Am Yisrael SJS Limmud/Education Update 2-14-19
ט״ אדר א  תשע"ט    
פרשת תצוה

February and March Upcoming Programming is listed directly below and updated weekly.  Thank you in advance for your RSVP's.  Our planning is dependent on your responses.

SJS is NOT in session this Sun Feb 17

Daniel Gordon becomes a Bar Mitzvah
Sat Feb 16 9:30 a.m.

Upcoming SJS Sessions meeting at regular time
Wed Feb 20;  Sun Feb 24; Wed Feb 27; Sun Mar 3; Wed Mar 6;
Sun Mar 10; Wed Mar 13; Sun Mar 17; Wed Mar 20

Zayin Mitzvah Projects Presentation -- Group A
Sun Feb 24 9:50 a.m.-10:30 a.m.

Parenting as Spiritual Practice with Rabbi Ruttenberg
Sun Feb 24 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Vav & Zayin (6th & 7th) help lead Friday Night Services
Fri Mar 1 6:00 p.m.-6:45 p.m.

Dalet & Hei (4th & 5th) help lead Friday Night Services
Fri Mar 1 6:00 p.m.-6:45 p.m.

All-SJS Family Havurah Havdalah at the Feig's Home
Sat Mar 9  5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
http://evite.me/5RyQde5DPQ

SFP/Shabbat Family Programming
Sat Mar 16 @ 9:30 a.m.

Purim Carnival
Sun Mar 17 during SJS hours

Megillah Reading
Wed Mar 20 at 6:45 p.m.
Pizza Dinner at 6:15 p.m.: RSVP to [email protected]

SJS is NOT in session for Spring Break on:
 Sun Mar 24; Wed Mar 27; Sun Mar 31

Please see Am Yisrael Events email from our 
Executive Director Nancy Holab Nevins for 
Am Yisrael Programming beyond those listed above

Shalom Everyone,  
  • Am Yisrael SJS is not in session this Sun Feb 17 in honor of President's Day Weekend.  We will resume SJS on Wed Feb 20.
  • Many of you may receive messages from  Remind from other organizations; specifically from schools or extra curricular programs.  It is one of the best services used in schools today.  We have been using it with our Madrichim and will begin using it as a way of getting out time-sensitive information to our SJS families.   
  • Mazal tov to Daniel Gordon  as he will be called to the Torah as Bar Mitzvah this Shabbat.  Mazal tov to Daniel's parents, Jennifer Marsh and Michael Gordon, his sister Rachel, and the entire family.
  • Mazal Tov to Shula Horton and Becky Jacobson and their families on the fantastic news that they were just named 2019 recipients of Springboard's 18 Under 18.  We are so proud of Shula and Becky, who have both grown up in our congregation.
  • Special thanks to Morah Sandra Mieli Kamm, our AMUSY Board and parent volunteers for helping to make the 8th Grade Surprise Breakfast a huge success this past Sunday!  
  • Special thanks to Jessica Lensch-Falk and Miriam Appel for coordinating an amazing mitzvah project at the Ark with their educator Rebecca Fletcher this past Sunday.  This was an amazing product of the Room Parent Program.
  • This past Sun Feb 10 the International Executive Board (IEB) of USY was at Am Yisrael as part of their meetings in Chicago.  As part of this gathering our Rabbi Newman Kamin, who as you know is the President of the Rabbinical Assembly that serves Rabbis internationally, met Noa Kligfield, the USY International President.  Special thanks to our teacher Morah Aviva Tilles for bring the USY IEB to Am Yisrael to run programming for our Middle and High School students and madrichim.   


BRINGING IN ITEMS TO SUPPORT THE ARK:
As one of his Bar Mitzvah projects, Zayin student Ben Goldfeder and Am Yisrael are teaming to support the Ark clients:  https://arkchicago.org

Here are the items we are collecting:

- Camp Am Yisrael and Gan (Infants through 6 years old): Diapers large Sizes 5 and 6
- Alef/Bet (1st-2nd Grades): Organic Granola or Protein Bars
- Gimel (3rd Grade): Travel Size Toothpastes
- Dalet (4th Grade): Bars of Body Soap
- Hei (5th Grade): Shampoos
- Vav (6th Grade): Organic Canned fruits and vegetables (pineapple and corn) - peel back or regular lids 
- Zayin (7th Grade): Canned low sodium soup (chicken noodle, chicken matzo ball or vegetable)
- Prozdor (8th Grade): Organic Pastas (gluten or non-gluten free)
- Pardes/Tichon (9th-12th Grades): Unflavored hot cereals

NOTE: 
Items will be collected by Ben and a Madrich/a in the lobby area through Wed Feb 27.  Items will be brought up and stored in Rooms 7 and 8 until that day.  If you are bringing items during non-SJS hours, there is a bin in the synagogue building just outside the main synagogue office.   You are welcome to bring in other items or items assigned to other classes if you would prefer.  

Thank you so much in advance. 

SUPPORTING LEKET ISRAEL:
Written by Kira Friedel

For my Israel/Passion Mitzvah Project I am selling bracelets that will help raise money for Leket Israel! The bracelets say Healthy Food For All. Healthy Food For All means that everyone should be able to access healthy food not just junk food like chips, soda and candy. All proceeds go to Leket Israel. Bracelets cost $3.00 for one bracelet and $5.00 for two bracelets. I will be selling them during SJS.

Facts About Leket Israel
In 2004, 1.426 million people in Israel were hungry; that is 22.4% of the population of Israel. Leket Israel is one of the largest organization in Israel that feed/help the hungry. You can make sandwiches, pick fruits and vegetables and you can come to the warehouse and help move or package things up. They make over 8,000 sandwiches in a day.  HEALTHY FOOD FOR ALL!!!!


CLASS UPDATES, SCHEDULES & CURRICULUM:
New Class updates are posted on our website for Gan (3.5-6 year olds), Gimel (3rd Grade), Dalet (4th Grade) and Vav (6th Grade) which can be accessed in the link to our class schedules and updates:
https://www.amyisrael.org/classschedulesandupdates .
Updates for the other classes will be posted soon.

Class-by-class curriculum outlines for Am Yisrael SJS, can be accessed here:
https://www.amyisrael.org/sjscurriculum

SJS CALENDAR REVISED 1-30-19:
The master SJS calendar has been updated and now includes:
The Hei (5th Grade) Brunch and Family Education with Rabbi Newman Kamin was been switched from Sun Feb 10 to Sun Apr 7.  To clarify, the Hei event will take place after the Dalet brunch with the Rabbi on that same date.


ADDITIONAL CALENDAR NOTES:
Events that have been modified since the original calendar was published in June 2018 are in teal and bold font on the calendar on the website along with the printable PDF, both found at https://www.amyisrael.org/sjs-calendar.html
-If you would like access to a Google Calendar for SJS/Youth Group Programming please send me an email  [email protected]  and I will send you a link to sync it with your electronic calendar(s).

INSTAGRAM:
We have set up an Instagram Account.  Please follow us
@amyisraelcongregation
 
ACCESSING MADRICHIM SCHEDULE:
January, February and March Madrichim Assignments in this link on my blog:  https://wp.me/p1PhI1-TQ

TZEDAKAH COLLECTION 5779:
Each SJS class is collecting Tzedakah throughout the year to support organizations that each class chooses with their teachers.  The class totals and organizations chosen are listed in the chart directly below.   Allocation Percentages, can be modified by students speaking with their teachers and the class as a whole coming to new consensuses.  Thus far this academic year our classes have donated a total of $532.14

SJS Tzedakah Contributions through February 13,2019:

ROOM PARENTS:
Thank you to the SJS Room Parents for helping to connect our families in various ways throughout the year.  Michelle Maer is the lead parent for the room parent program.  If you are interested in getting involved please contact Michelle either via email  [email protected]  or by phone (773) 909-6416.

TORAH & MEGILLAH CHANTING OPPORTUNITIES:
While there are many opportunities for our students and madrichim to chant from the Torah scroll, the dates that I am currently taking requests via email [email protected] or text message 847-708-1805 are: 
  • Shabbat Family Programming (SFP) taking place on Shabbat mornings: Mar 16 and May 11.
  • The Purim Megillah reading is being held Wed Mar 20 at 6:45 p.m.  
  • Intergenerational Torah Reading on Shabbat morning Apr 27 for those interested in participating.  
  • Our final opportunity for this academic year will be for Shavuot on Sun Jun 9.  On that morning we will be making some special presentations.

YOUTH GROUP OPPORTUNITIES
Last evening an email about our 8th-12th Graders signing up for Kinnus and Yom Sport was sent out by our Youth Advisor Sandra Mieli Kamm.  All the details, can be found in this link: https://conta.cc/2DAOhBT

#PARTNERSHIP: AM YISRAEL AND RAMAH
Am Yisrael has been chosen for a grant called #Partnership that will enable more of our Am Yisrael students get to my "camp alma-mater," Camp Ramah in Wisconsin.   As part of our partnership this year, we are offering a guaranteed scholarship of $1,500 to first time 4-week campers at Am Yisrael; and we have additional scholarship funds available for younger students attending the overnight or Ramah Day Camp on an as-needed basis. 


PROGRAM WITH ANNIE GLASSER FOR 5TH-7TH GRADERS
Please email Annie to RSVP: [email protected]



TU BISHVAT IN THE SCHOOLS PROGRAM:
Tree order envelopes have been sent home and we encourage you to plant trees in honor or in memory of special people in your lives.  For those participating online, please visit  www.jnf.org/trees .  Our school's UNIQUE CODE is 735734.

KEY RESOURCES TO GET MOST OF SJS EXPERIENCE:

Am Yisrael Communication on the whole:
Am Yisrael Events emails from our Executive Director Nancy Holab Nevins  [email protected]  or 847-446-7215

Access all SJS pages on our website:

SJS Manual 5779:
There are two ways to read the SJS Manual: (a) Links for each topic, beginning with fourth bullet point on:  https://www.amyisrael.org/visitors  and (b) is in PDF form:  https://images.shulcloud.com/1177/uploads/SJS-PDFs/Parent-Manual-SJS-5779-rev-8-27-18.pdf

Practicing Tefillah (Sun and Wed students):

Soundtrack for Newborns through Kitah Alef/Bet:

Talking with Our Children Following Pittsburgh Tragedy. 
We are in this together and we are stronger together:





Am Yisrael SJS Faculty:
-Mr. Allan Arnet: [email protected]  Hei (5th), Zayin (7th) and Pardes (9th/10th)
-Mr. Dennis Gelbart :  [email protected]  Dalet (4th), Vav (6th) and Kahoot Chug 
- Morah Annie Glasser:   [email protected]  Hei (5th) and Zayin (7th) JLab (Enrichment) and Youth Groups Activities
- Morah Sandra Mieli Kamm:   [email protected]  
 Zayin (7th) and Youth Groups Advisor
- Ms. Debbie Kroopkin: [email protected] Camp Am Yisrael (Newborn through 3.5 years, accompanied by adult)
- Mrs. Tikva Moustakis:   [email protected]  Dalet (4th)
- Mr. E. Marc Nevins:   [email protected]  Band Chug, Tefillah and Shabbat Morning SFP
- Ms. Sara Preis:   [email protected]  Omanut (Art) Classes and Chug 
- Ms. Diane Rosenfeld:   [email protected]  
 Alef/Bet(1st/2nd) and Wednesday Hebrew Tutoring
- Mr. Marc Sender:   [email protected]  Hei (5th)
- Mrs. Shira Sender:   [email protected]  Gimel (3rd) and Yad Squad Chug
- Ms. Sheila Serota:   [email protected]  Omanut (Art) Classes and Chug
- Hazzan Lawrence Szenes-Strauss (Mr. S.): 
[email protected]  Dalet (4th), Hei (5th), Vav (6th) and Musical Drama Chug
- Morah Aviva Tilles:   [email protected]  Prozdor (8th), Pardes & Tichon (9th-12th) & Madrichim Professional Development
- Morah Lynn Washer:   [email protected]  Gan (3.5-6 years)
- Morah Myra Weisberg:   [email protected]  Hebrew Tutor


Inclusion at Am Yisrael SJS:

Regional CHUSY
CHUSY/CRUSY Regional Teen Engagement Director: Marc Sender:  [email protected]  and CHUSY Assistant Regional Teen Engagement Director: Daniel Warshawsky: [email protected]. 

Am Yisrael Teen Babysitting Initiative
Contact Am Yisrael congregant and SJS parent Carrie Feig:  [email protected]  or 312-636-4241

B'Shalom/בשלום

Charlie Sherman, MAEd, CJE
Head of School
Am Yisrael Conservative Congregation
4 Happ Road
Northfield, IL 60093
Cell phone: 847/708.1805
Fax:  847/446.7202