Hebrew Rocks Coffeehouse

At Rosenblatt High School’s annual Coffeehouse show, our Hebrew classes took the stage. Featured on the big screen was our very own 10th grade honors Hebrew class’ acclaimed production of Kipah Adumah (Little Red Riding Hood)! The film was made completely by the students themselves and entirely spoken in Hebrew. As it captured the Coffeehouse audience with Israeli comical lines and its dramatic twist on a classical childhood tale, Kipah Adumah was entertaining and educational for all! Hebrew is definitely thriving at Donna Klein thanks to an amazing department!

Hannah Wolf, 11th grade

Coffeehouse Recap

Last night at the 12th Annual Coffee House, we drank a little coffee, we did a little dancing, and we did whole lot a laughing. If you weren’t there here’s a little bit of what you missed: Ben Reise got arrested but was saved by Super Nanny/Immigrant Counselor Mrs. Noiman, Jamie Korsunsky was Justin Bieber, someone has been going around stealing Jackie’s lollipops licking them and putting them back, everyone met Merv, we got a glimpse into Nola Schwalb’s camp years, and the faculty put on an unforgettable performance that we will never ever let them live down. Mr. Belotto and I want to thank everyone who came out, we had an awesome time and we can’t wait for next year. We hope you enjoyed the night and had some laughs because that’s what it’s all about. 

Dana Lipson (aka Hot Pocket)

High School Artists Earn 22 Awards in Scholastic Competition, Proceed to National Level

Mazel Tov to Rosenblatt High School students Eva Demsky, Cayla Horowitz, Sydney Moed and Lena Stein who earned a collective total of 22 awards at the 2016 Scholastic Art competition, placing at the Regional level. The awards were categorized as 12 Gold Keys, six Silver Keys and four Honorable Mentions. The 12 Gold Key awarded pieces will proceed to be judged at the national level in New York. The artists’ work will be on exhibition at the Armory Art Center in West Palm Beach from March 5 to March 16, 2016. “I am so proud of our art students,” said their teacher Anita Schwartz. “It will be a wonderful exhibit. Put it on your calendar!”

DKJA's Legal Studies Program

This semester “Criminal Law and Procedure” is being taught as part of DKJA's Legal Studies Program. We are examining the 4th, 5th and 6th Amendments and analyzing famous cases in American History, as well as important laws derived from them such as the Miranda warnings. The class has already learned about crimes against people and property as well as the defenses to the same. The class is looking forward to attending the Mock Trial Competition in Palm Beach County Courthouse on February 18, 2016 and supporting the DKJA team.

Caryn Siperstein Klein

Director of Legal Studies

Journey Into the Unknown: Parshat Lech Lecha and Mars One

What makes someone journey into the unknown? What makes someone worthy of being chosen to lead a first-time initiative?

A group of  entrepreneurs are leading a commercial  initiative to create permanent human settlement on planet Mars. It looks like a great adventure with one caveat: You only receive a one-way ticket.

Is settling Mars the next big thing for humanity or a kind of foolish escapism from dealing with the problems on planet Earth?

The 9th grade Jewish Studies class is studying Parshat Lech Lecha and the journey that Avram and Sarai took by leaving their land and birth place and going into the unknown to the place which God would show them. What made them go? Who or what did they place their trust in? Is there something we can learn from them if we are to consider the Mars Initiative?

As we consider these questions, we are also looking at midrashim (rabbinic commentaries) about Avram and why God chose him for a special mission, specifically, what prepared Avram to introduce monotheism to the world?

A similar question is asked about the candidates who volunteered to staff the Mars mission. The website allows people to apply for the journey and for others to asses their worthiness for this endeavor. What type of individual is appropriate for such a mission? What can we learn from the Torah, and specifically the choice of Avram as the perfect candidate for the mission of Lech Lecha, to think about modern day journeys into the uncharted territory of the future?

Shabbat Shalom,

Nachshon Carmi

Relevant Lessons for Today from the Hebrew Slave

We live in a time when nations and individuals continue to exploit others and certain segments of our society continue to suffer. We look at the water crisis in Detroit, ISIS in Syria, the problem with modern slavery, or the problems being protested with the ‘Black Lives Matter’ campaign, there are those that continue to be and feel oppressed in the world.  
More than any other idea, the Torah impels us to be mindful of the widow, the orphan and the stranger amongst you, ‘for you were a stranger in the Land of Egypt.’ We are empowered to take responsibility to make ‘just’ the injustices of the world and look after those that are most vulnerable.  

Rabbi Abraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook, z’l, the first Chief Rabbi of Palestine, said, "The pure righteous do not complain of the dark, but increase the light; they do not complain of evil but increase justice, they do not complain of heresy, but increase faith; they do not complain of ignorance but increase wisdom."

Parshat Mishpatim (lit. Statutes) illuminates many of the civil laws and contains 53 mitzvot; 23 positive and 30 prohibitions. It details the ‘mitzvot’ between man and man. This week’s Parsha begins immediately after the great ‘Revelation’ at Sinai of the ten utterances, (Ten Commandments.) at the end of last week’s parsha (Yitro). 

At the heels of the ‘Revelation’ you would think that the Torah would focus on religious things, i.e. Shabbat, the holidays, keeping Kosher, etc, but it doesn’t. What is even more perplexing is that after 210 years of Egyptian servitude, and after leaving Egypt with the 10 plagues and amongst wonders, like the parting of the Sea, the very first mitzvah of all the civil laws is the law of the עבד עברי the Hebrew slave. You might have thought that the first Mitzvah after more than 200 years of slavery would be a prohibition against slavery. Why begin with the law of the Hebrew slave?  

The Torah commands; “When you will acquire a Hebrew slave, six years he will work for you and in the 7th year he will go free.”  בכִּ֤י תִקְנֶה֙ עֶ֣בֶד עִבְרִ֔י שֵׁ֥שׁ שָׁנִ֖ים יַֽעֲבֹ֑ד וּבַ֨שְּׁבִעִ֔ת יֵצֵ֥א לַֽחָפְשִׁ֖י חִנָּֽם This command is a reinterpretation of what it means to be a slave. Instead of being a victim of the servitude this new definition is more of an indentured servant. 

The Rabbis of the Talmud seek to redefine slavery so much that an adage was struck: "Whosoever acquires a Jewish slave has acquired himself a master." (Talmud Kiddushin, 20a). The laws of Hebrew slavery are elaborated in Leviticus 25:39 ff.: "If your brother is destitute and is sold to you, you shall not treat him as a slave." Although we call it a ‘Hebrew slave’ it is actually the opposite. We are told, that a ‘Master’ must provide for his servant even before himself. If the ‘Master’ has two pillows, his servant should have one first and only then should the ‘Master’ take for himself. If however, the ‘Master’ has only one pillow it will go only to his servant.  

Perhaps this can give us an insight into why this is the first law chosen before enumerating 53 mitzvot dealing with civil law. Before we can begin the process of creating a ‘civil’ society we have to put ourselves in the position of those that are most vulnerable. How does it feel to be sleeping without a pillow? How does it feel not to have a job? Only after putting ourselves in others shoes, can we begin to truly act civil to one another. 

The Yale University Law Professor, Stephen Carter says it best, “Civility...is the set of sacrifices we make for the sake of our common journey with others, and out of love and respect for the very idea that there are others.” Perhaps that is the reason ‘civility’ starts with the Hebrew slave. Because it knows that in order to create a ‘civil’ society, we must first begin to put ourselves in the position of those that are most vulnerable in our society. 


Shabbat Shalom, 

Rabbi Plotkin

Student Government Update

Student government had a great first semester, and we are very excited for the next couple of months. We had a great spirit week full of fun themes. For the first time ever, we had an ice skating nighttime event and over 100 students attended. We are excited for the semester ahead. Next Wednesday night, February 10 at 7pm, is Coffeehouse. Everyone should come and watch some great acts presented by our talented high school students. Give a Friend a Flower Day will be coming up in a few weeks along with other exciting things planned. 

Illana Joseph,
Assistant Principal