By Chanita Teitz
“A person wakes up in the morning, makes himself a cup of coffee. He puts the bitter coffee in a mug, adds to it the sweet sugar, pours in the boiling water, and adds some cold milk. A cup full of contrasts: hot, cold, bitter, sweet. Then he says, ‘Ribbono shel Olam, I don’t know how my day will be—bitter, sweet, hot, cold—but one thing I know for sure, it will be she’hakol n’ihyeh bidvaro—as You say, it will be.’
“And that is how a Jew should start his/her morning, knowing that Hashem will pick just what’s right for him out of the sea of contrasts” (sent from Midreshet Adina site by Leah Bleiberg).
This sums up how I feel at the end of the old year and beginning of a new year. In Elul, I feel that I can’t wait for a new year to begin, so that any of the bitterness of the old will end and the possibilities for a sweeter year will begin. So, too, now at the beginning of a new secular year, we need to strengthen our belief that Hashem runs the world and that whatever is happening is what He wants.
The year 5776/2015 has been a year of war, worldwide unrest, increasing terror, and many korbanos. May 2016 and the continuation of 5776 bring mankind to a greater understanding of Hashem’s sovereignty and may nations act in accordance with His word.
Past Events
Bnos Malka Chumash Presentation
By Mrs. Rivky Babad,
Assistant Principal
On Sunday, December 27, second-graders took part in a huge milestone event and a once-in-a-lifetime occasion; they made a beautiful Chumash presentation for family and friends, and received their Chumashim. The students’ enthusiasm was palpable, and their smiles were contagious. The performance, which included live music by Mrs. Rena Greenberg, singing, and speaking parts, showcased some of the knowledge the students acquired about learning Chumash. The parents and grandparents were thrilled at how much information the students displayed about learning Chumash, and how well they spoke in Hebrew. The students displayed poise and self-confidence throughout their performance, and even more amazing, their incredible teacher, Mrs. Gelb, worked hard to make sure that the rehearsals were always fun and stress-free, so that the presentation was an enjoyable experience for the students, from start to finish.
After each student received her Chumash from Rabbi Weichselbaum, along with a special treat to remind her of how sweet it is to learn Torah, the program continued with a special activity for parents, grandparents, and students. Each family worked together to decorate covers for their Chumash. The covers displayed the creativity and individuality of each student. Everyone had an enjoyable time, using the decorations to express their unique vision and personality, and spending quality time together on this momentous and memorable occasion.
Although the second grade has been learning pre-Chumash skills since the beginning of the year, they waited until they had finished the first perek of ParashasLech-Lecha to make their Chumash presentation. What a great way to mark this accomplishment! As part of the second-grade Chumash curriculum, students learn the necessary skills to be able to break down a pasuk into its various parts independently. This gives students the tools they need and the confidence to read any Hebrew text. With the help of the hugely successful and popular L’havin U’lehaskil program, they work extensively on shorashim and parts of speech. They also look intensely into the deeper meaning of the inyan, and extract the important life lessons to be learned, as well as hone their ability to analyze a pasuk. Often, the students can look at a pasuk and come up with Rashi’s question on the pasuk all on their own . . . and they haven’t even officially begun to learn Rashi yet. We wish the second-grade students much hatzlachah as they continue to grow in Torah, and we wish their families much joy and nachas from them.
Bnos Malka’s Stock Is Rising. As part of a broader unit about the time period around the Great Depression, the eighth-grade girls have been playing the Stock Market Game. Each girl selected $600 worth of stocks, and monitored the price fluctuations of those stocks over the course of several weeks. The father of one of the eighth-graders, Mr. Mendel Starkman, CFA, works with investments at BNY Mellon, one of the world’s largest financial institutions. To cap off the Stock Market Game, Mr. Starkman presented to the girls a general background of the stock market, what a stock represents, and what causes stock prices to change. The presentation touched upon several core concepts of fundamental stock analysis, such as the corporate balance sheet, the impact of earnings expectations and dividends, as well as the technical influences of supply and demand and other macroeconomic market forces. “Although a lot of information was baked into the relatively short presentation,” said Mr. Starkman, “I was impressed by how quickly the Bnos Malka girls took to the topic. Their sharp questions led to a dynamic discussion about stocks. I think this presentation was a great way to end off their Stock Market Game.”
Upcoming Events
Chazaq presents Rabbi Moshe Meir Weiss at Cong. Nachlas Yitzchok.MotzaeiShabbos, January 2, 8:30 p.m. 141-39 73rd Avenue. Men and women are invited.
Chazaq presents community-wide gathering on behalf of Eretz Yisrael with Rav Noach Isaac Oelbaum and Rav Moshe Tuvia Lieff. This Sunday night, January 3. Program begins at 8:30 p.m. Tehillim will be recited by local rabbanim at Yeshiva Ohel Simcha, 147-02 73rd Avenue in Flushing. For more information, call 718-285-9132 or e-mail info@chazaq.org.
Women’s League presents Rabbi Herschel Welcher, “What is a woman’s chiyuv in davening?” Monday, January 4, 8:15 p.m. at Cong. Ahavas Yisroel, 147th St and 73rd Avenue. The questions must be submitted in advance to caregivermom7@gmail.com.
The “Treasure Trove” at Anshe Sholom Chabad JCC, Kew Gardens. Come join a shopping bazaar including great clothing, accessories, housewares, tools, memorabilia, and whatever else you imagine to be your treasure—you might find it here! New and gently used items. Sunday, January 10, 11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. 82-52 Abingdon Road in Kew Gardens, 718-441-2470.
Networking event presented by the Jewish Business Development group and Queens Jewish Link. January 13 at Yeshiva of Central Queens, 147-37 70th Rd. Start networking with other professionals from 7:00–8:30 p.m. Buffet dinner catered by Soy Sauce. Guest speaker Yitzchok Saftlas of Bottom Line Marketing. $10 advance and $15 at the door. For reservations and more information, call 718-880-2622 or e-mail QueensJewishLink@gmail.com. v
Chanita Teitz is a real-estate broker at Astor Brokerage in Kew Gardens Hills, serving the entire Queens vicinity. For all your real-estate needs, call her at 718-263-4500 or e-mail chanita@astorbrokerage.com.