A Jewish Thanksgiving

Our sages taught us that the first thing a Jew does in the morning is thanking Hashem for “waking up” – "מודה אני לפניך" – We expect to wake up in the morning and be able to walk, to see, to hear, to be free, to be healthy. What seams to us natural, what we take for granted, is still a “miracle” and for that we should be grateful.

The Talmud teaches us that our foremother Leah names her fourth male child Judah, whose name in Hebrew means "praise" or "thanks”. She saw that she had been given more than her fair share, and saw fit to give thanks to Hashem for her blessing. (Last week’s parshat Vayetze)

In this week's Parshat Vayishlach, we learn from Leah’s husband Jacob a great lesson regarding the trait of gratitude. Jacob said, "I have become small from all of the kindnesses and from all of the truth that You have done with Your servant, because with my staff did I pass over this Jordan [river] and now I have become two camps (Gen. 32:11)." Jacob is expressing how he is so totally grateful to God for the great chesed, kindness, of developing him into a large and prosperous family.

This week, as we all celebrate in America the holiday of Thanksgiving, we add a new understanding to our perspective of appreciating our gratitude. We recognize the value of our amazing school community, our diligent and respectful students, our dedicated and reliable staff and teachers, our kind and supportive families and friends. For that and for them, like our foremother Leah, let us be truly thankful…for we have been given more than we deserve.

“Begin each day with a grateful heart,”

Morah Miriam

Old School Meets High Tech

At Donna Klein Jewish Academy Rosenblatt High School we like to use a combination of old school techniques and high tech equipment to give students a broad range of experiences and knowledge to apply in the classroom and in their lives.

A few weeks ago the students used a simple spring attached to a wooden cart to find out how fast it was moving in our hallways, using a timer. Beginning last week we brought them into modern times and let them use photogates and carts on specially designed ramps so that they could find out to 10000th of a second how fast their cars are moving. The students enjoyed the exposure to these materials and are using it as a springboard to numerous other topics as we expand into forces and acceleration.

Please stay tuned for future labs and demonstrations where students begin to really see the physics in our world as we create zero friction environments and have them apply their previous knowledge to determine the course and type of movement of virtually any object.

HS Students visit the Norton Museum of Art On November 13, 2015

We had a wonderful day at the Norton museum of Art. Students saw "This Place," a collection of controversial photos taken in Israel through the eyes of twelve photographers from around the world. Many discussions occurred during and following the trip regarding whether we felt that Israel had been portrayed in a favorable light. Most of us agreed that it was not; however, all of us recognized that the exhibit made us think and feel. That's what good art does. 
      

Students worked on a short written assignment. Then, Allie Hasson and I acted as docents and talked about three artists from the museum's permanent collection: Alexander Calder, Dale Chihuly, and Jackson Pollock. Everyone had a very good time.

A special thank you to the teachers and volunteers who joined us for the day: Eilat, Lydia, Allie, Tali and Lois. Every time we go on a  field trip, I am reminded of the value of bringing culture into our students' lives.

Anita Schwartz, M.A.T.

H.S.Dept. Chair of the Arts

L.S. & M.S. Art Curriculum Coordinator

High School Students from Across the Nation Gather for AIPAC Training

Rosenblatt High School at Donna Klein Jewish Academy sent 6 students to join 420 high school students from more than 189 public and private academic institutions across the country at AIPAC's annual Schusterman Advocacy Institute High School Summit in Washington, D.C., November 1-3.  

While in the nation's capital, our students received intensive training in pro-Israel political advocacy and participated in congressional appointments focusing on the value of the U.S.-Israel alliance. Our students visited Congressman Ted Deutch. High School Summit, the cornerstone of AIPAC's Early Engagement program, is an empowerment vehicle for teens interested in supporting Israel through the American political process.

Sports History Elective

The past few weeks in Sports History, the students delved into the historical side of the course and complied a list of the greatest players in their respective sports. 

This project allowed the students to do some research into the sports that they love (basketball, football, tennis and soccer) and create their own point system, which they used to grade each player and create a ranking system similar to what the major sports writers do every year. 

The students looked at some of the incredible statistics the all-time greats would put up during their playing careers. The inclusion of different sports, like soccer and tennis, exposed the students to some different athletes that many had never heard of or watched play. 

The next task in this course will be to have the students understand the impact of scandals in sports. We are going to discuss a number of different incidents that occurred throughout sporting history that tarnished some of the greatest figures/franchises in history. 

We will begin by discussing the Black Sox scandal during the 1920's and conclude with talking about the money laundering that took place at the University of Miami only a decade ago. This will allow the students to understand some of the negative aspects of sports and how challenging it is for organizations and players to overcome these negative experiences. 

Nick Belotto,

History and Sports History Elective Teacher

Human Dilemmas - A View from the Torah

What  prompts you to make positive choices in life? 

What  prompts you make negative choices in life? 

When we make poor choices, does it affect how we behave the next time we are faced with a dilemma? 

Through the study of the story of Cain and Abel, the 9th grade students reflected on their own motivations around these questions. Integrating the wisdom of Rashi, The Malbim (19th century commentator who lived in Russia) and a midrash from the 9th century CE, we have explored these questions through our reading of the biblical text. 

All of these commentaries offer their own insights into human behavior, which we have studied and discussed in class in hevrutot (small groups) and in large classroom discussions. 

We also read a section of a play by the famous playwright Arthur Miller that filled in the missing gaps in the biblical story and what actually led up to the first murder of another human being.

We agreed that reflecting on one's motives allows us to grow as young adults and brings us wisdom. We also discussed how this idea is part of the Jewish principle of Teshuva (change/repentance), which we can act upon daily.

Mr. Carmi

Are You a Critical Reader?

Within every high school English class,students are actively engaged in developing their critical reading skills. As you know, our students read a variety of literary genres in order to hone their skills in recognizing literary elements, determining the importance of a fictional setting, analyzing the character traits of a story's protagonist, or identifying the universal themes that appear in every finely crafted, literary work. 

As students mature and develop their reading fluency, they are more adept at "reading between the lines" in order to glean the nuances of written expression. At Rosenblatt High School, it's so important for our students to read their required texts, and to develop a personal love for reading! The SAT and ACT Exams challenge students to actively read a number of passages within a stringent time frame, and to answer a number of standardized, test-based questions with skill and accuracy. 

A strong familiarity with written expression affords students a real chance to recognize how words are used in context within a particular passage, and to identify an author's tone or particular, writing style. These higher-level questions are an integral part of the standardized testing process. We all know that the SAT and ACT Examinations are part of the required college application process, and developing strong, reading skills is integral to their testing success.

Many of our ninth graders are using their critical reading skills to analyze Oedipus Rex, and students in Grade 12 AP Literature and Composition are using their reading expertise as they study Hemingway, short stories and, Wide, Sargasso Sea.

Claudia Marcus,

English Department Chair

Bonjour! The first French class at DKJA is here!

Salutations!!! 

We are very excited to be the first French class at DKJA high school! We have improved our French language skills already, in a short amount of time. We are looking forward to the opportunity to speak with our family and friends in French. We have already learned a variety of greetings, including several verbs and pronouns, numbers, days of the week, and all about our families. 

Here is a sample of what we have learned so far, written by Olivia Galel. 

Bonjour! Je m’appelle Olivia Galel. J’ai quinze ans. Je suis une eleve. Je suis americaine et je suis de Floride. J’ain une grande famille. Il y a cinq personnes dans ma famille: ma bonne mere, mon gentil pere, et mes deux grandes soeurs intelligentes. J’ai un chien. Il s’appelle Pazzo. J’aime ma famille beaucoup!!!!!!!