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Welcome to the new school year! Evident from the many pleasant novelties we have seen upon our return (such as our new play yard for children, the newly renovated first floor of the school building and a new PreNursery class), we can already see that this year will be full of pleasant surprises, excite-ment and achievements, for our children as well as the entire Mazel Community.
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1
M A Z E L D A Y S C H O O L
September—Elul 2011 ISSUE ONE
Dear Mazel Families,
Welcome to the new school year! Evident
from the many pleasant novelties we have
seen upon our return (such as our new play
yard for children, the newly renovated first
floor of the school building and a new
PreNursery class), we can already see that this
year will be full of pleasant surprises, excite-
ment and achievements, for our children as
well as the entire Mazel Community.
We would also like to extend our warm wel-
come to the new families that joined Mazel
this year. You are about to embark on a jour-
ney of love, care, hospitality and kindness. We
hope that you will come to love the school as
we have and will enjoy the many resources
our school has to offer.
Finally, as our first issue of the Parent Page be-
gins with the start of the new Jewish year, we
would like to extend our warm wishes to the
Mazel Community. Rosh Hashanah is a time
for joy, a time for new beginnings, celebra-
tions and counting our blessings. Share this joy
with friends and loved ones with our happy
Rosh Hashanah! May we each be inscribed
in the Book of Life!
Anna Ashurov, Editor—in—Chief
Contributing Editors: Mazel Parent Association
IN TH
IS IS
SU
E
B‖H
ma
zeln
ew
slette
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ma
il.co
m
PAGE2: Help! Now that school has
started, getting my kids to bed on time
is a nightly battle. Any suggestions?
PAGE3: Mazel Day School Board
Introduction to the Year
PAGE3: Book Reviews
For Children and Parents
PAGE4: Family Fun-Weekend Picks
PAGE5: Traditional Recipes
PAGE6: Parent Interview
This Month: Irina Mordukhayev
Center Pull-out Section
Parenting Book of the Month Ex-
cerpt: ―Raising a Child with Soul‖
PAGE7: Back-to-School Tips
PAGE7: Questions of the Month
Rosh Hashanah 101
UPCOMING CALENDAR
09/28—09/30—School Closed,
Rosh Hashanah
10/7– School Closed, Eve of Yom Kippur
10/12-1 PM Dismissal, Eve of Sukkot
10/13 and 10/14– School Closed, Sukkot
10/19-1 PM Dismissal, Hoshana Raba
10/20 and 10/21– School Closed, Shemini Atz-
eret, Simchat Torah
10/28-Begin early Friday Schedule, closing 1 PM
2
B‖H
by Chani Okonov
HELP! Now that school has started, I am
trying to establish a consistent schedule at
home, but getting by kids to bed on time is a
nightly battle. Any suggestions?
Firstly, realize that you are certainly not alone in your frustra-
tion. Bedtime is probably one of the most challenging house-
hold routines. For starters, the kids are cranky and tired, and
we are too! This automatically sets up the situation for con-
flict. The image of bedtime in many of our homes consists of
kids popping in and out of bed, while parents get increasingly
frustrated, often ending with mom or dad falling asleep be-
fore the little ones. (Sound familiar?)
Something that I‘ve learned as a parent is that our expecta-
tions for bedtime (change into pajamas, tuck into bed, say
goodnight and don‘t bother Mommy/Daddy) may be unreal-
istic for many of our children. The truth is that turning your
mind/body off, relaxing and drifting off to sleep can be quite
difficult, even for lots of adults. Nighttime is generally a time
that brings out feelings of vulnerability and insecurity in all of
us. Recognizing these points helps us as parents better under-
stand our children. Rather than trying to intentionally drive us
mad, they are struggling with very normal and reasonable
issues.
With this in mind, here are a few practical tips that may help
make things easier:
1. Select a set time frame for bedtime and stick with it. In
general, it is recommended for young children to have a
bedtime anywhere between 7:30 and 8:30 pm, but not later.
Once you‘ve selected an appropriate bedtime for your fam-
ily, it is very important to be consistent, but also allow room for
flexibility. For example, at my home, my kids know that their
bedtime is at 8 pm, but in my mind, I expect my kids to be in
bed anytime between 8 pm and 8:30 pm. This way, if things
are running a bit late, I don‘t stress over it.
As soon as they are old enough, teach your child to recog-
nize their bedtime on the clock. This way, bedtime is not only
when mom/dad announce ―bedtime‖ (which can be argued
with), but rather when the clock shows a certain time.
2. Create a step-by-step routine for your child to prepare for
bed. This routine should be followed consistently ever night so
that your child knows exactly what to expect. Make sure to
start this routine early enough so that you can go through it at
a calm pace and still be ready for bed at the chosen bed-
time. It is very important for the energy-level in the house at
this time to be as calm as possible, so that kids are winding
down rather than getting hyped up. Sometimes, the stress of
bedtime begins at this point—long before the kids are actu-
ally in bed. You will want to carefully plan out your evening
activities so that you have allowed sufficient time for a good
getting-ready-for-bed routine. Something that also helps my
kids a lot is having a visual list that hangs in their bedroom with
pictures and/or words (depending on the age) of each of the
steps that they need to do to get ready for bed. Rather than
nagging every step of the way, we are able to refer to the list
and move through the routine as calmly as possible.
3. Think of ways to help your child relax as they try to fall
asleep. It is okay if your child needs additional comfort and
cannot ―self-soothe‖ during bedtime. The
challenge is finding ways to help them while
also not allowing them to become com-
pletely dependent on us (ex: falling asleep
in our arms). Different children are different
and you may need to figure out what will
work for yours. Most kids need at least 10-15
minutes of special time with mom/dad be-
fore they are ready to say good night.
Reading a book, telling a bedtime story or just chatting about
the day will make your child feel more secure and put a posi-
tive ending to the day. Once you leave, some kids find soft
music relaxing, while others may enjoy listening to audio sto-
ries/books until they fall asleep. If your child feels that they
need your presence to relax, don‘t feel guilty if you sit in the
room quietly until they fall asleep, or if you sit outside their
room (as I sometimes do). But this will only work if you are very
strict about not talking to them while you are there. Your
presence will make them feel that you are close, but at the
same time, gives them the space to fall asleep on their own.
Lastly, I‘d like to share a number of wonderful Jewish traditions
that you can incorporate into your bedtime routines. Firstly,
just before the child climbs into bed, he/she gives the Mezu-
zah hanging on their bedroom door a kiss. For little ones, lift-
ing them up in your arms to enable them to reach the Mezu-
zah is exciting and special. The child learns that the Mezuzah
is a special protection with Hashem‘s name written in it, reas-
suring them that Hashem is always with them and watching
over them. Once the child is tucked into bed, we sing the
‗Shema‘ prayer with them. This prayer begins with the state-
ment: Shema Yisroel Ado-nai Elo-heinu Ado-nai Echod. (Here
o Israel, Hashem is our G-d, Hashem is One). This is one of the
most central prayers of Judaism. Saying the Shema is an op-
portune time to reflect with our child on things that Hashem
has given them and how beloved they are to Him. In fact,
there are a number of powerful stories told of children who
were hidden during the Holocaust in non-Jewish homes or
monasteries who had completely forgotten their Jewish roots
by the war‘s end, but were able to be identified by agencies
searching for Jewish children because their memories were
jogged as soon as they heard the ‗Shema‘. That warm, cud-
dly feeling associated with this beautiful Jewish prayer was
their most powerful link to Jewish identity. In one story, the
priest of a convent insisted that no Jewish children were pre-
sent, but allowed the visiting Rabbi to address the children for
a few moments. He stood before a cafeteria filled with chil-
dren and began to say: ‗Shema Yisroel…‘ Suddenly, one
child cried out, ―Mama!‖ and then another, as slowly the
Jewish children began cry and call out for their parents. For
generations, Jewish mothers & fathers have also used bed-
time as a chance to pass on the multitudes of stories of Jewish
heroes and heroines throughout our history. These stories pre-
sent a model for kindness, moral choices, wonder and faith–
giving our children sometimes positive and magical to think
about as they drift off into sleep. Any Judaica shop will offer
a selection of Jewish story collections for young children that
you and your little one will surely enjoy.
May this new year bring us much Nachas from our children
and an easy smooth path in our parenting!
M O D E R N P A R E N T I N G
3
M E S S A G E F R O M T H E B O A R D
way, we want our children feeling creative, inspired, and
proud of their "uniqueness"! This warm and inspirational
tale will remind our children (and us) to embrace who they
are, follow their own inventive process, and to have pride
in their individual skills and talents!
Parenting Book Review By Chani Okonov
Book Title: Raising a Child with Soul
Author: Slovie Jungreis-Wolff
Review: Slovie Jungreis-Wolff is a freelance
writer and parenting instructor. She is the
daughter of Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis, a re-
nowned lecturer and Jewish educator.
Slovie‘s parenting approach fuses her own personal ex-
periences as well as Jewish teachings. This makes this
book stand out from other parenting books available and
can serve as a great source of inspiration to parents. I
highly recommend this read to parents of kids of all ages!
Children’s Book Review By Ilona Dektor
Book Title: Ish
Author & Illustrator: Peter H. Reynolds
Ages: 4-8 (K-3rd grade)
Review: Ramon enjoys drawing
"anytime, anything, anywhere", that is, until his brother ridi-
cules his efforts. In sadness and frustration, Ramon stops draw-
ing. His sister saves all of his discarded efforts and puts them
up on her wall. What was supposed to be a vase of flowers,
she declares "vase-ish." She manages to show Ramon the
beauty in all of his artwork. All the drawings are something-
"ish," Ramon realizes. This reignites his creativity and he is in-
spired once again!
This story truly pays homage to creativity and the artistic proc-
ess!. Furthermore, it teaches our children that thinking imagi-
natively and being a visionary, is far more wonderful than
getting it perfect or "just right". With the school year under
B‖H
P A R E N T S 2 P A R E N T S by Ilona Dektor & Chani Okonov
To Mazel Day School Community:
On behalf of the Mazel Board, we would like to welcome everyone
to the new school year at Mazel Day School. We are very excited
about this coming year and we have many reasons for it.
Your Mazel Board has been busy throughout the summer and we
would like to share with you some highlights of our accomplishments
and what‘s to come in the year ahead.
The Board has successfully secured financing to build out a new floor
in the corner school building – Rabbi Avremel and Chani Okonov did
a tremendous job managing the entire project and the results are
evident to all. We now have a brand new floor with four additional
classrooms, administrative offices and plenty of space for our chil-
dren to enjoy.
The board worked very hard to secure support of two prominent
foundations that focus on education and child development. We
are very excited about these new relationships and extremely thank-
ful for the support they‘ve provided to Mazel and will continue to
provide in the future.
Through the generosity of The Gruss Life Monument Funds, Inc., a
brand new computer lab is coming to Mazel. The foundation will
provide 14 new computers and monitors, a dedicated server, soft-
ware, computer tables, chairs, and a printer, as well as a curriculum
coordinator to train staff and offer support. The program offers indi-
vidualized instruction in math, and language arts. The computer lab
will be located in the lower school building and will be available to
students from 1st through 5th grade.
Our 2011/2012 school year fundraising efforts have just begun. The
board developed a comprehensive marketing and fundraising
plan and we look forward to working with the entire Mazel Parent
Community to implement the plan.
The board has completed and approved the 2011/2012 financial
plan for the school. The plan takes into consideration the neces-
sary increase in school teaching and administrative staff. Mr.
Goodman was hired as an assistant principal to work closely and
support Chani Okonov, our principal. We also hired a new building
manager to help keep our facilities safe, clean and always func-
tional.
May the new year at Mazel be filled with many memorable experi-
ences, challenging and exciting projects, and many new friend-
ships.
We promise to keep you informed of all new developments at
Mazel. Please feel free to contact any of us at your convenience.
Shana Tovah!
Mazel Day School Board of Directors
Milana Feldman: [email protected]
Dimitriy Goloborodskiy: [email protected]
Dr. Boris Khodorkovsky: [email protected]
Nika Khodorkovsky: [email protected]
Vlad Lipkin: [email protected]
Rabbi Avremel Okonov: [email protected]
Chani Okonov: [email protected]
Eugene Pishchiker: [email protected]
Irina Rakhlis: [email protected]
4
sonal. Also learn about the Thousands of Workers that
make your PYO experience a reality, for without them
there‘d be no fruit. That‘s right! We‘re talking about bees
and you can see them in Live Glass-enclosed Working
Beehive that you can watch. By the way, don‘t forget the
honey! A farm market is also open (in season) with ap-
ples, peaches, plums, pears, strawberries, raspberries,
blackberries, melons, pumpkins, a variety of summer and
winter vegetables and tomatoes.
Wild About Warhol—through October 4, 2011
Ages 4 and up
The 92nd Street Y is hosting an Andy Warhol Children‘s Fes-
tival, including an art exhibit. This exhibit will display 80
original Warhol paintings at kids eye level to enable easy
viewing by youngsters. 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave-
nue, NYC
Amazing Animals The Wildlife Conservation Society‘s Central Park Zoo and
Prospect Park and Queens Zoo have launched a new Tod-
dler Time series, An exciting new program for young chil-
dren that offers an introductory glimpse into wildlife, nature
and the environment. Youngsters learn about animals
through educational games, crafts, sing-alongs, storytelling
and more. For more info go to wcs.org
Just Kidding Series at Symphony Space Forget Saturday morning cartoons. Little kids and tweens
alike can start their weekends off with musical musings and
literary loving all autumn long at Symphony Space. Match
musical sketch comedy from the Story Pirates, impressive
acrobatics at Galumpha, or groove to Cat and Bird‘s East-
ern European flair. There are popular author series who
teach creative writing, Q&A with authors and book sign-
ings. For more info go to symphonyspace..rg
The Reluctant Dragon at Puppetworks A misunderstood little girl and an intelligent creature tea-
mup in this charming classic adapted for marionettes. Now
through December 18 at338 Sixth Avenue in Park Slope.
www.puppetworks.org
Boo at the Zoo at the Bronx Zoo Get spooked at the Bronx Zoo this October for the zoo‘s
annual scare fest. Go on a haunted safari or take a spooky
hayride. We hear the hay maze is fun and ghost free or
visit the endangered/extinct animal grave yard to learn
more about wildlife. And of course don‘t forget to bring a
costume for the parade. Bronxzoo.com
Knuffle Bunny Beloved classic by Mo Willems is now a heartwarming fam-
ily musical with performances spanning November 25-27.
Tickets $15-$15 at NYUSkirball, skirballcenter.nyu.edu
From Tent to Temple: Life in the Ancient near East
Children's Galleries for Jewish Culture 515 W. 20th St., Ste 4E, New York, NY 10011
nr. Tenth Ave. 212-924-4500
Age Range: 6-to-12 Years Old
In this vibrant, interactive exhibit that engages visitors in a
variety of areas—from shelter to clothing to archaeology—
visitors will hunt for food, grind wheat, and weave cloth for
tents.
ImaginOcean 340 W. 50th St., New York, NY 10019
nr. Eighth Ave. 646-871-1730
Age Range: 5 & Under, 6-to-12 Years Old
Tickets: Buy tickets on imaginoceanthemusical.com
In this musical written by Tony Award nominee John Tartaglia
(Avenue Q), a trio of fish travel to the ocean floor, meeting
new friends throughout their adventure.
Cosmic Collisions
Rose Center for Earth and Space at American Museum
of Natural History Central park West at 81st St., New York, NY 10024
212-769-5200
Age Range: 6-to-12 Years Old
As far as rules go, not staring at the sun is a pretty good one
to follow. Unless, that is, you're talking about the NASA satel-
lite image on the giant dome of the Hayden Planetarium.
Narrated by Robert Redford, Cosmic Collisions is filled with
sights such as this one plus others of intergalactic crashes that
range from the routine to the catastrophic (a meteor that
hastened the end of the dinosaur age). Experts from the Mu-
seum of Natural History teamed up with NASA to create the
show's visuals, many of which are digital simulations but some
of which are actual satellite images. Don't worry. Even when
they're remarkably realistic, they're easy on the cornea.
Hillview Farms 223 Meyersville Rd., Gillette, NJ 07933
(908) 647-0957
Hillview Farms is located in Northern New Jersey. They have a
number of activities at the farm including Hay Rides, pick-
your-own-fruit including apples, pears, peaches, and blue-
berries as well as pumpkins. Don't forget that Apple picking
season starts the beginning September and runs through the
end of October.
Ochs Orchard 4 Ochs Lane, Warwick, NY
(845) 986-1591
Located in beautiful and scenic Warwick, New York, Ochs
Orchard specializes in Pick Your Own experience. Get
dressed to visit with nature and see it through the farmer‘s
eyes. The farm offers PYO Apples and Pumpkins in Septem-
ber and October. You can also visit a small Petting Zoo on
the farm grounds and meet with animals up close and per-
W E E K E N D P I C K S by Anna Rakhlis
B‖H
5
B‖H
by Anna Roberman T O U C H O F T R A D I T I O N
Since I live in a household with two growing sons, I am
constantly trying new recipes. My mom and my
grandmother are amazing cooks, and from child-
hood, I am used to a good home-cooked meal, and
want the same for my sons!
I am extremely excited about being part of the Par-
ent Page, and having an opportunity to research
and expand my knowledge of Jewish delicatessens,
while sharing it with Mazel parents on a monthly basis.
The following three recipes are some of my favorites
and are always part of our meal on Rosh Hashanah.
Special thanks to my grandmother Larisa for sharing
with me.
Anna Roberman
Honey Cake Recipe
Ingredients:
One cup of sugar
One cup of honey
One cup of strong black
tea (2 tea bags)
One table spoon of ground
coffee
One table spoon of sour
cream
3 table spoons of olive oil
3 eggs
3 1/2 cups of flour
1/2 tea spoon of soda mixed with vinegar
1/2 cup of almond nuts
Instructions:
Separate the egg yolk and egg whites. Mix the whites
with sugar. Add honey, cold dark tea (add spoon of
coffee into the tea), continue to mix. Add sour
cream , olive oil , flour (pour flour through net), fol-
lowed by vinegar and soda on a teaspoon. Continue
mixing well.
Take baking pan, rub butter all around and inside,
then pour the mixture. Place into oven preheated to
300F. Once the cake rises, can increase temperate to
350F. Stick with a toothpick to see if it Is ready, once
the cake becomes dark. Bake for approximately 50-
60 minutes.
Sweet Carrot
Tzimmes
Ingredients:
Carrots
Hand full of dried cran-
berries
Hand full of dried apri-
cots
Hand full of raisins
Tea spoon of sugar
Water
Instructions
Take carrots; wash, peel and cut into small cubes.
Take a small pan, warm a piece of butter in the pan.
Place carrots in there and mix until it gets dark. Add
enough water onto pan to cover the carrots. Add
handful of raisins, dry diced apricots and cranberries,
tea spoon of sugar and continue mixing.
Cover the pan. Once carrots become soft, let stand
under the cover.
Sweet Ginger Gefilte Fish
Additional recipe that kids may enjoy helping with
and with an interesting twist to a common dish.
Ingredients:
16oz loaf of gefilte fish (defrosted)
1 tablespoon of fresh Ginger, grated
1/4 soy sauce
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350. Place fish into jelly roll pan or a
round cake pan. Whisk remaining ingredients in bowl
and pour in top of fish. Cover with foil and bake 30 -
35 minutes until thoroughly cooked.
Kids now can help and cut
the finished gefilte fish into
fun shapes with cookie
cutters.
6
By Alla Barskiy P A R E N T I N T E R V I E W
B‖H
Irina Mordukhayev was
born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
She came to the US in 1994
with her family. She now lives
in the Midwood area of
Brooklyn with her husband
Mark Mordukhayev and two
children – two-year-old
Naomi (who has started Pre-
Nursery at Mazel day School
this September) and 9-month-
old Itai Shemtov. Irina is an
Anti-Money-Laundering Inves-
tigator for HSBC bank.
What made you choose this profession?
I majored in Finance while in college (Yeshiva University)
and liked it. However, I was aware that a career in finance
would make it more difficult to have flexibility in my sched-
ule, for motherhood. I was also interested in law and legal
research and this is how I chose Compliance as a career
choice.
What do you like about your job?
Unveiling the unknown, through vigilant research and ensur-
ing that monetary fund flow adheres to the US AML related
rules and regulations.
Did you ever consider doing anything else?
Yes, when I was in High School, I was very interested in fash-
ion design and seriously thought about applying to FIT. How-
ever, after I completed a summer semester for high school
students, I realized that it wasn‘t for me. At the time I be-
lieved that in the fashion industry, you have to be married to
the job in order to accomplish anything.
Do you have any favorite books?
Anything by Alexander Pushkin. In college, my literature pro-
fessor allowed me to read him in the original Russian, in-
stead of the English translation.
Do you have any guilty pleasures?
Not so much now, I gave them all up!
Do you have an easy recipe to share with other parents?
Lamb stew (Kovurma) – it is easy because you basically just
put all the ingredients into the collander and leave it to
cook by itself. Also, you can make it for several days ahead
and it only gets more delicious with time!
How do you balance work and family?
My job allows me to work from home when I need to do
something with my kids. Beyond that, I have to rely on help
from others. My husband is in the same profession as me
and he currently works in another state, coming home
about twice a month. So, I have a babysitter staying with
Itai and my mother-in-law often pitches in when I have to
work late.
Why did you choose Mazel Day School?
My husband and I liked the fact that it was a Jewish day
school which targets Russian Jewry and will allow kids to
retain Russian language while introducing English and He-
brew languages. It was most important to us also that our
children receive a Jewish and strong Secondary educa-
tion. We were right away appealed to the idea of struc-
tured visits to the library. Books are very important in our
home and I wouldn‘t want the idea of physical books to be
abandoned by our kids. The hands on learning by going
outside and learning through exploring the world is the best
idea.
How did you find out about Mazel Day School?
Someone we know mentioned the school and I Googled it.
When I went on the school website, I liked the Teachers‘
Blogs, which allowed parents to have an in-depth aware-
ness of what their children are studying and how they
spend their time in school. Anytime we inquired about the
school with any of our friends and/or acquaintances we
only received the best of recommendations.
Why did you decide to join the Parents’ Association? Be-
cause I wanted to be involved in development and enrich-
ment of my child. In Yeshiva University, I was President of
the Russian Club for three years and had to put out a pro-
gram of activities every year, which members were waiting
for impatiently. As I hear, traditions still standing strong. I
wanted to use this experience & skills gained. I am looking
forward to this year and Bezrat Hashem more to come,
very much!
To welcome all new and returning families to a new school
year full of excitement and new beginnings, the Mazel Par-
ents Association put together a fun party for adults and
children. The party took place on our newly built Yeladim
Play Yard. The get together had food and drinks, as well as
entertainment for the kids, sponsored by the MPA. It was a
lot of fun and a great opportunity for parents to get to
know other Mazel Parents, and meet up with old friends
from last year. Entertainment for the kids included activities
for all tastes and ages, from the clown, who was playing
and entertaining the kids with tricks and balloons, to a hair
professional, who braided girls‘ hair into dif-
ferent styles. Highlight of the afternoon was
the bubble machine, as the kids were run-
ning with their friends under a massive waive
of bubbles.
A lot of prep work went into making this
event so much fun! Thank you MPA for the
first event of the year.
BACK-TO-SCHOOL PARTY—SEPTEMBER 18, 2011
7
B‖H
By Lily Shnayder T I P S F O R P A R E N T S
Here are a few ideas to help start a new school and Jewish
calendar year to a good start:
To be organized, create or re-establish a family routine
from evening homework review to bedtime to morning
out-of-the house routine. Try to stick with the bedtime
routine during the upcoming holidays.
This time of year is a good
time as any to talk to the children
about personal safety. One way
to do it is with ―Let’s Stay Safe‖, a
new children‘s book, published by
Mesorah Publications. With pic-
tures and child-friendly rhyming
text, the book can help teach
about safe and unsafe behavior
like personal safety, staying away
from strangers, crossing the street
safely, bicycle safety, fire safety and safety in the home.
To save time and money throughout the year, sign up
for Amazon Mom (Dads can sign up too) at
http://www.amazon.com/mom which allows for free
two-day shipping with no minimum charge and extra
savings on household and grocery items. Use it to shop
for diapers, birthday presents, schools supplies and even
grocery items without leaving home or office.
To avoid lost clothing, label them with Rub-A-Dub Laun-
dry Marking Pen, available on Amazon. This is especially
useful for younger preschool children. Thanks to Irene
Gabo for this tip.
To get the year off to a meaningful start, establish goals
– academic, extracurricular, family, spiritual or charac-
ter building. New beginnings like Rosh Hashanah and
school year are great opportunities to reflect on the
past and decide what you want to do better in the
future. A shofar blown on Rosh Hashanah is a reminder
to think about past actions and plan for the future. To
formalize the goals do a fun craft, I Can Do It! Chart.
MONTHLY CRAFT IDEAS
Supplies - colored pencils, wash-
able markers, scissors, construc-
tion paper, recycled foam pro-
duce trays (if meat or poultry, wash in hot, soapy water),
clear adhesive tape and straight edge or ruler
Instructions:
Draw several columns on a chart with markers and a
straight edge to record progress toward your goals. Make
different charts for each family member.
With pencils, list goals you would like to achieve. It could be
something simple, such as brushing teeth regularly for the
younger kids, or as complex as being patient with the chil-
dren at certain challenging times of day like bedtime.
Cut a recycled foam produce tray into small squares,
slightly narrower than the columns on the chart. On each
square, use a colored pencil to etch in a symbol of each
activity listed on your chart. Tape the stamp near the col-
umn.
Whenever you carry out one of your goals, color the sym-
bol with a marker and stamp it inside the column.
Watch how quickly the chart fills up with all the accom-
plishments! (Craft idea adopted from www.crayola.com)
What does the sounding of the shofar represent?
The central observance of Rosh Hashanah is the sounding
of the shofar, the ram's horn. The shofar is sounded on
both days of Rosh Hashanah (unless the first day of the
holiday falls on Shabbat, in which case we only sound the
shofar on the second day). The sounding of the shofar
represents, among other things, the trumpet blast of a
people's coronation of their king. The cry of the shofar is
also a call to repentance; for Rosh Hashanah is also the
anniversary of man's first sin and his repentance thereof,
and serves as the first of the "Ten Days of Repentance"
which will culminate in Yom Kippur, the Day of Atone-
ment. Altogether, we listen to 100 shofar blasts over the
course of the Rosh Hashanah service.
What are the symbolic foods of Rosh Hashanah?
We eat a piece of apple dipped in honey to symbolize
our desire for a sweet year (as many other special foods)
A head of a fish, ram, or other kosher animal, is served.
This symbolizes our desire to be at the "head of the class"
this year. A pomegranate is eaten, symbolizing our wish
to have a year full of mitzvot and good deeds as a
pomegranate is filled with luscious seeds. The challah
(traditional bread) is shaped in a round circle to symbol-
ize the fullness of life.
Throughout the meal, it is customary to also eat foods
whose names in the vernacular allude to blessing and
prosperity. For example, many
have the custom of eating a car-
rot dish, such as Tzimis, because in
Yiddish the word for carrots,
meren, means to multiply, and we
hope that our blessings for the
year will multiply.
ROSH HASHANAH QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH Compiled by Anna Ashurov
8
SP
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IAL TH
AN
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W E A P P R E C I A T E I T . . .
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CARTOON OF THE MONTH A special note of appreciation to those
parents who made gift donations to
school or to their child‘s classroom over
the past month…
Whether you want to give a gift to your
child's class in honor of his/her birthday or
just because... check out your class's
online wish list of carefully selected items
that will be greatly appreciated and used
by your child's teachers.
MO
NTH
IN P
ICTU
RES
OUR CHILDREN
Children enjoying their first month at Mazel