkot I
- No School - 
Candle Lighting @ 8:07 p.m.
 
 
Fri., Oct. 6
Sukkot II
- No School - 
Candle Lighting @ 6:47 p.m.

 
Performing Arts

"Pippin" Tickets Go
On Sale Next Week; 


Playbill Ad Form Available Online

BEGINNING ON MONDAY, Oct. 2, tickets for FJA's production of "Pippin" go on sale. The two-day run, which takes to The Berman Center for the Performing Arts on
Dec. 2-3, 2017, has already generated much buzz. 
   To purchase tickets, visit The Berman online, call the box  office at (248) 661-1900 or stroll down during lunch and actually go to the box office.
   The ad sales deadline for ads in the "Pippin" Playbill is November 1. 
   To place an ad, click on the downloadable form here .

 
Student Life

PSAT Registration Begins on Oct. 18; Test is Oct. 25

TIME TO BRUSH up on your bubble-filling: Student Life is announcing that preliminary registration for the October PSAT begins during lunch on Oct. 18 in Handleman Hall.
   The test itself will be administered beginning at 7:30 a.m. on Oct. 25 in Handleman Hall. You should plan to be there until 2 p.m. 
   Students are encouraged to arrive by 7:15 a.m. the morning of the test. 
   Questions? Please see Mrs. Rank in the Registrars Office.

 
Public Service Event

Detroit Jewish News Promotes A Day of Discussion 

THE DETROIT JEWISH News has launched an initiative to foster dialogue across the community. Called "On The Table," the hyper-local effort is a decentralized movement to have people "...gather in small groups to share food and conversation. We'll discuss what we can do to make our communities stronger, more vibrant
places where everyone -- especially young people -- can thrive."
   The JN's publisher, Arthur Horowitz, has spent considerable time and effort in trying to retain and attract young Jewish talent in Detroit. 
For more information about "On The Table," click here.

 
Fundraising Event

Grandparent/VIP Visiting Day is Approaching Soon 
CELEBRATING ITS "bar mitzvah" year, FJA's annual Grandparent/VIP Visiting Day is slated to kickoff at 9:15 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 17. 
    For more information, to register for attendance and to make your donation online, please click here .

Jerusalem had been quiet until the outbreak of the 1973 Yom Kippur War. 
 (Photo by Associated Press)
THE WEEK THAT WAS

Remembering Disruption of Yom Kippur in Jerusalem 

AT FRIDAY MORNING'S Town Hall, Morah Shoshana Janer, a faculty member in the Hebrew Department, reflected on her memories of living through the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
   Like this year, Yom Kippur fell on a Shabbat 44 years ago when, on October 6, the Egyptian and Syrian militaries simultaneously attacked Israel from the Golan Heights in the north and the Sinai Desert in the south.
   Janer, a teenager at the time, brought a sense of perspective to The Day of Awe, which is ominous in the abstract but can be somewhat staid in the relative safety of America.
  "It was the first time we turned on the radio during Y om Kippur," Janer
Morah Shoshana Janer
shared as she recalled how the Israeli government called up troop regiments through the country's broadcast network. Her older brother, Ben, was a member of the Israeli Air Force.
   Describing the shock of the country, the sound of sirens and the evacuation to bomb shelters, Janer urged students and staff to use this Yom Kippur to reflect on the importance of family, avoid prejudgment and take notice of others' needs. 

Teen Mentoring Program Launches Next Week

THE mentoring initiative called "Peer 2 Peer" plans to roll out at FJA. The program, developed by students, is similar to other advisory programs except this is a student-led initiative which peers upper- and underclassmen. 
   "Peer 2 Peer is a program developed by a group of students to provide support to each other throughout the school day," explained Rachel Ellentuck, FJA's resident social worker.  "The students are hoping to develop a sense of community and bonding across grades to build a strong, positive vibe at FJA."

The Fog of "Chag"

ON THE DAY of erev Yom Kippur, we know the fall chagim season can be stressful at times. Lots of meals to prepare, many missed days at work and school, and lots of time in synagogue. Nobody said being a Jew was always easy.
   We are off next week for Sukkot, but wish all Sof readers a meaningful fast and a year of prosperity and health. Shabbat Shalom.
Athletics Department

JAGUAR SPORTS


VOLLEYBALL | Injury-Plagued Cats Roar On
 
IT WAS AN up-and-down week for the ladies, who remain comfortably above .500 with a 7-4 record. Grappling with several injured players, the Jags struggled throughout their Monday afternoon match against Ann Arbor's  Christ The King before ceding the game. 
   Perhaps the most exciting game of this young season took place the following day when FJA hosted Cardinal Mooney on Tues., Sept. 26.  Losing the first set, the Jags bounced back to take the second set, which was a first for the cats against the birds. 
   Two additional back-and-forth set wins each wouldn't be enough for the Jags to overtake the Cardinals who would end up winning the game. Junior Stephanie Snover, who was hobbled by injury, gave a courageous effort.
   Junior Aviva Lupovitch led by example with multiple kills and digs, while seniors Ruby Ruben and Lauren Levitt bolstered the effort through multiple kills. 
   Sophomore Hannah Resnick continued her excellent serving while rolling off 10 straight serves, while newcomer Alexis Morton filled in for several of her injured teammates and delivered with multiple digs. 
   Thursday's match against Austin restored the roar with the Jags sweeping the competition 3-0.  Last night's game was a total team effort where everyone played a role in the win.
   Jaguar Volleyball returns to action with J.V. beginning at 5 p.m. next Tues., Oct. 3, hosting Sacred Heart and varsity taking to the hardwood at 6 p.m. They hope you will join them. 

CROSS COUNTRY | Personal Bests Achieved

VARSITY CROSS COUNTRY was in action Tuesday night at Hudson Mills Metropark in Dexter. Though the races were delayed due to weather, the athletes performed well.
   Senior Captain Stella Brown led the Jag girls; seniors Nicole Kahan and Audrey Rogers ran season-best times.
   On the boys' side, junior Jacob Klein led the Jags with a personal best. Juniors Zack Seiferheld and Steven Tukel also had personal records on the day. Full results are available on Athletic.net.
   The Jaguars race again on Tues., October 10 at Everest Collegiate in Clarkston. 

Rabbinic Department News

Rabbinics and Its Role at FJA
By Rabbi Avi Spodek
Chair, Rabbinics Dept.

Chair of Rabbinic Studies
AT ITS CORE, the Rabbinic process is constantly turning and returning to the venerable Jewish texts. We seek to (re)discover within them the wisdom and values necessary to help guide contemporary Jewish life. By taking the time to look back and reflect, the Rabbinic process is better able to plan for the present and the future.
   This year, the Rabbinics department is engaging in a similar activity, embarking on an exciting journey of revisiting its curricula and pedagogy, with the end goal of creating a standards-based curriculum.
   FJA is one of select number of North American Jewish Day schools that was chosen to participate in the Legacy Heritage Standards and Benchmarks Project. Our membership affords us access to experts who are helping us develop a coherent vision for teaching and learning Rabbinic literature, and a methodology to do so.
   This revamped curriculum will ultimately provide faculty and parents, alike, with a clear understanding of the department's overarching goals; and students with clear expectations and criteria for mastering the skill of Rabbinic studies, greatly improving student achievement. Have a meaningful fast and Shabbat Shalom.

Visual Arts Department

Cubists of the World, Unite

IN CERAMICS, STUDENTS are working on Cubist interpretations. The artistic interpretation, made famous by Pablo Picasso, is designed to introduce students to the Cubist Artistic Movement.
   Students will learn about Picasso with the goal of familiarizing themselves with his style of work and then create their own Cubist style clay portrait. The class will also learn how to use texture and color to create visual interest within a piece of work.
   Eventually, we hope students will be able to have their art sell at auction like their Cubist inspiration. Or, at least they will appreciate a unique medium that is sparingly employed.

 
And you thought YOU were the teacher's pet!

A famous quote by the French novelist and actress Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, who penned the novella "Gigi" under the nom de plume  Colette , sums up the relationship between a person and their pet fairly well: "Our perfect companions never have fewer than four feet." 

Jasper, my 7-year-old Golden Retriever, enjoys walking, swimming, playing outside, eating shoes and stealing my toddler's snacks. He's very social and assumes every new person he encounters wants to pet him.