Science Expo

Last week our 5th through 8th grades hosted our first ever Science Expo.  A modified version of what we used to call a science fair, this year's event tied student projects much more closely to classroom work and did away with the competition aspect of the program.  Instead, the motivation for our students to do their best work was simply the fact that parents, teachers, and students would be asking them to explain their research and they'd have to be able to respond intelligently.

With the guidance of our dedicated science faculty, our students rose to the occasion and created and most impressive event.  Special thanks to Mr. Dave Lewellyn for overseeing the program and creating a fun, entertaining, yet educational evening for everyone to enjoy.

Skyping to the Top of the World

Thanks to the initiative of their teacher, Mrs. Cindy Massey, our 6th graders just finished Skyping with social entrepreneur, adventurer, and filmmaker Elia Saikaly who is half way up Mt. Everest.  The opportunity was brought about by ePals, an organization that uses technology to link students across the globe and one that our 6th graders know quite well.  Though they have spoken before with students on remote islands and in orphanages in Africa, this was the first time our students spoke to someone who was in negative 40 degree weather, half-way up the tallest mountain in the world.

Curious to know how Mr. Saikaly got internet access at Base Camp of Mt. Everest in the Himalayas? So were our students.  Watch the videos below and find out...

Students Collect Environmental Data at Shelby Farms

Last week, Mr. Dave Lewellyn took his AP Environmental class to Shelby Farms to conduct a water quality testing lab.  He met with Mr. Larry Pickens, the Park Operations Manager, and arranged for the students' measurements to be sent to him as a means of supporting their ongoing water quality assessments.  Mr. Lewellyn approached Mr. Pickens thinking we would be one of dozens of schools in the area collecting data on the park but found out that, to the best of his knowledge, we are the only school besides the University of Memphis currently studying the park's rich and diverse environment.  

Additionally, Mr. Pickens informed Mr. Lewellyn that if we can provide data on a regular basis we have the opportunity to become a part of the park efforts to monitor all sorts of water  and soil related issues.  It goes without saying that such would provide an invaluable learning opportunity for our students and a wonderful way for our kids to use their learning to help improve the world around us.

 

Mothers and Daughters

The annual Girls High School Dinner took on a very special feel this year, as the student-driven fundraising event paid homage to women who attended the Goldie Margolin School for Girls and who now send their daughters here as well.  From tables that were beautifully set to food that tasted great, and from a most entertaining game of MHA trivia to a most inspiring student dvar Torah, the night as a whole, and the student-made video tribute in particular, was a fitting tribute to these impressive women.

Below you'll find images from the night, all of which can be accessed here.  I've also posted a clip from 11th grader Jamie Epstein's dvar Torah.  If you didn't hear it live it's worth listening to.  Even if you did, it's worth hearing again...

Yom Ha-Ha'atzmaut

This is my sixth Yom Ha-Atzma'ut here at the Academy and while they have always been high-spirited enjoyable days, we have never had anything quite like what we experienced this week. The Bat Ami and the Kollel, under the direction of Rabbi Maimon and Daphna, outdid themselves. From the exceptional, and highly educational, decorations all over the school to the sessions on Israeli history, culture, and industry which filled the elementary school classrooms, and from the Bedouin tent cooking fresh pita outside to the festive lunch inside, there was experiential education happening everywhere.

The Boys High School, under Rabbi Lubetski and Rabbi Gersten's direction, took their Yom Ha'atzmaut program to new heights this year as well by creating a color-war type day of competition that asked the boys to do everything from preparing Israeli cuisine to researching and formally debate big questions relating to American-Israeli relations like "Can one be a Zionist while living in America?" and "Do Jewish men and women in the Diaspora have an obligation to serve in the Israeli army?" The excitement, energy, and festivity was palpable throughout the school and it all culminated with our annual march from the school to Baron Hirsch.

Below you'll find a slideshow with some pictures from the day, all of which can accessed here.  I've also included some clips from our Boys High School debate.  Please keep in mind that the views expressed don't necessarily reflect the views of the school or of the debators.  The do, however, reflect our boys' ability to think critically and make persuasive arguments about important issues.  Enjoy!

Yom HaZikaron

To commemorate Yom HaZikaron, our Torah MiTzion Kollel and Bnot Sherut transformed our computer lab into an exhibit hall replete with posters, pictures, and digital media conveying the loss and suffering which our brothers and sisters in Israel have endured since the establishment of the state.  For the older grades, the exhibit was complemented by a ceremony in the auditorium that helped make the names and numbers of fallen soldiers become real and relatable to our students.

Here are some pictures from both programs:

Yom HaShoah

The 4th through 12th grades commemorated Yom HaShoah earlier this week with a somber, yet meaningful, program organized by the Torah MiTzion Kollel and our Bnot Sherut.  It began with the lighting of six candles, the recital of kel maleh and yizkor by boys in our high school, and then a multi-media presentation that involved both live-acting and video.  I closed the program with a few words about the intensifying need for our children to learn from those who were there so that even in a world without survivors we never forget.

Student Receives Prestigious Bronfman Fellowship

Rachel Tsuna was informed earlier this week that she is one of only twenty-six 11th graders from across North America who were selected to participate in this summer's Bronfman Youth Fellowship program.  The program features an all-expense paid five-week trip to Israel for these talented and diverse young men and women where they will explore their Jewish identity and strengthen their ties to the Jewish State.

In addition, each fellow in the program is charged with the responsibility of developing a Ma'aseh Project, a social-action endeavor which they must implement over the course of their senior year with guidance from mentors provided by the Bronfman program.   As a Bronfman Fellow, Racheli will also gain access to a network of highly successful and closely knit Bronfman alumni who have assumed leadership positions throughout the Jewish community.

We have no doubt that the experience will prove invaluable and we can't wait to hear about it in August when she returns!

Congressman Stephen Fincher Visits the MHA

Due to the impressive efforts of 11th grader Isaac Graber and the AIPAC Club which he leads, United States Congressman Stephen Fincher visited our school today and spoke with our high school students about his support for the State of Israel.  Rep. Fincher, whose 8th District was recently redrawn to include the Margolin Hebrew Academy and its immediate surroundings, answered a series of questions which the AIPAC Club had sent him ahead of time ranging from the role his Christian faith plays in his support for the Jewish State to his views on the threat posed by Iran and the degree to which the American government ought to support the plight of ordinary Palestinians.

The 2nd term Congressman, who was accompanied by his wife and several staffers, told our kids how eye-opening it was for "a guy from Frog Jump, TN" to visit Israel two years ago together with a congressional delegation and how it transformed his support for Israel from being primarily faith-based to now being driven by the "the love of freedom" which Israel and America share.  He talked about the time he spent with Prime Minister Netanyahu and how he believes that the American government must allow the Prime Minister the latitude he needs to make the decisions that are in the best interest of Israel and the Israeli people.

When he finished answering the pre-selected questions, Representative Fincher opened the floor to spontaneous questions from our kids who were genuinely taken by his affability and down-to-earth style.  After over an hour of conversation, Rabbi Uriel Lubetski, our Upper School Principal, offered closing remarks and thanked the Congressman both for giving his time to us today and for giving Israel his unwavering support each and every day that he represents the 8th District of Tennessee in the nation's capital.

Pesach Play

The 2nd grade did a magnificent job today in performing their Pesach play in front of the entire Lower School as well as parents, relatives, and friends.  Performed completely in Hebrew and interspersed with songs and dances relating to the story of yetziat miztraim it was a true חגיגת הנלמד, a celebration of all that the students have been learning for the last several weeks.  יישר כחך to Morah Chaya Shochet, Morah Yehudit, and everyone else who helped our students to do their very best.

Here are some pictures from the play.  To download them, and to view a few short videos, click here.

Looking Beyond Ourselves

The following appears as the Dean's Message in this week's MHA / FYOS Reporter

The dominant theme of seder night is undoubtedly the story of our exodus from Egypt.  Yet there are two additional motifs which play a strong supporting role in the days leading up to the seder and continue right through to the very end of this most unique night in the Jewish calendar.  They are related ideas both of which require that we look beyond our own proverbial four cubits to those who need and depend on us: the less fortunate in our community and the children in our own family. 

While providing for the disadvantaged is always a value in Jewish life, it takes on additional intensity thirty days before Pesach as communities begin their ma’ot chittim campaigns to ensure that everyone in the community has sufficient food for Pesach.  These efforts reach a crescendo at the outset of our seder when we publicly invite anyone who is hungry to join us at our table for the festive meal.

Engaging and educating our children follows a very similar pattern.  It is a foundational element of Jewish life at all times of the year, yet as Pesach approaches it takes on a fevered pitch: the littlest ones practice Mah Nishtanah and the songs of the seder; the older ones prepare to impress their guests with insights into the Hagaddah; everyone learns and relearns the myriad halachot and customs that guide our behavior over these eight days.  Then, when seder night arrives, all eyes turn toward the children.  Over and over again the author of the Haggadah and its commentators stress the importance of centering the night which tells of our past on those who will ultimately create our future.

These two themes – extending ourselves to the less fortunate and extending ourselves to our children – came together in the most extraordinary way for me last week.  In response to the newsletter message I wrote some weeks ago about David Reed, son of Mrs. Betty Reed, an anonymous alumnus of our school sent me these moving words.  I share them with you as we head into Pesach as evidence of what can happen when we heed the seder’s call to look beyond ourselves and see those who need our help, guidance, and love.

Good afternoon Rabbi Perl,

I hope this e-mail reaches you, and that it finds you well. I just came across the beautiful story you wrote in the newsletter, about receiving the check from David Reed, and I feel that I have to write you (as soon as I stop crying). 

I attended the Memphis Hebrew Academy decades ago, from kindergarten through eighth grade. I was definitely not a typical MHA student--my family was very poor and we were not Orthodox. My parents were in an awful marriage and home was a very scary place. My siblings and I were traumatized and quite neglected. We also lived in a very rough part of town, and endured quite a bit of after-school anti-semitism. Needless to say, I kind of stood out from the crowd, for all the wrong reasons. I was an awful student, just awful, and while many my teachers and classmates were very nice to me, unfortunately, quite a few were not. Still, I credit the school for allowing me to attend (I surely was given some sort of scholarship or aid), and for providing me with the only stability that I had at the time. It gave me a firmer foundation, and a glimpse of civility that didn't exist at home. I just don't think that anyone knew what to make of the messy, troubled little girl who showed up for class each weekday. I'm sure I was pretty hard to tolerate. 

But there was one teacher there who accepted me unconditionally, and that was Betty Reed. No matter how disheveled or exhausted I was, that lovely woman greeted me with a warm smile each weekday morning. Sometimes she even hugged me. Under her tutelage, I was reading at an eighth grade level in first grade (though I barely passed my other classes). She instilled in me a love for literature and writing that I carry to this day. In fact, I became a writer.

I still have a lacy, rather yellowed thank you card that she wrote to me back in 1966. Here is what it said: 

"...Thank you for the stationary. I love it because it’s so pretty, but most of all I love it because it came from my very special friend. I love you...– Betty Reed"

You cannot imagine what those words meant to me. Mrs. Reed made me feel valued when no one else did. There were other kind teachers who came along later, but in my nine years at the Memphis Hebrew Academy, she had the greatest impact on my life.

For years, I tried to find her, to thank her for all she'd done for me. So often people quietly change the lives of others for the better, never realizing the impact of what they've done. I wanted to tell her. It wasn't until I came across the story in your newsletter that I realized that she too was struggling at that time. It reminded me that life works in mysterious and beautiful ways. For over forty years, I've carried the memory of this wonderful woman in my heart, feeling grateful for the goodness she had bestowed on me when I was six years old. I never imagined that at the same time, one of her own children was carrying the same feelings for those who had employed her. The world is a wonderful place. 

I did an Internet search after reading your story, and I believe that Mrs. Reed has passed away. I don't know if you have a way of contacting her son, but if you do, I hope that you'll feel free to forward him this e-mail and/or my e-mail address. I'd like to tell him how remarkable his mother was, though I have a feeling he already knows. 

Thank you for sharing your experience, Rabbi Perl. You've made my whole week. 

Sincerely,

A Former Student 

Championship Basketball

Both our 7th and 8th grade Macs and our High School Varsity Macs played for their respective Shelby County League championships last night.  While our 7/8 team played their hearts out, they came up a bit short at the end. Though it wasn't the result our boys had hoped for, they, under the direction of Coach James Nokes, and the on court leadership of Ariel "J.J" Kampf, had a season to be proud of.

Coming off of their historic success at Yeshiva University's Red Saracheck Invitational Basketball Tournament in New York, our varsity Macs were heavily favored to win their championship game against their rival Bucs.  The balance shifted, though, when it was announced that starting center, Brian Itkowitz, would be unable to play to do an injury to his knee.  Nonetheless, led by the superb play of captain Eli Osdoba and the guidances of Coaches Richard Lewis and Craig Wiener, the team rose to the occasion and walked away with a fitting cap to a most remarkable season.

Here are all of the pictures from these two championship games:

Chidon HaTanach Finalists

Congratulations to Tani Finkelstein, Efraim Wiener, and Noga Finkelstein all of whom have qualified as finalists in the National Bible Contest, the Chidon HaTanach.  Tani, Efraim and Noga all ranked amongst the highest scoring students in the nation on three written exams covering six different sifrei Tanach.  As a result, they will be heading to New York on May 5th to take the national contest's final exam. The student who scores highest in New York will be crowned the national champion and will move on to the International Bible Contest in Israel next year.

We wish all three of them the best of luck and continued success in their Torah learning!

Shelby County Champs

In what was as good a basketball game as you'll ever see, our 5th and 6th grade boys knocked off Germantown Elementary to complete a perfect 12-0 season in the Shelby County Basketball League.  Sporting only eight players, the team's success throughout the season was a testament to the incredible effort and hard work of every member of the team and to yet another masterful job of coaching by our Athletic Director, James Nokes.

Much like the semifinal game that preceded it, the championship game was a back and forth battle right from the outset.  Despite going down a few points late in the second half, our team bounced back and it was all tied up with a minute to play.  In those last 60 seconds the teams traded baskets and then, with 1.1 seconds on left on the clock, Simcha Osdoba drove the lane, drew a foul, and knocked down this free throw to seal the game:

Congratulations to Simcha, Ethan, Joel, Yisrael, Dovid, Ezra, Akiva, and Robby for a job really well done!

Girls Bow Out to Shelby County Champs

The Girls High School Mock Trial team in their debut run through the Shelby County tournament bowed out earlier this week after a tough loss to Germantown High School.  The Germantown team themselves could not believe it was our team's first time in Mock Trial, never mind the fact that our school is a tiny fraction of the size of theirs.  The Germantown team ended up winning the Shelby County tournament and will head off to the State finals.

A tremendous thank you is owed to Rabbi Noam Stein and to Mr. Toof Brown who coached our team through its impressive run.  Most of all, congratulations is in order to Jamie Epstein, Hudis Lang, Alyssa Wruble, Rachel Tsuna, Hannah Morris, and Zehava Gersten for a job very well done.  

Siddur Presentation

It's taken a few days but pictures from last Sunday's 1st Grade Siddur Presentation are finally here!  Mazal tov again to Morah Deena and to all of the 1st graders for a job beautifully done.  We look forward to you using your new siddurim for many, many years to come.




You can view and download all of the pictures from the event here.

Guest Blog: Two Roads

The following is a transcript of the speech delivered by 11th grader Jake Pollack at last night's community-wide program entitled Hatred & Holy Books. The event was intended as an educational and inspirational response to the anti-Semitic vandalizing of our siddurim and sefer Torah during our Boys High School shabbaton in Jackson, TN one month ago. Close to 400 people of all faiths and races attended the event including Memphis Mayor A.C. Wharton, Jackson Mayor Jerry Gist, and a host of other distinguished guests. The evening was hosted by the Baron Hirsch Congregation and co-sponsored by Facing History and Ourselves and the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

I am not the most observant person in the world. But I think that makes me the perfect person to speak here tonight. I believe the events that transpired on the morning of January 12 affected me more than anybody else.

You see, in 9th grade I made the decision to distance myself from my religion. I wanted to assimilate, and I believed that going to a non-Jewish high school in my hometown of St. Louis was the easiest way to do that. I didn't wear a kippah, and I tried to act the same as everybody else. The result was that I was miserable. So miserable in fact, that I decided to return to a Jewish school, which is how I ended up here in Memphis.

So when I woke up on Saturday morning, and was told that our Torah was vandalized, the very symbol of our religion, I took this to be a direct hit at me. I wasn’t scared, I wasn’t sad, I wasn’t fearful for my life (like some articles may tell you), but I was mad. I was mad because this was a directed hit at my religion, a religion that I was recently reconnected with.

It began when I was rudely woken up by my friend Gabe. He informed me to get dressed quickly for prayers, because we had been vandalized. When he told me this, I laughed. I thought some other teenagers staying at the hotel with us probably threw our stuff around, perhaps even spray painted some things on the wall. I was so wrong.

While getting dressed for prayers, I noticed two police cars outside our room’s window. At that point I realized something was up. I got dressed, and ran downstairs. When I reached the lobby, I saw the image of police officers and hotel personnel talking to each other. I felt like I was on an episode of NCIS.

When I reached our prayer room, to my surprise, there were two police officers in front of the door, guarding it. They directed me to the new prayer room, where I walked into an unfamiliar sight. It was a sight that I never experienced before in my life, and a sight that I will probably never see again in my life. I saw a Shabbat prayer service taking place without a Torah. It would be like playing football without the actual football. Or using a watch that couldn't tell time. Nonetheless, we continued to pray huddling around in groups, with the few prayer books we had available to us.

It surprised me to see just how scared and anxious everybody was. At this time, we had no idea who had committed the crime. It was eerie to see my classmates so scared. Take my friend Bryan, a six foot, two hundred pound man. Before January 12, I had never seen Bryan in fear. On Saturday morning, I found Bryan sitting alone in deep thought, biting his nails. He was asking questions like, “what if the person who did this has a gun?” Bryan was not alone. Every person in that room on Saturday morning was scared at some level. It was the feeling of not knowing what comes next. We simply did not know how the scenario would play out.

We were frequently updated during prayers by our Dean, Rabbi Perl. We were told to stay calm, and listen to the authorities. We were naive children stuck in a room surrounded by police officers. Now I have never been to prison, but I would assume prison feels a lot like this.

But here I stand today, nearly one month later. Our Torah is in the custody of the Jackson Police Department, along with our prayer books. And still one question bothers me. Since we don’t have our Torah, our prayer books are ruined, and we were forced to change our trip in order to stay safe, didn’t the person who vandalized us achieve his goal? Hasn't he walked out of this incident the winner? He instilled in us a sense of fear and forced us to give over our most valuable possession, the Torah. In my eyes, he won.

So I asked Rabbi Perl this same question, thinking I would stump him. Instead of stumping him, he responded with a pretty profound answer. To put it simply, he told me that everything I told him was in fact correct. Yes, we don’t have our torah, we don't have our prayer books, and our trip was altered. However, we will get our torah back, we will get our prayer books back, and we still had an awesome time.

After talking to Rabbi Perl, I realize that this incident was an opportunity for us to feel what many people unfortunately feel every day. We were discriminated against, because of our beliefs. I’ve heard about African Americans and gay people being discriminated against my whole life, but I was never able to relate. Today I can stand here and tell you with 100% certainty that I, along with all of my classmates, were victims of discrimination. We were in the line of fire of anti-semitism. It reminded me of the stories that my grandparents told me about their grandparents in Europe. Today, it feels so real.

Yet here we are today, united together. And I see two roads we can take. Road one leads us down a path where we continue to mourn and feel sorry for ourselves. It’s a path in which we continue to be filled with bitterness and hatred. It’s an easy path that takes almost no effort. Or we can take road number two. This road is a path that involves a lot of effort. It is a path that forces us to forgive and move forward. Its a path that our religion has gone down countless times. Its a path that my great great grandparents went down. And its a path that I am going to go down. 

Here I am, in Memphis Tennessee, two years after I decided to assimilate and go to a non-Jewish high school. And I have never been prouder to be a Jew. Thank you.

Adar is here!

There is nothing quite like Rosh Chodesh Adar here at the Academy.  Immediately following davening in the morning, our Boys High School students dance down the elementary school hallway while our Girls High School heads to our Early Childhood classrooms to pick up our younger students and dance with them to the gym.  Once they arrive they are met by our high school band who leads the entire school - from PreK-3 through 12th grade - in a chagigah to welcome in the festive month of Adar.  The dancing, highlighted this year by solo performances from Rabbi Gersten, Mr. Solemon, and fan favorite Sammy the Sephardi, is followed by an elaborate breakfast sponsored each year by Mrs. Rita Schneider and family.

Along with hallways and classrooms decked out in Adar themes thanks to our Benot Sherut and Torah MiTzion Kollel, as well various modes of dress-up for Spirit Week in different divisions, the notion that מי שנכנס אדר מרבים בשמחה - when Adar comes we increase our happiness - is something palpable and meaningful for every child here at the MHA.

iPad Parshanut

Please enjoy this iMovie dvar Torah created by our 4th grade on their iPads.  Shabbat Shalom!

The MHA at NAJDS

This week's North American Jewish Day School Conference was a proud moment for our school. As part of Monday morning's program run by the Yeshiva University School Partnership challenging Orthodox Day Schools to boldly re-imagine themselves as places of 21st century learning, I had the pleasure of presenting some of the work our faculty has done over the last three years as part of our Curriculum21 Initiative.

My presentation, all of which you can see online, was called Teaching Ancient Texts to 21st Century Kids.  I began by sharing the standards we recently adopted for 21st century learning across all disciplines and grades in our school, which include a section on "Religion and Modernity." That was followed by sample units, ranging from 3rd grade through 12th grade, of innovative approaches to Judaic studies that our teachers have developed and recently implemented in their classrooms.  While some of the units represent relatively small steps toward integrating 21st century learning and others represent wholesale paradigm shifts in Jewish education, all of the units represent steps we are taking as a school toward equipping our children with the skills we feel they will need to be religiously and spiritually successful in the world they are headed to.

The feedback was overwhelming.  I heard it, Mrs. Gersten heard it, and Josh Kahane heard it.  It was heartwarming and reaffirming.  It told me that we're not only on track to dramatically improve the quality of education for our children here in Memphis, but that our efforts may well help advance the field of Jewish education as a whole.