Beit Rayim Hebrew School Newsletter

May/June 2009 Iyyar - Sivan -Tamuz 5769

Principal Rabbi David M. Eligberg

Shalom Horim/Parents,

Torah! It’s what we’re all about. It’s our raison d’etre as a people and as a school. As the school year unfolds at a frenetic pace with teachers working diligently to hone the Hebrew skills of their students, introduce them to a new prayer, present another holiday custom, review some essential events in Jewish history, prepare for the class family education program and think about report cards, it is easy to forget the reason for doing it all. Fortunately, the holiday calendar provides the necessary mnemonic response. Shavuot comes along as an echo of our ancestors experience at Mt. Sinai when God revealed the Divine Presence to the nascent Israelite nation; formalized the Covenant between the Holy One and the recently redeemed Hebrew slaves and blessed the Israelites with the gift of Torah.

Over the centuries the word Torah, came to have layers of nuance and meaning; going far beyond the written text to encompass the centuries of accrued interpretation and application of these sacred words. To distinguish between these two tiers of Torah the rabbis of blessed memory called the first Torah Sheh-Bichtav (the Written Torah) and the latter Torah Sheh-B’al Peh (The Oral Law). Both were essential to understanding God’s expectations. As the oral tradition grew it too would be written down in texts like the Mishnah, Gemara and Midrash. These generated more strata of interpretation and discussion - an ongoing process that still continues in our own day. Understanding that this was a continuing dialogue of discovery, of searching out new meaning, of finding contemporary relevance within the divine decrees is what moved the rabbis to give Shavuot an additional name, the Season of the Giving of the Torah. The present tense language was a deliberate emphasis on the idea that the Torah is presented to each of us

individually and to every generation in its time with the challenge to study and learn, to understand and interpret, to explain and inculcate the words of Torah. Our task is to create an Oral Torah that speaks in a contemporary idiom, responds to the needs of our situation and is reflected in our daily behavior. That’s why we cherish every teaching moment, every prayer and custom, every Hebrew word and historical fact. Woven together, they form the tapestry of our Oral Torah, a living, dynamic expression of Jewish tradition and heritage in our lives.

B’vracha,

Rabbi David M. Eligberg

CONTENT

Sha lom Pa rents 1

News 2

May B i r thdays 2

M i tzvah Pro jec t 2

Kabba la t Shabba t 2

Upcoming Events 3

Shabba t Shorash im 3

Kabba la t Shabba t 3

Walk w i th Is rae l 3

May Calendar 4

Upcoming Events

Shabbat Shorashim

May 2 - June 6

SK Graduation

May 10

No School

May 17

Mid Winter Break - No S

chool

March 15, 19 and 22

Kabbalat Shabbat- Shab

barbecue

Kindergarten

May 22

UJA Walk with Israel

May 24

Erev Shavuot- No School

May 28

Grade 7 Graduation

Last Day of School

May 31

To Contact

your Child’s Teacher:

Please call or e-mail the school office at 905-889-0276 x 32

or school@beitrayim.org

The message will be given

to the teacher who will contact you.

Our school is NUT FREE and KOSHER.

Page 2 of 4 BRHS Newsletter NEWS

MAY BIRTHDAYSMAY BIRTHDAYSMAY BIRTHDAYSMAY BIRTHDAYS Jason Arbour, May 3 Lesley Zosky, May 3

Benjamin Cohen, May 4 Naomi Koven, May 7

Lauren Soudack, May 10 Matthew Wilks, May 11 Erica Presement, May 15 Ryan Bloom, May 15 Jadyn Miller, May 16 Adam Sharvit, May 16 Eric Caplan, May 17

Sydney Jacobs, May 21 Joey Miller, May 21

Jennifer Miller, May 21 Samuel Macy, May 25

Brandon Wainberg, May 29

We are very proud of our Kita Alef students who took to heart the work of Mrs. Clara Hammer, better known as “The Chicken Lady”. Each week hundreds of Jerusalem families receive chicken for Shabbat as a result of Mrs.Hammer’s efforts. The monies raised by our Alef students made them partners in the performance of this mitzvah.

Grade 1 Mitzvah Project

Sponsor Your Child’s

Kabbalat Shabbat

Service We are pleased to offer you the opportunity to sponsor your child’s Kabbalat Shabbat Service. Sponsors will be formally acknowledged at the Service. Tax receipts will be issued for donations of $18 or more, and more than one family can sponsor each Service. Please bring in a cheque made out to Beit Rayim Hebrew School by the Sunday before your child’s Kabbalat Shabbat Service.

For more information contact Grace at the School office (905-889-0276 x32 or email at

school@beitrayim.org)

Page 3 of 4 BRHS Newsletter UPCOMING EVENTS

Our school is NUT FREE and KOSHER.

Kabbalat Shabbat 5769

May 22, 2009 Save the date!

Interactive and participatory service for all ages!

Calling all families with children 6 years old

and younger!!! Join us for

a Shabbat morning full of songs, stories, prayer and snack once a month.

Shabbat Services are held at The Reena Battle Centre

927 Clark Avenue W. Thornhill

10:30 am -11:30 am

Please call the synagogue office for more information: 905-889-0276 x.31

2009 SCHEDULE

May 2

June 6 School Council

We would like to thank all the parents who participated in the School Council Meetings during the year and took an active role in helping the school succeed. A special Yeeshar Kochcaha to Harris Korn for all his efforts and valuable contributions.

SHABBAT SHORASHIM

The Service will be held

as part of the congregation’s

Shabbarbecue event which

will be held in Wade Gate Park, Judith Avenue (one block north of Clark Avenue) Thornhill. To participate in the dinner beginning at 6:30PM please RSVP to the synagogue office with your payment by May 19.

Adults $12; Children 10 and under: $ 8. Otherwise please join us for services and dessert

at 7:15 PM.

Sunday, May 24, 2009Sunday, May 24, 2009Sunday, May 24, 2009Sunday, May 24, 2009

Let’s all march together!Let’s all march together!Let’s all march together!Let’s all march together! Register at www.walkwithisrael.comRegister at www.walkwithisrael.comRegister at www.walkwithisrael.comRegister at www.walkwithisrael.com

under the team name “Beit Rayim Synagogue” under the team name “Beit Rayim Synagogue” under the team name “Beit Rayim Synagogue” under the team name “Beit Rayim Synagogue” and put yourself in this year’s picture!and put yourself in this year’s picture!and put yourself in this year’s picture!and put yourself in this year’s picture!

Walk with Israel Walk with Israel Walk with Israel Walk with Israel

and Beit Rayimand Beit Rayimand Beit Rayimand Beit Rayim

9:00 am Kick9:00 am Kick9:00 am Kick9:00 am Kick----off Party, off Party, off Party, off Party, Coronation ParkCoronation ParkCoronation ParkCoronation Park

(Lakeshore Blvd. West (Lakeshore Blvd. West (Lakeshore Blvd. West (Lakeshore Blvd. West and Strachan Ave.)and Strachan Ave.)and Strachan Ave.)and Strachan Ave.)

10:00 am Walk Departs 10:00 am Walk Departs 10:00 am Walk Departs 10:00 am Walk Departs

(Rain or Shine)(Rain or Shine)(Rain or Shine)(Rain or Shine) Post Walk RioCan FestivalPost Walk RioCan FestivalPost Walk RioCan FestivalPost Walk RioCan Festival Direct Energy Centre, Direct Energy Centre, Direct Energy Centre, Direct Energy Centre,

Exhibition PlaceExhibition PlaceExhibition PlaceExhibition Place

Page 4 of 4 BRHS Newsletter CALENDAR

School Office: 209-1118 Centre St. Thornhill ON L4J 7R9

Phone: (905) 889-0276 x32 During School Hours: (647) 230-0597

Fax: (905)889-4113 e-mail: school@beitrayim.org www.beitrayim.org

Iyyar - Sivan - Tamuz 5769 - May - June 2009 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 7 Iyyar

2 8 Iyyar Parashat Achrei Mot-

Kedoshim Shabbat Shorashim

3 9 Iyyar School

4 10 Iyyar

5 11 Iyyar

6 12 Iyyar

7 13 Iyyar

School

8 14 Iyyar

9 15 Iyyar Parashat Emor

10 16 Iyyar School SK Graduation

11 17 Iyyar

12 18 Iyyar Lag B'Omer

13 19 Iyyar

14 20 Iyyar School

15 21 Iyyar

16 22 Iyyar Parashat Behar-

Bechukotai

17 23 Iyyar No School

Youth Group

Trip to the Zoo

1-4 PM

18 24 Iyyar Victoria Day

19 25 Iyyar

20 26 Iyyar

21 27 Iyyar School

22 28 Iyyar Yom Yerushalayim Kabbalat Shabbat @ Wade Gate Park JK/SK

23 29 Iyyar Parashat Bamidbar

24 1 Sivan Rosh Chodesh Sivan No School

Walk With Israel

25 2 Sivan

26 3 Sivan

27 4 Sivan

28 5 Sivan Erev Shavuot

Tikkun Leil

Shavuot No School

29 6 Sivan Shavuot I Kabbalat Shabbat Special Family Service @ Reena

30 7 Sivan Shavuot II

31 8 Sivan Last Day of School

Grade 7 Graduation

1 9 Sivan

2 10 Sivan

3 11 Sivan

4 12 Sivan

5 13 Sivan

6 14 Sivan Parashat Nasso Shabbat Shorashim