Volume 4, Issue 13 | April 16, 2026

Ushering in a two-week period of meaning, mourning, and celebrating for the Jewish people as we observe Yom HaShoah, Yom HaZikaron, and Yom HaAtzmaut, Mercaz is immersed in lessons surrounding peoplehood, history, and place. Read on for a glimpse into our week at school and reminders about important upcoming events.

Around Mercaz Academy

🕯️ “Remember and Tell Your Children”: A Survivor's Story on Yom HaShoah

On Holocaust Remembrance Day, Mercaz Academy fifth- and sixth-graders had the meaningful, and increasingly rare, opportunity to hear from a survivor in our community. Zelda Polofsky, a Plainview resident born in Lithuania who survived the Holocaust in hiding, shared her story in a moving Yom HaShoah program.

Mrs. Polofsky described how the Nazis arrived on motorcycles in her small town in 1941, where she lived with her parents and sister. After several failed escape attempts from the Breslov ghetto, her father led their family and others to safety at a local farmer’s homestead, where they were hidden in an attic and barn for three years. Of the 10 in their group, nine survived. Mrs. Polofsky spoke with pride about her father’s courage – not only in saving his own family, but in risking everything to protect others.

After liberation by the Russians, the family returned home but encountered antisemitism. They searched for a new life, staying in Displaced Person camps and crossing borders before eventually reaching America.

During a Q&A, students asked thoughtful questions about her experience, and Mrs. Polofsky shared that being in hiding with her parents, rather than alone, gave her strength, and that the greatest miracle of her story was her faith: “I believed in God, and that’s what helped me to survive.”

She concluded with a message of responsibility: “Remember the Holocaust and tell your children,” she said, adding, “And make Israel a priority. We had no power before, but now we have a strong country.”

☀️ Introducing Sephardi Shacharit at Mercaz 📖

This week Mercaz implemented a new initiative to better serve our diverse student body: a davening option in the Sephardi nusach, or prayer tradition. Until now, all 4th to 6th grade students said morning prayers together in the Ashkenazi style; now, for the first time, Mercaz students can choose between Ashkenazi and Sephardi shacharit services. Mercaz has purchased a new set of Sephardi siddurim, or prayer books, for the tefillah.

Students already have the option to select the Sephardi or Ashkenazi tradition for afternoon mincha; Rabbi Fogel felt it was the right time to expand the practice to morning prayers as well. “I’m very proud of this change. Half of our students have Sephardi heritage,” said Rabbi Fogel. “They should be able to learn to daven in their family’s tradition.”

This week, the prayers were guided by school administrator Janet Akhavan and Israeli bat sherut Hodaya Asulin, who will take over starting next week, along with a student chazzan. “They can tap into their roots,” said Mrs. Akhavan. “I love it because I get to tell all the children the meaning of each one of the prayers they do. For example during Ashrei, when they open their hands, they can ask Hashem for anything. Davening is an opportunity to feel they are connecting with Hashem.”

In the Classroom

⚖️ Nursery Bet: Weights and Measures

Nursery Bet was introduced to basic scientific principles this week through a hands-on exploration of weights and measurement. Using a balance scale, students placed a variety of objects and play materials on each side, discovering that the scale only balances when both sides are equal. As they experimented with blocks, manipulatives, and everyday classroom items, they began to develop an understanding of comparison, estimation, and cause and effect, building skills for future scientific experiments while engaging in playful, inquiry-based learning.

🙌 Kindergarten: Growing in Tefillah

Learning to pray from a siddur is an important step in developing davening skills, as students begin to follow along with the words, recognize familiar Hebrew sounds, and connect more independently to the brachot and prayers they recite each morning. While kindergarten students still have another year before receiving their first “official” siddur, this week they began using their own personalized siddurim filled with pages they’ve illustrated and colored throughout the year. The proud kindergarteners carefully followed along with each prayer and song in their new texts, bringing a sense of excitement, ownership, and meaning to their morning prayers.

🇺🇸 Fifth Grade: 3D Print Across the USA

As part of their preparation for the upcoming State Fair, fifth graders are bringing Mercaz’s newest technology into the classroom – 3D printing! After researching their assigned states, each student selects a key feature of the state to represent and bring to life through 3D design. Using Tinkercad, a beginner-friendly platform, they learn to create, refine, and optimize their models for printing – developing real-world design and problem-solving skills along the way. Students then take turns using our 3D printer to produce their state-inspired creations, turning their digital ideas into tangible objects. One fifth-grader designed a facsimile of the Grand Canyon for Arizona, and another printed the Hollywood sign for California. We can’t wait to see their final projects on display at the Fair!

💬 Counselor's Corner

Each month, our school counselor Stephanie Bobroff puts together a collection of highlights from our Social Emotional Learning curriculum by grade. We'll be sharing it in our newsletter.

Click the graphic on the left or this link to read April's Counselor Corner!

GrowTorah

🇮🇱 Connecting to Eretz Yisrael

This week in the Mercaz GrowTorah garden, we began preparing for Yom Ha'Atzmaut by learning about the chalutzim - early pioneers who arrived in a rugged and underdeveloped Eretz Yisrael, encountered unfamiliar soil and challenging conditions, and worked with incredible determination to make the land flourish. Inspired by their resilience, we enriched our beds with organic fertilizer and planted spring seedlings - from lettuces to beets, kale, and Swiss chard - while learning their English and Hebrew names.

Along the way, we explored the mitzvah of kilayim, the prohibition against mixing certain species, and discussed how its applications differ inside and outside Israel. Bringing this concept to life, students viewed our garden through a halachic lens, imagining it was located in Israel and carefully measuring and spacing their seedlings accordingly to ensure proper separation.

Looking for more ways to connect nature and Torah? Check out the GrowTorah Leaf newsletter.