I would like to remind you that our Monthly Mitzvah Project, "Observing Shabbat", will end the day after Pesach, Wed. April 7. See details below, and thank you for your participation.
Rachel Ginsburg
PJC School Principal
We have many positive mitzvot (rituals) that we can do to enhance the special day of Shabbat.We have time to study Torah, and enjoy good food (the food must be prepared before Shabbat).We stay away from phones, computers and put our energy into spending time communing with family and friends, reading, taking a walk or even taking a nap in the afternoon.
Here is the list of activities that children can do to get credit for this Mitzvah:
1)Decide to have a special Shabbat dinner with Kiddush and chalot (with Ha Motzi) with a guest.
2)Decide one Shabbat not to use television or any kind of phone or computer.
3)If you do have Shabbat dinners on Friday, try once to have a Shabbat lunch with Kiddush and chalot.
4)Do a Havdalah service once at home, or come to the Mincha Maariv service at PJC.
5)Light Shabbat candles and recite the blessings if is not being done in your home.
6)Go to any of the Shabbat services as a whole family dressed in holiday clothes.
7)Read the Torah portion of the week (what will be read on that Shabbat) on the internet on the day before Shabbat Thursday) and write about what was written there.Then discuss it at a Shabbat meal with your family.
*Each child needs to bring a written note from their parents describing what he/she has done.All children who perform the mitzvah will have a leaf showing their name on our “Mitzvah Tree” (on the bulletin board in the school hallway) to recognize their participation.And children who perform at least 3 monthly mitzvahs will be invited to an ice cream party at the end of the year.
Feb, 2010
Dear Parents and Children, The Conservative Movement of Judaism (METNY) is sponsoring a contest for children. Please see the information we have forwarded. If your child would like to enter the contest, please bring the completed entry to the school office so we can type a special label before you mail it. The label is a required, otherwise the entry will be disqualified. We will then return the entry to you so you can mail it.
Thank you, Rachel Ginsburg
Dear PJC Religious School,
Your students are invited to show off their creative side in METNY's "Proud To Be Jewish" contest. As you will see from the flyer when you download it here, this ontest is open to students in grades 3 - 12. Each grade level has a specific theme, which can also be found on the flyer. Our theme for this year is "The Synagogue in Your Student's Life."
Here's what you need to know about the contest:
Each submission must have a typed label which includes the student's name, grade and school or chapter. Entries submitted without a typed label will be disqualified. Contest submissions must be original essays, poetry, drawings, videos or music. Videos and music should be no longer than 3 minutes in length. Written entries may be no more than 2 standard pages in length. Drawings, paintings, etc. must be no more than 8.5" x 11" (unlined paper, please). There is a limit of one entry per child. Group projects will not be eligible for judging. The deadline for METNY to receive your submissions is Friday, March 26th. No late entries will be accepted into the contest. Please send entries to METNY USCJ at 820 Second Avenue, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10017, Attn: Art Contest.
We will recognize every child who enters the contest with a certificate of participation. Additionally, a grand prize, an iPod, will be awarded within each grade level. All of the artwork submitted becomes property of METNY USCJ. We may use the submissions both at events and on our website.
Should you have any questions, please feel free to call me at (212) 533-0800 or e-mail me at metnyed@uscj.org.me ame at Thank you in advance for your support of this exciting and worthwhile project.
L'Shalom, Rabbi Paulette R. PosnerRaR Director of Education
Dear Parents and Children,
I want to congratulate everyone who participated in the tzedakah mitzvah project. We collected over $164. With half of the proceeds we plan to buy turkeys and give them to the Island Harvest Organization. With the other half, we will donate to the Miyad Le Yad, a Long Island organization which assists families in need with a variety of services.
Please note the following important updates:
1. By now, you have been notified about our next mitzvah project, "Compassion for Animals". In addition to the activities list that you received by email, we will also have a Pet Food and Toy Drive. There will be a box in the school hallway where you can bring animal toys or food for dogs and cats. Remember to send a note by November 19 stating what your child or children have done.
2. The School Committee decided that starting next summer, we will give only 1 Category B credit for July and 1 Category B credit for August - if your child has been in summer camp services during these months.
3. We are working on creating Homework Folders which the younger grades will bring home daily with a homework assignment inside. Please make sure that you see what the homework assignment is and sign it to show that your child completed it.
4. Soon each class will receive an email with the curriculum of Hebrew prayers (tefillot), where you can see the tefillot that we plan to cover this year. You can work with your children at home to read the prayers, which will help us tremendously. For Mechina, the teacher will send prayer sheets home with the children. The Alef class will get a prayer kit. For grades Bet and higher, I will indicate the page for each prayer in the Siddurenu prayer book so they can practice it.
Looking forward to a great school year.
Mitzvah Program
We are initiating a new program in the school, named “The Monthly Mitzvah”.Each month, all children from the different classes will be offered a list of activities for a different mitzvah that they can do in order to perform that specific mitzvah. At the end of each month, the teachers will collect written notes from the children describing what they did and each child’s note will have their parent’s signature on it.
In Tishrei, our mitzvah will be Giving Tzedakah.As you know in the Machzor (the special Siddur for the High Holidays), it is written ”but repentance, prayer and tzedakah avert (help to change) the severe decree” (of God).This is why we chose to start with tzedakah.
Tzedakah comes from the word "tzedek" which means justice. Tzedakah is not a donation of services or goods. Tzedakah, according to Judaism, is a financial responsibility that is required of each Jew regardless of financial status. Even poor Jews are supposed to give what they can to support society.
Here is a full list of activities that your children can choose from.They don’t have to do more than one activity and parents can help the child with the activity.
1. Children can sell old toys (to extended family, friends and whoever wants them) and bring the money to the teacher.(Amount of money not important but the act is what we want to emphasize.)
2. Children can sell cookies that they baked or bought.
3. Children can organize a walkathon to their street.
4. Children can go to stores and walk for a donation or goods and then sell them.
5. Children can contribute from their weekly allowance or their own tzedakah boxes.
Remember each child needs to bring a signed note from their parents up to October 18 (End of Tishrei, the Hebrew month) describing what he/she has done.
I thank you in advance for being a part of this exciting program.Please help us to make it a big success.
All cell phones must be turned off If a teacher finds a child using their cell phone during class time, (which includes texting messages), the phone will be taken away until the end of the class. It is then the child's responsibility to pick up their cell phone from the teacher after the class.
Please help us to maintain this policy so that classes will run smoothly and the children can learn effectively.
Here's an easy way to give personal thanks to the brave soldiers who protect and defend Israel.
Go to: www.thankisraelisoldiers.com and in 1 minute, you can send a care package with a thank you note to a soldier. This is a mitzvah project that we encourage you to be involved with. Please contact Rachel Ginsburg if you choose to participate. rachelginsburg613@gmail.com Thank you!
ATTENTION ALL STUDENTS: Are you interested in learning to read Torah or blow the Shofar for our Family High Holiday Services. Please contact Diane Miller at 935-7732 or Hebrew School Office at 938-5865.
The issue of parking lot safety for children and cars was discussed at our first school meeting. Here are the guidelines that we are asking you to follow:
Drop Off 1) The parking lot on the Oak Street side is only for parents who plan to park and bring their children to the door. All other cars (where parents do not leave the car) should drop off their children at the loop (on Floral Drive). These children should go to the door on the Oak Street side and press the code 7373 instead of coming through the Cherry Street side and ringing the bell.
Pick Up 2) All children from Bet and higher (through Hey) will be brought through the Main Entrance (large wood) doors to the loop at Floral Drive. The younger grades (Kindergarten/Sunday School, Mechina and Alef) will follow their teachers to the Oak Street side.
Please help us to follow these guidelines so we can improve our children's safety.
