Ma Koreh?
What’s Happening?
December Newsletter
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This month's issue features:
- D'var Kesher
- Scholarship Match Campaign
- Highlights this Month
- CJDS Alumni Spotlight Featuring Dafna Skolnik
- Photo Highlights
- Why I Teach at CJDS Featuring Joanna Vilensky
- CJDS in the News
- Community Milestones
- Community Events and Calendar
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D’var Kesher from Head of School
Rachel Arcus-Goldberg
December 3, 2021 / Kislev 30, 5782
Genesis 41:1 - 44:17
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On Wednesday afternoon, the 5th Grade invited me to visit their Science class. They had conducted an audit of the school’s carbon footprint, and had suggestions to make CJDS more environmentally conscious. The recommendations ranged from turning off lights in the classrooms when they’re not being used, to installing solar panels on the roof of the building.
At CJDS, we help the students connect to the concept of “bringing light” as we study Hanukkah. While on Hanukkah we celebrate light in the physical sense, with the students, we talk about what it means to bring light to the world from a social, emotional, or spiritual perspective. In their own ways, each class is exploring the idea of bringing light to others over this Hanukkah.
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In Kindergarten, the students started a collection of baby items to give to Seeds for Change for the organization Bundled with Love. In First Grade, the students made Hanukkiot out of recyclable materials and donated them to Wexner Heritage Village for the residents to have in their rooms over the holiday. The Fourth Grade coordinated a food drive and collected 263 food items and 15 bags of greens and herbs from our Tower Gardens items to donate to the New Albany Food Pantry.
When we use the shamash to light the candles of our Hanukkiah, the flame of the shamash does not diminish as it spreads it’s flame to the other candles. Together, when all of the candles are lit, we have a wonderful, warm source of light. So too, when we spread light in the world, it does not diminish our own light. Rather, we are creating more light for the people we help, and in total make the world a lighter, warmer place.
As the 5th Graders pointed out to me, however, the world is becoming a warmer place, and not in a good way. The heat of the water, the amount of carbon dioxide in the air, and the overall energy consumption is quite concerning. Lots of people look at this problem and think “this is too big for me to make a difference.” But these students took the opposite stance. In their opinion, everything we are able to do to reduce our carbon footprint will help. So, we ended the class period with action items.
First, the 5th Graders will tackle the “low hanging fruit” - informing the students and teachers about the importance of turning off the lights when they leave the room, turning off the water when they’re not using it, and photocopying on both sides of the paper to reduce our paper consumption. We also reached out to our colleagues at Mad Science and scheduled a giant tree planting event for Arbor Day! (We hope you’ll join us on Friday, April 29th to plant 300 trees on our campus!)
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For the “big ticket” items, I told the students that they will have to get more people on board. For instance, the students advocated that solar panels on top of the building could benefit both the school and the earth - reducing our carbon footprint, and reducing our electrical bills by using renewable energy. The students will prepare to present this idea to the Board of Trustees of CJDS and to our building partners at the JCC and Jewish Columbus. They know that they will have to research cost, construction, timelines, tax rebates and more to make their case - and they are motivated and excited to do so.
This Hanukkah, we are working both to spread more light, and reduce our light consumption. In the study of mussar, the Jewish spiritual practice that gives concrete instructions on how to live a meaningful and ethical life, everything is about balance. Rabbi Simcha Bunim of Peshischa, a Hasidic master whose story is told by Martin Buber in Tales of the Hasidim: the Later Masters teaches that life is a balancing act. He advises us to keep two pieces of paper in our pockets at all times. On one it should say “I am a speck of dust” and on the other “The world was created for me.” He challenges us to keep both of these concepts accessible to maintain balance.
When it comes to caring for the environment, those who feel that this issue is too big, are allowing the “I am a speck of dust” narrative to dominate their perception. On the other hand, maintaining an attitude that “the world was created for me” can lead to misuse of resources, or the aggrandizement of how one nation, industry, or renewable energy source is the solution. The 5th graders embraced the balance. They cannot solve this alone, but they also will do what they can.
In fact, over the course of this Hanukkah period, I have seen that balance play out among all of our classes as they make efforts to bring light to others. Poverty, food insecurity, and care for the elders are not issues that they will be able to solve through their efforts. Nevertheless, it is important to do what we can. After all, spreading light does not diminish our own light.
I wish you all a Hanukkah filled with light, Happy Holidays, and a joyous New Year.
Shabbat Shalom,
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Scholarship Match Campaign |
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TO ALL OUR FRIENDS OF CJDS:
With four days left in our fall Scholarship Match Campaign, we have raised over $130,000 including the dollar-for-dollar match from a generous donor couple who helped make the success of this Campaign possible. For those of you who have yet to make a commitment, please click here, text "CJDSGive" to 44-321, or send a check to CJDS at 150 East Granville Road, New Albany, OH 43054.
To our Matching Gift Donors and to all our donors, including parents, grandparents, faculty and staff, we say a big Todah! Thank you! Your support underscores the strength of the school, and is evidence of how important we all believe it to be in fostering an exceptional Jewish and academic experience.
On behalf of the Board, the Development Committee and most of all the students, our deep appreciation and best wishes for the remainder of the Hanukkah holiday.
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We are amazed by the kindness of the CJDS community!
Sincerely,
Steven Edelstein
CJDS Development Committee Chair
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Exploring Lighting Design
Fourth graders have been learning about Lighting Design in Performing Arts with Giselle by creating mini scenes using unifix cubes and flashlights under their chairs.
The students learned how stage lights are used to create mood and setting while exploring moments of light and dark with flashlights.
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How long does it take to water a camel?
In a lesson integrating Humash and Math, fourth graders learned what a hard task Rivkah had when she offered to water Avraham’s camels. The class read the parashah detailing how Avraham’s servant showed up at the well and asked for some water for himself. Rivkah offered to water the ten thirsty camels that accompanied the servant, which he took as a sign that she would be Yitzhak’s wife.
The students wanted to figure out how long it would take Rivkah to complete her task. Each camel drinks about 50 gallons of water, so students calculated how much water Rivkah needed to draw from the well, and performed a simulation to figure out how long it would take her.
Fourth grade students carried a total of 240 gallons of water in 10 minutes, then extrapolated how long it would take one girl to carry 500 gallons. The simulation took on the appearance of a relay race, but students came away with a new respect for Rivkah, and some new math skills!
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Hanukkah in the Classroom |
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Fourth graders have been studying the holiday of Hanukkah. They recalled the two miracles we commemorate and sorted Hebrew sentences that are connected to each miracle. |
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Second graders made Hanukkah decorations and hung them up in their classroom. |
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First graders drew important parts of the Hanukkah story on dreidels that they then put in order to make standing dreidel decorations. |
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Repairing the World
Our youngest and oldest grades having been leading donation drives this month for families in need. Our fifth grade class created signs, and this video to gain momentum to reach their goal. The fourth graders collected 263 food items and 15 bags of greens and herbs from the CJDS Tower Gardens.
As part of the Kindergarten unit "What can I do for others in God's creation?" Kindergarteners chose a charity, and created signs for this heartwarming service learning project. In partnership with Seeds for Change for the organization Bundled with Love, kindergarteners collected items for a baby clothing drive. They filled 4 WAGONS FULL of donations!! CJDS students continue to amaze us all as they change the world!
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Kindergarten Shabbat Kit Making
CJDS kindergartens have worked hard to prepare for sharing Kabbalat Shabbat with their parents.
Each child decorated their own Shabbat table, including clay candlesticks and kiddush cups they made in art class with Ms. Debbie. They also created their own challah cover and Shabbat booklet to share with their family.
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Sigd at CJDS
Michal Avera Samuel, JewishColumbus Israeli Senior Shlicha, CEO of Fidel – Association for Education and Social Integration of Ethiopian Jews in Israel, and 3rd grader Mulu’s mom led a special program this month at CJDS on Sigd.
The Sigd is a unique holiday of the Ethiopian Jewish community, and is celebrated on the 29th of the Hebrew month of Heshvan, 50 days after Yom Kippur. Since 2008, it has been recognized as a state holiday for all Israelis and appears on Jewish calendars in the diaspora as well.
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Celebrating CJDS Alum
Featuring Dafna Skolnik
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This months Alumni Spotlight is Dafna Skolnik, currently a 7th grader at Columbus Torah Academy.
Dafna is a philanthropist, baker, pianist, babysitter, and jewelry maker, and recently made a donation to Columbus Jewish Day School in honor of a friend she met from her time at CJDS.
"When I found out that Caleb was sick, I wanted to do something. Since CJDS is a place that is so important to both of us, I chose to give tzedakah there. I love CJDS and even though I was only a student there for two years, after having moved here from Florida, it had such a huge impact on my life."
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"CJDS is really unlike any other school I've ever been to - being so small, it's like it's own tiny community or family. Everyone supports each other and everyone is friends. I remember the first day I walked into CJDS - a little nervous and scared - but I came home having made like 5 friends already! I carry all of the awesome experiences I had at CJDS with me all the time, and I think of them often while I am working hard in middle school."
Right now, I'm practicing a lot for my bat-mitzvah, still taking piano lessons (and preparing for another guild audition in the spring), babysitting often (always looking for new clients!) and making cake pops and jewelry!"
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We want to FEATURE YOU in our next newsletter and on our social media channels.
Are you a CJDS alum who recently graduated high school or college? We want to know your next steps! We want to hear about your professional accomplishments, and how CJDS has impacted your educational and Jewish journey.
Reach out to our Alumni Coordinator here. We want to hear from you!
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After studying the Declaration of Independence, fourth graders rewrote it so that five year olds would understand it. They then presented their documents to the kindergarteners. |
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Harvesting Greens for the New Albany Food Pantry from our Tower Gardens! |
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CJDS fourth and fifth graders practicing yoga during their Morning Meeting! |
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Second graders read a Hebrew book about Hanukkah and then played a game that involved putting the story in order. |
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Fifth graders shared their personal narratives in Language Arts today. Students gave each other feedback based on the Six Traits of writing. |
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Kindergarteners are studying measurement by exploring weight. Using the words heavier than and lighter than, students chose different Shabbat items from the classroom to compare their weight, then charted their findings. |
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Joanna Vilensky
Fourth & Fifth Grade General Studies Teacher
"I love the integrated curriculum at CJDS. Here students learn reading comprehension skills in both Language Arts and Judaics. They study Science in Social Studies and they learn Math in Art. Education should not be separated into distinct subjects. Rather, each class should reinforce the lessons of the other subjects. Ensuring that integration takes place is an exciting process to be a part of."
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Joanna received a Bachelor of Arts from Kenyon College, a Master of Arts from The University of Chicago’s Divinity School, and a Master of Science in Education from Northwestern University. She has lived all over the country, from California to Pennsylvania, racking up teaching licenses in four states. She happily returned to her hometown of Columbus five years ago. She loves encouraging kids to think deeply about the world and ask as many questions as possible.
Joanna also loves teaching because it allows her to be a lifelong learner and believes she learns the most from her students. The warmth of CJDS and the holistic approach to education impresses her and is aligned with her own philosophy and values. Outside of school, you can see Joanna with her head in a book, writing, playing with her two kids, working out, baking, and hiking.
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CJDS encourages vaccine 'superhero' students
Students at Columbus Jewish Day School in New Albany are getting vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus through Nationwide Children's Hospital's Vaccine Superheroes program. Under the program, as the children walked into the clinic room, they were ...
Read more
www.columbusjewishnews.com
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Mazel Tov
The Columbus Jewish Day School/Columbus Torah Academy third and fourth grade soccer team were recently highlighted in Columbus Jewish News for making it to the semi-finals, but were unfortunately were eliminated just shy of the finals.
Mazel Tov to Ed & Lori Sachs, CJDS Building Substitute, and CJDS alum Eric Sachs & his financé Catherine Olsen on their recent engagement.
Mazel Tov to the Berman Family on the birth of Raquel Aliza Berman. Mazel Tov to proud CJDS Grandparents Rabbi Harold & Beth Berman, and proud parents Jordan & Liz Berman.
Mazel Tov to CJDS parents Jay & Shana Sokol, owners of the Buckeye Candy Company, on recently being featured in the Columbus Dispatch for Small Business Saturday.
Mazel Tov to alumni parent Brett Kaufman on being a 2021 Bexley High School Distinguished Alumni Award recipient. Brett was invited to speak to juniors and seniors at the assembly while accepting his award.
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Mi Sh'Berach
We wish a full and speedy recovery to the following people:
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Caleb Moses, class of 2020
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Terry Mitzman, Grandparent of CJDS students Rayna, Yoni, and Naomi
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Naomi Kayne, longtime friend and supporter of CJDS
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Jacob Cohen, class of 2015
We extend our prayers to any family in our community who may be impacted by coronavirus.
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Zichronam Livracha (May Their Memory Be a Blessing)
We extend our sympathies to the Middleton family on the loss of CJDS founding Teacher Maxine (Stevens) Middleton. Maxine was one a kind, and she will be missed.
We extend our sympathies to Herb and DeeDee Glimcher on the loss of Herb's cousin Yakov Valdman.
We extend our prayers to any family in our community who may be impacted by coronavirus.
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December
- Friday, December 17 - 1:40-2:15pm - All School Kabbalat Shabbat - 4th Grade Led
Seating is limited, so you must RSVP to Amanda Chernyak ahead of all events if you would like to attend in person.
To keep our community safe:
- Reservations are required
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Proof of vaccine and masking is required upon entry for all indoor events. Please make sure to bring your proof of vaccination cards and a mask for these all school events.
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