Ma Koreh?
What’s Happening?
October Newsletter
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October 7, 2022 / 12 Tishri 5783
This month's issue features:
- D'var Kesher from Rabbi Morris Allen
- We are Turning 25 - Save the dates!
- Tickets on Sale Now
- Highlights this Month
- Photo Highlights
- Heard in the Halls
- CJDS in the News
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Alumni Spotlight featuring Jackie Levine
- Alumni Save the Dates & Facebook Group
- Rolling Enrollment for 22-23
- Community Milestones
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A Message from Rabbi Allen |
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Greetings!
As a child, there were two important events each spring and each fall. In (just) Spring, I couldn't wait for Opening Day and for Pesach. In Autumn, I couldn't wait for the Tishri holidays and the World Series. I was convinced, as a young child, that God must have been a Baseball Fan--for the only two Spring-Fall cycles that match are the Torah's Festival cycle and America's Baseball season. Pesach is to Opening Day as the Tishri Festivals are to the World Series. I can still remember the joy when the World Series actually overlapped with Yom Kippur or Sukkot!
While there are many layers to the meaning of our festivals, our agrarian roots are clearly at play here. From the planting in spring (Pesach) to the first harvest in early summer (Shavuot) to the final yearly harvest (Sukkot), our festival cycle follows a Northern Hemisphere growing pattern-consistent with our roots in the Land of Israel. Over the centuries, and certainly in more recent years, modern Jewish (save for a sliver of Israeli and a few Millennial American Jews) society have lost the agricultural connection to the 3 Pilgrimage Festivals. We have become mostly urban and suburban dwellers, removed from the land and the production of our own food. Into that void, comes CJDS and the amazing work that we do with teaching our students what it means to be "Shomrei Ha'adamah --Guardians of the Land." It is a message that is found in the opening chapters of Sefer Beresheit (which we will begin on Simhat Torah) and which weaves its way throughout all of Torah. We create significant and serious academic connections for our students to fully embrace that concept. And yet, understanding our role as “Guardians of the Land” does not negate the responsibility we have for one another. Whether our students are learning about soil science and testing for mineral content or our students are learning about pollination and the role that pollinators play in agricultural growth, we never lose sight of what we can do to help another in need. So, as a result of both our indoor and outdoor gardens -we produce vegetables, lettuce, herbs to share with the New Albany Food Shelf--providing some of the only fresh produce its clients will have access to all year.
This week, as we focus on Sukkot and the role it plays as our Harvest Festival, our 4th grade students were visited by Ellen Danford from the Department of Entomology at The Ohio State University. She has been collecting population data on the insects around our Vegetable Garden (Gan Ha Or) for 6 months. She donated 24 native plants that the 4th graders planted this week in hopes that the insect population will increase which would likely increase plants being pollinated —thus increasing production in Gan Ha Or. Learning about the impact of biodiversity and the impact of insect population decline on plants will provide our students with lessons they will carry through life. Below, you can see and read what our students did with this planting. Our 4th graders offered blessings as they planted these little native plants--may their blessings and the blessings of CJDS continue to be realized this year and years that follow. The work these students do at CJDS gives new meaning to a "mighty hand and an outstretched arm."
Shabbat Shalom and may Sukkot/Shemini Atzeret-Simchat Torah be filled with joy and celebration!
Rabbi Morris Allen
Transitional Head of School
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"May you let this plant grow and thrive."
"May you grow big strong and strong and love the rolly-pollys and worms."
"I hope you will grow big and attract bees and worms to our garden."
"May you grow big and tall and have a log, fun, and happy life."
"May you live a full, and good life. Grow big, and be strong."
"May you be strong, and use nutrients to grow big and strong."
"Grow big and strong and take care of your rolly-polly friends."
"May you grow big, beautiful, and be a healthy plant."
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Save the Date: We are Turning 25! |
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CJDS is turning 25 and we are celebrating all year long!
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Sunday, November 6: CJDS has partnered with the Jewish Community Center of Greater Columbus! We will be co-hosting a film at the Jewish Film Festival. Join us on November 6th at the Drexel from 11am-1pm for a special viewing of "The Abraham Joshua Heschel Story." Tickets are available for purchase here.
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Sunday, November 27th: Alumni Event - Make sure to join our Facebook Alumni Group to hear all updates about this upcoming Alumni Event hosted by CJDS Teachers: Eran Rosenberg, Kristina Palma, Ali Greenland, Annelyn Baron, Katie Feldstein, and Dr. Gina Freeman.
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Sunday, April 23, 2023: Help us celebrate our 25th Anniversary of the school opening. All details forthcoming.
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Third graders with their Kindergarten buddies making mini sukkahs! |
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Second and fifth graders during buddy time! |
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Aztec hot chocolate time. Ask a fifth grader what the secret ingredient is! |
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First graders wrote “sliha stories,” thinking back on a time in the past year when they needed to say sorry and how they made it better. |
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First graders were making the Hebrew letter “gimmel” with their bodies to help learn the Hebrew letter. |
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Last week our Teachers celebrated National Coffee Day!! Thank you to our Parent Organization Kesher for providing coffee for CJDS Teachers and Staff! |
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Tashlikh is a time to take ownership of who we are and make decisions about who we wish to be. When we look at ourselves, we may see things we don’t wish to carry with us into the New Year.
During buddy time at the pond last Friday, our students took part in the Tashlikh Service. On dissolving paper, students wrote the attitudes, worries, fears, and behaviors we want to leave behind.
Then we symbolically casted our paper off to the pond so we can enter the New Year 5783 with a clean slate.
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How great be able to welcome 10 of our community Rabbis to our Sukkah
today during our Kabbalat Hag Sukkot.
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How great to see so many CJDS families ordering lulavim & etrogim this year. Chag Sameach!
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Reverse Tashlich
Columbus Jewish Day School became the first Jewish Day School in the Nation to practice Reverse Tashlich. Students hiked to a nearby park in New Albany: Rose Run Creek, and with the assistance of CJDS Related Arts & Science Faculty and Judaics Team.
Once students arrived at Rose Run Creek, they netted aquatic life, drew a picture about the wonders of nature and collected trash to prevent the Creek from being polluted - we called this "Reverse Tashlich." Afterwards, fourth graders sorted the collected trash, categorizing by their type of material and then counted the collected pieces. The highest number of pieces they collected was plastics (184 pieces). They submitted the data into an international database (Citizenship Science), and are helping National Geographic Explorers monitor the waterways in New Albany.
As a sponsoring organization of "Tikkun Hayam," CJDS students learned about the other sins that we as humans are almost always complicit in. Every year, approximately six million tons of human-made trash enter the water, posing health and safety hazards to the animals that call the sea their home. Marine debris is a blatant violation of the fundamental Jewish ethical principle: Bal Taschit. You can see pictures below of the amazing work our students did in cleaning our creek near the school. Nearly 15 pounds of waste was extracted from the Creek and in the process, we took responsibility for the errors of others and began the process of repair.
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CJDS Sleepover
The 5th Grade Leadership Sleepover started with some fun games and continued with Tefillat Arvit, the evening service.
The class focused on the Hashkivenu prayer in which we ask God to protect us during the night. A flashlight scavenger hunt, where teams of two students were tied together with a yarn and had to find their way in the dark building using flashlights, was a highlight! Each location in the hunt contained a code that they had to work as a group to solve to find the next location, and in each location there was a piece of the puzzle. When all the pieces of the puzzle were put together, the final location was revealed.
Students’ activity of choice was Hide and Seek where their teachers Eran and Ms. V were the seekers. It took them some time to find all the students… The next morning started with a beautiful Tefillah next to the pond and a delicious breakfast catered by Chef Sheri!
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Check out how CJDS students are celebrating the High Holy Days at CJDS.
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Alumni Spotlight featuring Jackie Levine |
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This month's alumni spotlight is Jackie Levine!
My name is Jackie Levine and I graduated from Columbus Jewish Day School in 2008. Attending CJDS was one of the best decisions my parents could have made for me. I graduated with 8 students in my class total, so CJDS allowed me to have one-on-one help, while still being in my tight knit class.
One of my favorite memories from attending CJDS was receiving our Humash and being wrapped around the Torah. I always enjoyed flying the kites every year in the fields nearby and the rollerblading/bike week in gym class. I often think about my reading buddies I got partnered with in 4th and 5th grade and where they are in life.
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CJDS taught me the foundation on how to be confident with myself. By the time I was Bat Mitzvahed, I was way ahead from studying Hebrew. I was able to do more of my service by myself without the Rabbi.
In college, I had the confidence in myself to work with Chabad to get their Shabbat dinners from 5 people to 50+ people. I have always enjoyed being able to build up the Jewish community.
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Now I live in St Pete, Florida and work as a REALTOR. I started putting on a monthly happy hour for Jewish young professionals in the area and it's so far been a big success.
I'm very thankful for social media today as that's how I've stayed in touch with so many of my favorite teachers from CJDS.
Last thing, I'm still looking for my NJB in the Tampa Bay area. If you have connections, send them my way!
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Alumni Students: Save the Date! |
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Sunday, November 27th:
- Alumni Event - hosted by CJDS Teachers (past & present): Eran Rosenberg, Kristina Palma, Ali Greenland, Annelyn Baron, Katie Feldstein, and Dr. Gina Freeman.
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Make sure to join our Facebook Alumni Group to hear all updates about this upcoming Alumni Event
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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. We want to FEATURE YOU in our next newsletter! Reach out to our Alumni Coordinator here. We want to hear from you!
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There's Still Space for 2022-2023! |
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At CJDS, we believe in the importance of formative experiences in elementary school, learning for life and providing the best education for your child from the moment they enter Kindergarten through their graduation from 5th Grade.
Why Should You Choose CJDS for your Child?
- CJDS students engage in an integrated learning model - making connections among concepts and applying skills to real world situations
- Small class sizes - two teachers per classroom - which also supports individualized learning
- Academic excellence - CJDS students score on average 9% above national testing norms
- STEAM focused programs
- Dual Language Curriculum
- Outdoor classrooms - we use our outdoor space all the time!
- Social and emotional learning
- Strong community and Jewish values
- Community Engagement Grant available for First Year CJDS students
We would love the opportunity to meet with your family and share how the CJDS community could support your child's educational journey.
We look forward to partnering with you as you explore schools to find the best fit for your child - what an exciting milestone for your family!
Interested in applying? Here are the admission steps:
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Mazel Tov
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Mazel Tov to Caleb Moses, (CJDS 6th grade Class of 2020), as he will be celebrating his Bar Mitzvah at CJDS next week.
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Mazel Tov to Ross and Ari Friedman on the birth of Ruby Rae Friedman born on September 4, 2022. Mazal Tov to the proud grandparents Cheri & Tod Friedman and Mike & Etti Scheier and the entire Friedman and Scheier families!
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Mazel Tov to the 18 Difference Makers, including Joy Soll (Alumni parent), Ben Zox (Alumni Grandparent), Brad and Holly Kastan (CJDS founders), Andy Shafran (CJDS Strategic Planning Committee Member), Judie Swedlow (CJDS Volunteer).
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Mazel Tov to CJDS alumni at Wexner Service Corps working on a Habitat for Humanity house: Jonah Young, Ethan Nguyen, Ace Hillman, Remy Schottenstein. Gmar Hatima Tova!
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Mi Sh'Berach
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We wish a full and speedy recovery to Caleb Moses, class of 2020
We extend our prayers to any family in our community who may be impacted by coronavirus.
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Interested in having CJDS promote one of your family-focused events?
Please email your flyer to Kerry Selfinger, for us to include it in the Ma Koreh.
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CJDS Events Open to the Community |
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We hope you will join us for one of our upcoming Kabbalat Shabbats! |
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October
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Thursday, October 13: 8:30am - CJDS Open House & Tour
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Thursday, October 13: 1:00-3:15pm - Sukkot Celebration
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Friday, October 14: 1:35-2:20pm - Simhat Torah Kabbalat Hag & Kite Flying
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Thursday, October 27: 8:30am - CJDS Open House & Tour
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Sunday, October 30: 3-4:30pm - CJDS Open House at JCC - Zusman Building & Playground on College Ave.
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CJDS is a proud partner of: |
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