Heilicher Middle School Goes to Camp Ihduhapi

By Intro to Journalism Elective

Adina T., Dalia P., Eve S., Ezra A., and Ilan G.

LORETTO — The middle school students from Heilicher Minneapolis Jewish Day School recently returned to Camp Ihduhapi to start the year off strong after a successful retreat last fall. The YMCA of the North camp is located on Lake Independence, just 30 minutes away from Heilicher in Loretto, MN.

The overnight retreat, held September 5-6, was an opportunity for 6th-8th grade students to unite as a middle school and bond within smaller team groups. Some activity options included visiting the farm, playing 9-square, and archery. Middle schoolers participated in various climbing challenges, including the rock wall, leap of faith, and vertical playpen. Team building activities integrated throughout the two days helped groups build cooperative skills and reflect upon the importance of communicating effectively.

Even though teams were mixed between grades, students still had time to bond with their classmates during the evening, meals and free time. Evening activities included a bonfire, making smores, and singing songs. Later, cabin groups played games and held interesting conversations well into the night.

Among students interviewed about their experience, the consensus is clear: Hanging out with friends at the retreat was a lot of fun. Gabby A., an 8th grade student, noted that “Our experience at the retreat was really fun. I enjoyed connecting with my classmates and other grades.” Classmates and cousins Myra B. and Rina S. commented on enjoying hanging out with friends and getting closer to them through the structured activities and freetime.

Simcha Cohen, a Hebrew teacher at Heilicher, commented that the purpose behind the middle school retreat was to offer “an opportunity for students to view themselves as leaders, not just for the middle school, but for the school as a whole.” 

Overall, the middle school retreat to Camp Ihduhapi served as a way for sixth through eighth graders to form new bonds and strengthen old ones to start the year off on a good note. This newly formed tradition at Heilicher will continue to unite the middle school for years to come.

Mark Your Calendars!

• Friday, September 27 - NO SCHOOL: Conferences
• Monday, September 30 - Heilicher Homecoming, 4:30 p.m., Soccer Field
• Wednesday, October 2 - EARLY DISMISSAL 12:30 p.m.: Erev Rosh Hashanah
• Thursday, October 3-Friday, October 4 - NO SCHOOL: Rosh Hashanah (no Roar this week)
• Monday, October 7 - All-School T'filah (October 7 Anniversary), 9:45-10:15 a.m., Theater
• Friday, October 11 - EARLY DISMISSAL 12:30 p.m.: Erev Yom Kippur
• Wednesday, October 16 - EARLY DISMISSAL 12:30 p.m.: Erev Sukkot
• Thursday, October 17-Friday, October 18 - NO SCHOOL: Sukkot
• Wednesday, October 23 - All-School Simchat Torah, 9:30-10:15 a.m., Theater
• Wednesday, October 23 - EARLY DISMISSAL 12:30 p.m.: Erev Sh'mini Atzeret
• Thursday, October 24 - NO SCHOOL: Sh'mini Atzeret
• Friday, October 25 - NO SCHOOL: Simchat Torah
• Tuesday, October 29 - Picture Day

View the full Heilicher calendar online

Key Dates for 2024-2025

Torah Thoughts With Doc

Read a brief message about this week’s Torah portion, Nitzavim-Vayeilekh. Nitzavim tells us that “a community’s strength isn’t measured by the amount of agreement. It is measured by the room it makes for disagreement.”

Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) begins this coming Wednesday night. All over the world, the phrase hayom harat olam (today the world is conceived/born) will be recited each time the shofar is blown in the musaf (additional) service. This is one reason we call Rosh Hashanah the birthday of the world.

However, there is a rabbinic opinion the world is created on the 25th of Elul, making Rosh Hashanah the sixth day of creation, the day Adam and Eve are created (P’sikta d’Rav Kahana 23:1). This equates the birth of human life with the birth of the world and affirms the importance of our role as partners with God as stewards of that world. This explains why the Torah portion we read on the first day of Rosh Hashanah deals not with creation, but with Sarah’s birth of Isaac. The haftarah (prophetic reading) describes Hannah’s birth of Samuel. Both are long-awaited births by barren women.

Conception and birth embody potential. They are the starting line; everything is in the future, and anything is possible. Isaac represents the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham and is both an individual and a national beginning. But God tells Abraham, “ki b’yitzchak yikarei l’cha zara, for through Isaac will your offspring be continued” (Gen. 21:12). Isaac isn’t the end of the process, only the beginning (Babylonian Talmud Nedarim 31a). So, too, Rosh Hashanah offers each of us a starting line for fulfilling our promises to ourselves and to those around us. It will take the rest of the year to find out if we really mean them.

Shanah Tovah uM’tukah/A Good and Sweet Year

Heilicher Homecoming

Join us for a homecoming cookout as we cheer on the Heilicher middle school soccer team Monday, September 30, at 4:30 p.m. on the Minnesota JCC Sabes Center Soccer Field. Hot dogs will be glatt kosher.

Know any alumni? Invite them to the game! We will have a special alumni acknowledgement at halftime.

Register for Winter Extracurriculars

Registration for winter after-school activities and athletics opens Monday, September 30, at 9 a.m. Some classes fill quickly, so be sure to sign up right away. You can check out the offerings now, and contact Jeremy Savran with any questions.

5-8 Basketball League Registration

Early-bird registration for the winter basketball leagues closes Monday, September 30. Registration will remain open at full price until Friday, October 11. Heilicher offers a 5-6 co-ed basketball team as well as 7-8 girls and boys teams.

Get Your Heilicher Sweatshirts in Royal Blue

Our popular Heilicher sweatshirt with distressed embroidery is back — now in royal blue! Kid and adult sizes are available so you can get for your student(s) and yourself. Place your order by Monday, September 30. (Color will be different from the picture.)

Early Dismissal Lunch

Lunch will be served on the following 12:30 p.m. early dismissal days:

• Wednesday, October 2: Erev Rosh Hashanah
• Friday, October 11: Erev Yom Kippur
• Wednesday, October 16: Erev Sukkot
• Wednesday, October 23: Erev Sh'mini Atzeret

Order Gesher Challah

If you ordered Gesher Challah for this week, please pick it up at conferences. You can still place orders to receive challah for Friday, October 11*, and/or Friday, November 1.

*For Erev Yom Kippur, we will offer both plain and raisin round challot.

Picture Day

Picture day is Tuesday, October 29, and Picture Retake Day will be Tuesday, December 3. More information to come.

Hiring: Grade 1 Teaching Assistant

Heilicher is hiring a first-grade teaching assistant. If you know anyone who may be interested, please direct them to our employment page. Interested parties should send a cover letter and resume to Director of General Studies Jackie Smith.

Paint Donations

Heilicher is looking for donations of leftover interior paint for the 7-8 play. All colors are welcome. Please drop off any paint outside the art rooms. 

Volunteer Opportunities

Heilicher is proud to have an active community of parents and grandparents. Please consider getting involved with one of our many volunteer opportunities:

• All-School Lunch: We are looking for volunteers to help set up and clean up before and after all-school lunch on Wednesdays. During lunch, volunteers may help bring milk and other items to tables. Helpers get to enjoy the community atmosphere of all-school lunch. This is open to parents, grandparents, or others you may know looking to volunteer.
• Art Adventure: If you enjoy good conversation and art or want to learn more about art, Art Adventure may be a great opportunity for you. Art Adventure is an art appreciation and art history program provided in conjunction with the Minneapolis Institute of Art for students in Grades K-4, with parent/grandparent volunteers as "Picture People." Picture people share six works of art from the museum's collection with the class — the year's collection theme is "How People Lived." View the art and learn more about volunteering for Art Adventure.
• Art Room: Ms. Orkin is looking for volunteers to assist in art class for Grades K-3. Volunteering in the art room can be fun, inspiring and interactive. We are looking for volunteers to assist in your child's art class this year.
• PTO Volunteer Opportunities: Check out our other opportunities through the Parent Teacher Organization.
• Welcome Desk: We are looking for friendly faces to help volunteer to staff the Heilicher welcome desk. Please sign up for as many slots as you can. This is open to parents, grandparents, or others you may know looking to volunteer. The position entails welcoming guests and helping them sign in, helping gather students who may be leaving early, and helping with little projects.