By Chanita Teitz
Last week I was going to write about Bibi Netanyahu’s stunning victory, but then I felt compelled to write about the tragedy in Brooklyn. The Sassoon family is our family, as the Jewish people are one. We all should continue to have them in our minds and tefillos.
Meanwhile, a political coalition will soon be forming in Israel, and I hope the right-wing religious parties will work together to make the government strong. I hope the prime minister will have the gumption to stand strong against the continued animosity from President Obama. It is time for Israel to stop appeasing Obama, because he really doesn’t care. He has shown where his loyalties lie, and Israel has to start standing on its own.
It is time to officially annex Yehuda and Shomron as part of Israel and not as “occupied territories”—even at the risk of angering Obama and the UN. What’s the risk? That they will hate Israel more than they already do? That they will threaten Israel? That they will continue to spread lies about Israel’s “apartheid” and lack of human and women’s rights?
It may seem easy for me to state such hard-line, right-wing ideas sitting here in Kew Gardens Hills, but I have children, grandchildren, and my brothers and their families living in Israel, so I don’t say this without knowing the consequences and worrying about them. But I worry about us too; Jews all over the world are also in danger and at risk every day.
Even Vice President Biden apparently thinks that the U.S. won’t be able to protect Jews if there is any danger here. He suggested that Israel is our only guarantee of protection. Is he telling American Jews to leave and go to Israel?
This is what we have to do to protect our homeland and our people. Whether it is through tefillah, politics, or even war when necessary, we have to stand up to our enemies. And with Hashem’s help, this yom tov of Pesach will bring us the final geulah!
Hands-On Learning: Firefighter Comes To YTM
Firefighter Anthony Velez came to speak to the Yeshiva Tiferes Moshe preschool about fire safety. In addition, he provided literature on fire safety that was printed this week about appropriate fire-safety procedures for shomer Shabbos homes. The literature was sent home with boys in kindergarten through third grade.
More Than Child’s Play
Play, by its very nature, is educational. Studies show that play brings joy, and it is within this context that learning can occur. Yeshiva Sha’arei Zion strives to stimulate children’s natural curiosity and playfulness. The 13th annual brachot contest was designed to do just that. It was an event like no other. Learning came to life as the students traveled to a land far beyond their imaginations, a land that nurtured vitality and creativity—to their very own YSZ Brachot Land!
Since the Brachot Land breakout on Rosh Chodesh Tevet, when the contest was first introduced, the excitement in preparing for the big event had been pulsating throughout the school building. Students were given child-friendly booklets with pictures of every brachah. Brachot cards were splashed on the school walls and life-size game pieces greeted students when they arrived to school. Yeshiva Sha’arei Zion’s 1st- through 8th-grade girls were soon heavily absorbed in studying their brachot with their newly revised brachot packets.
There are brachot that almost everyone knows, such as the brachah said before eating a carrot or drinking a cup of wine. But the brachot said upon seeing a large gathering of Jews at one time or when hearing good news are not as well known. Students analyzed and reviewed these brachot in earnest for many weeks.
Inspired to explore the creative process and become engaged participants in their learning, YSZ 7th-grade girls took on the responsibility of creating a magnificent life-size form based on Candy Land. Under the guidance of the talented Mrs. Raizel Nissim, assistant principal and coordinator of this event, they diligently replicated the game in its entirety. The school lunchroom was soon surrounded with lollipops and candy canes, gumdrops and candies, just about the size of themselves. Tremendous achdut was displayed among the girls as they worked together to create beautiful scenery and an intricate game board, spending many hours after school completing the project.
After intense preparation, the girls were ready to play! As each player took turns answering brachot questions, they moved along the colored game-board pieces. As the players advanced on the board, the questions became more difficult. The girls continued moving forward until they reached the incredible Brachot House. The final brachot heroes who reached the goal and displayed accuracy in every question were Penina Hodaya Maerov, Nava Pinkhasov, Tehila Maksumov, Shoshana Shimunova, and Leah Rubinov.
“The purpose of our contest this year was not only to help the students remember to say brachot, but to do so by sparking the children’s interest by speaking their language,” said Mrs. Shoshana Leibowitz, school principal and founder of the school’s brachot contests.
“Research provides evidence of the positive effects that play has on various areas of learning. This year’s Brachot Land game kept students actively engaged, fueling motivation and learning in a fun, tangible way,” said Mrs. Nissim.
Students are anticipating next year’s contest, but more importantly, they are utilizing the skills and knowledge they’ve acquired that are now deeply rooted in their hearts.
BYQ Celebrates ‘Grannie Annie Family History’ Winners
The Grannie Annie Family Story Celebration is a national competition that invites students to discover and share stories from their family’s history. Participation in the Grannie Annie leads young people to strengthen family bonds, encounter history in a more personal way, and hone their writing skills. The mission of the Grannie Annie is to inspire young people to discover, write, and share stories from their family’s history, and to publish collections of their work.
Mrs. Evelyn Hefetz, a fourth-grade teacher at Bais Yaakov of Queens, introduced the competition to the school after her own granddaughter interviewed her for it. Mrs. Hefetz said, “When my granddaughter told me about it, I thought it was a perfect project for our girls at BYQ! Mrs. Bergman encouraged me to incorporate it into the 4th grades’ writing curriculum.”
“The objective of the project is a perfect fit for our Bais Yaakov’s students. It threads history, writing, creativity, and connectivity between student and family. The girls use their learned skills and strategies to write an engaging, memorable piece that touches the heart and will be treasured forever,” said Mrs. Bergman.
In the spirit of celebration, each year some of the stories submitted to the Grannie Annie are selected for publication in a paperback book and on the website. Mrs. Reisbaum, assistant principal, said, “Reading the finished pieces has me believing that all of the teachers and students, who worked long and hard on this project, are winners, and we are especially proud of those girls who represent Bais Yaakov in the upcoming publication.”
This year, five Bais Yaakov girls’ entries were selected for publication. Mrs. Miriam Bashevkin and Mrs. Zahava Rausch, co-teachers of Mrs. Hefetz at Bais Yaakov, were bubbling with excitement over the selection of their students’ pieces for publication.
The winners include Sarah Davis, Chava Deutscher, Nechama Feintuch, Abigail G. Harris, and Malka Neuman. Congratulations!
BRT Discussion, April 15
The Kew Gardens Hills Civic Association, Assemblyman Michael Simanowitz, and Councilman Rory Lancman invite the community to attend a free informational meeting with Richard Gippetti of the NYC Department of Transportation Queens Borough Commissioner’s Office to discuss the proposed BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) program expected to be implemented on Main Street. The meeting begins at 7:45 p.m. at Yeshiva of Central Queens, 147-37 70th Road, Kew Gardens Hills, NY 11367. All questions must be previously submitted to kghcivic@yahoo.com with subject line “DOT Questions.” Free parking is available, and the meeting room is wheelchair-accessible. Light refreshments will be served.
Mazal Tov . . .
To Joel and Leah Bleiberg on the engagement of Leah’s son, Yehuda Hellman, to Shalva Steinberger, daughter of Suri and Moshe Steinberger of North Miami Beach. 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.