An Extra Glimpse into Mercaz Academy, October 9-12, 2023

Volume 2, Issue 3 | October 12, 2023

MIVASERET MERCAZ

מבשרת מרכז

This special edition of Mivaseret Mercaz addresses the way we have been learning to cope with the crisis in Israel. Scroll down for a glimpse into a week at Mercaz Academy...

Mercaz Students Empowered by Tefillah and Connections

Two weeks ago, students at Plainview’s Mercaz Academy left school, excited and anticipating a joyous Sukkot break; but the world was a different place when they returned, and many were aware of the tragic events that happened in Israel last Shabbat.

Throughout the day on Monday, Rabbi Fogel, accompanied by school counselor Mrs. Stephanie Bobroff, visited every class in the school. The children of our ECC, as well as first and second graders, just got a check in to make sure that there were no problems; Rabbi Fogel and Mrs. Bobroff did not burden them with information they are not ready to process.

“We felt that it was important to address this potential tension with our older students, to teach them how to cope with times of crisis.”

--Rabbi Fogel

Their visits were of a different character in grades three through six, where students knew–often in a confused way–what is going on in Israel. Rabbi Fogel and Mrs. Bobroff encouraged students to share any questions they had or concerns they wanted to discuss by submitting their questions in writing. Rabbi Fogel and Mrs. Bobroff then answered the questions, mostly asking who was attacking and why. They answered gently but clearly in general terms, without going into specifics. To reassure worried students, Rabbi Fogel briefly explained some of the security measures in place at Mercaz.

Of course, these older students wanted to know what they can do to help, and Rabbi Fogel empowered them to do so by telling them how important it is for people around the world to pray. “The tefillah of children is the most powerful,” he told them, citing support from the Gemara. Together, each grade recited Tehillim (Psalms) in support of Israel, and this will be continued every morning for as long as necessary.

A student writes her question.

Questions were collected and answered.

A student reciting Tehillim.

Praying for Peace: Grades Three Through Six Recite Tehillim at Line Up

Morning line up this week has started in accordance with our familiar routine: a pledge to love our neighbors, "The Star Spangled Banner" and "Hatikva," the Parnes Hayom sponsorship for the day, and a whole school serenade of students celebrating their birthdays.

But after this familiar opening, things have been proceeding differently than before. Students in kindergarten through grade two are dismissed to their classrooms, and teachers pass around new yellow Tehillim cards. The older students pray quietly, reciting the birchot haTorah to themselves in preparation for learning. Then, Rabbi Fogel leads the students in the recitation of two chapters of Tehillim, Psalms 121 and 130. Together, Mercaz Academy students and staff pray for our brothers and sisters in Israel, for a refuah shleimah for those who need healing, and for their peace and security always.

First and Second Graders Create Cards for IDF Soldiers

Mrs. Bobroff returned to the first and second grade rooms for a visit on Tuesday. She explained that in Israel, soldiers are working very hard to keep everyone safe. Mrs. Bobroff reminded students that last year, our social-emotional studies were focused on bringing happiness to others through kindness. Therefore, as part of our overall Mercaz Kindness Project, the children decided to make beautiful thank you cards for IDF soldiers. They worked hard to create cards that would make the soldiers smile, and enjoyed creativity and art performed as an act of kindness.

A first grader using print letters to write a thank-you card in Hebrew.

A first grade student expressing appreciation for IDF soldiers.

A first grader adds intricate borders to her card.

A second grade student displays his Hebrew handwriting skills.

A second grader using her art skills to their best effect.

Faces of kindness in the second grade!

Second Grade to Invite Israeli Students to Virtual Mercaz Classroom

Having just returned from spending Sukkot break in Israel, second grade teacher Mrs. Aileen Kirschenbaum has more insight than many into the difficulties Israeli students are facing right now. She knows that many Israeli children, with schools closed and outings limited, are bored in their homes and missing social interaction with friends at school.

For 45 minutes every morning, Mrs. Kirschenbaum plans to invite a few selected English-speaking Israeli children with Mercaz connections--relatives or former students in Israel--to “Zoom in” to her second grade classroom, joining her Mercaz students for a lesson. Second graders will enjoy meeting these young Israelis, and the learning loss caused by closed schools will be slightly mitigated for our “guest Mercaz students.” In this photo, Mrs. Kirschenbaum and Ed Tech Director Lynda Last are testing the process.

GrowTorah: Back to the Garden for Parshat Bereisheet

In this week’s Torah portion, Bereisheet, Hashem created the world; then He put Adam and Chava, the first humans, into the world’s first garden. Adam and Chava were given the mission l’ovdah u’l’shomrah, to work and to protect/tend it–and, as their descendants, we are blessed with the task of emulating them. Farmer Menuchah led students in a discussion of what those two missions look like, both in nature and in our daily lives, and students began the task of carrying them out in our GrowTorah garden.

In the spirit of l’shomrah, Mercaz students cared for our garden by removing weeds, composting old plants, and disposing of litter. Then, in the spirit of l’ovdah, they worked the land by harvesting peppers, tomatoes, chives, carrots, collard greens, okra, eggplant, zucchini, and lemon balm. The smells and tastes of all this bounty were appreciated after the recitation of the appropriate brachot (blessings), and a large portion was set aside to donate to those in need as an act of tzedakah.

The students finished with an exciting scavenger hunt in which they were tasked to find something to represent each day of creation in our GrowTorah garden.