Bulletin Dec 29 - Microsoft Pub

Challenges Make Us Great

Within a ספר תורה , Parshas Vayechi is unique from other פרשיות . Generally, each סדרה is demarcated

from the פרשה that precedes it by either a nine-letter space, or by the פרשה beginning on a new line.

פרשת ויחי , by contrast, has neither. There is no space separating the beginning of the פרשה from the end

of Vayigash. Parshas Vayechi is therefore known as a פרשה סתומה , a closed פרשה .

4:02 PM

December 29, 2017

י‘‘א טבת תשע‘‘ח

פרשת ויחי

· January 1—Early dismissal

for Preschool and grades 1G-

8G at 11:50 am, dismissal for

grades 1B-8B at 12:00 noon

· January 9—- General Studies

Faculty meeting– Hamilton

3:50 pm dismissal all grades,

Williston 4:00 pm dismissal,

no aftercare both buildings

· January 15—Faculty

professional development day–

no classes both buildings.

· We are accepting sibling applications for the Prek and Kindergarten for the upcoming school year. The application is included in the bulletin. If

you are planning to send a child next year, send the application in asap to reserve your child a spot. Thank you.

· In Chodesh Kislev, a total of 347 perakim were learned by the boys for the Chemdas Yosef program l’zechar nishmas the father of Rabbi

Shloimy Halpern. The boys learned : 3B- 23, 4B-35, 5- 86, 6-48, 7B-86, 8B– 69. To date, the total number of perakim learned is 700.

· מזל טוב to the girls in grade 5G for being misayem Parsha Yisro and to girls in grade 8G for being misayem Parsha Matos.

· Curiosity was peaked in grades 2-4 by signs that read C.O.S.B. They were challenged to figure out what it meant. They came up with some

good guesses. It was solved on Friday. It stands for Chidon On Sefer Bereishis. We will let you know the results.

· On Asarah B’Teves, girls in grades 2-5 learned about the history of the Kosel from a special video and 6-8 gained insight into the Holocaust by

watching a video prepared by Zechor Yemos Haolam.

The מפרשים discuss at length why this is so, with

רש״י , quoting the מדרש , providing some famous

פשטים . Rav Shamson Refael Hirsch זצ״ל . in his

commentary on חומש , offers a novel explanation to

explain the lack of space between the two

parshiyos. Parshas Vayechi, Rav Hirsch writes,

seemingly described the best years of יעקב אבינו ’s

life. He was reunited with his beloved son יוסף and

he dwelled in serenity and peace in גשן studying

Torah with his children and grandchildren.

This, however, doesn’t deserve a separate פרשה .

The challenges and troubles that יעקב faced and

overcame during his lifetime were what laid the

foundation for the future of כלל ישראל . They serve

as our guiding posts during our own trials and

tribulations. Life is about challenge and ultimately

the growth that that the challenge engenders. We

are not here on this world to simply coast through

our existence, but rather to confront our

difficulties and allow them to spur us to greatness.

The years that יעקב spent in מצרים were challenge-

free, a reward for a lifetime of עבודה done during

years of adversity and turmoil. Such a פרשה ,

simply the epilogue of יעקב ‘s life, is not a

freestanding edifice of its own. It is therefore

‘tacked’ onto the end of פרשת ויגש .

In a similar vein, one can wonder why the

piercing מוסר that יעקב אבינו gives to his three

oldest sons, taking them to task for deficiencies in

עבודת ה׳ , can be grouped with the other שבטים as

ברכת יעקב , Should it not be more appropriately

termed as the צוואה of יעקב , his last will and

testament?

The Telzer Rosh Yeshiva, HaRav Mottel Katz

זצ״ל , beautifully reveals the ברכה inherent in יעקב ‘s

rebuke. Life is about working, improving and

growing. The greatest blessing a person can be

endowed with is a clear understanding of his

strengths and weaknesses. When a person knows

where he is falling short, he knows where to

invest his efforts to change. Thus, the מוסר of יעקב

gave the שבטים their roadmap for life. Armed with

this knowledge, the שבטים now had the ultimate

ברכה : the ability to discover the valuable resources

within themselves and use that to reveal the

fullness of their greatness.

גוט שבת

Rabbi Ochs

Bulletin Board

DAYS OF LEARNING

· 8 Teves - sponsored by Rabbi & Mrs. Aaron Krochmal in memory of Eva Satran a”h, grandmother of Mrs. Rena Krochmal

· 9 Teves - sponsored by her son, Rabbi Gershon Marcus, in memory of Shaindel bas Mordechai Yosef Marcus a”h, grandmother

of Rabbi Marcus

· 11 Teves - sponsored by Mike & Layne Loewnstein in honor of the anniversary of our dear children Robby & Masha Lowenstein

and our special granddaughters Chana Tsophiya, Naama Basya & Miriam Bayla

WEEK OF LEARNING

· 6-13 Teves - sponsored by Mr. Hershel & Mrs. Risa Miller in memory of R' Avrohom Yitzchak ben R' Herschel Halevi z"l ,

Mr. Arthur Miller, father of Mr. Herschel Miller

Grade 5

Y. Feldman

Y. Forman

M. Leff

Y. Y. Mermelstein

C. M. M. Rodkin

B. Septimus

N. Youshaei

Grade 6

A. Bier

Y. Gould

N. Halpern

M. Miara

N. Ochs

Grade 7

Y. Gluckin

M. Hain

N. Katz

Y. A. Leff

S. M. Solomon

Y. Zyto

Grade 8

M. Fontek

Y. Miara

Raffle Winners

Y. Fontek

Y Gluckin

M. Miara

SHNAYIM MIKRA

Mazel Tov to learners

for Parshas Vayechi

MAZEL TOV!

· Ari & Rochel Gelernter on the birth of their daughter

· Rabbi Shia & Mrs. Sharone (Sunday Williston Office) on

the engagement of their granddaughter Chaya Tova

Bader

· Yossi & Elisheva Rosenberg on the birth of their

daughter and to parents, Rabbi Avrohom & Mrs. Esther

Leah Levine, and to grandparents, Mr. Eli & Edi Dovek

COMMUNITY NEWS

· No BNOS this Shabbos, Parshas VaYechi

CHEMDAS YOSEF

Masel Tov to raffle winners

Chodesh Kislev

Aron Bier

Moishy Blumberg

Meir Zev Gelernter

Yosef Aryeh Le

Yosef Yaakov Mermel-

stein

Yekutiel Miara

Manny Tarlin

Noam Youshaei

WILLISTON SNAPSHOTS

1. Guest in 6B. Mickey Menchel visits with Rebbe Menchel

during Chanukah

2. Learning about the melacha of dosh, the boys in 4B had a hands

on squeezing activity.

3. Math modeling in 3B

4. 7b map studies.

5. In 2B Tzvi Taylor leads Yigdal

6. Mrs. Brandt's son, Jacob Brandt, gives a presentation to the 5B

about engineering and what it's like to be a computer programmer

7. Grade 6-8 Chemdas Yosef raffle winners

8. Grade 3-5 Chemdas Yosef raffle winners

9. Rabbi Ochs teaches a lesson about the colonies to 3B

HAMILTON SNAPSHOTS

1. 4G paint stylized rabbits in ink and watercolor.

2. 5G place value project.

3. 2G created a winter bulletin board with their writing assignments.

4. 4G studied about winter solstice and celebrated the day.

5. K2 students enjoy working in centers.

6. 3G celebrated “penguin day”, by eating and wearing black and

white, learning and writing about penguins, and they waddled all the

way home.

7. 1G collaging apple trees.

8. While studying about the transition from manor to town life in the

Middle Ages, the sixth grade girls engaged in barter, graciously

aided by the seventh grade. Thank to Mrs. Liora Yousaei for

assisting in this project.