Maimonides School Albany

HOLOCAUST BABY SURVIVOR SPEAKS AT SCHOOL
Erika Schwartz was born a month after N***s occupied Hungary. She was scheduled to speak at Nott Memorial at Union College that evening, but first came to talk to some of our classes (a HACD class joined us, too) earlier that day. She shared her and her mother's story, both during the Holocaust and in the years that followed. Thanks Rabbi Shmuly & Laiky for arranging this.

As they study for Regents, our Maimonides High Schoolers enjoyed a Yoga session with instructor Chana. On the year-end trip day when most of the school was away and it was only HS & Nursery in the building, they enjoyed a big “Hide & Seek”, some outdoor water-play and a lively game of football - and they also got a lot of studying and Regents Prep done!

8TH GRADE “BAKE-SALE” GRADUATION TRIP Thanks to all who supported Bake-Sale, to Sara & Bassie for chaperoning, our four 8th grade girls had a jam-packed 3-day graduation trip June 1-3. These students have been at Maimonides since Nursery School!

They visited Olana, toured historic Philadelphia (from Independence Hall and Liberty Bell to Eastern State Penitentiary, Chabad’s Stephen’s Café and Otherworld LED Light Show), Escape Rooms, Strawberry Picking, Popcorn Park Animal Refuge (so many peacocks!), a beach at Jersey Shore, a nature hike that ends with NYC skyline view, East Jersey Old Town historic Village, American Dream Mall and its Kosher treats, and some delicious Lakewood eateries, a firepit, BBQ, & much more!

See some of their hundreds of photos here:

This week's MC Newsletter has lots of pics from 3 year-end trips: 8th grade to Philly & NJ, K-2 to Grafton Lakes State Park, Grades 3-7 to Ausable Chasm & Ausable Point on Lake Champlain.

You don't get the weekly MC Newsletter to your email inbox!?

Sign up to get it weekly at:

Maimonides School Maimonides School Email Forms

Some first photos from today's two School Trips: Grades K-2 to Grafton Lakes State Park, and Grades 3-7 to Ausable Chasm and Ausable Point. 8th grade is on their final day of their graduation trip. HS and Nursery are back at regular school today.

More photos in this week's MC Newsletter. Don't get the weekly MC? You're missing out! Sign up at tinyurl.com/MCNewsletterSignup

Glimpses from the Maimonides Dinner 5786/2026 program themed "To Be Continued! - Chazak, Chazak vNischazek!"

THE DINNER PIVOT a large portion of the original plan for this dinner was to honor the Laber family for 3 generations of local dedication. Most of the journal ads are reflective of the original plan. As our community knows there has been a tragedy in the family, and they are in the week of Shiva. Postponment plans didn’t work for the family at this time, see the “To Be Continued!” page in the journal for more on the decision to go ahead with this dinner for the community - with a pivot to the “Chazak, Chazak” Hebrew words already swirled into the dinner logo. This pivot was meaningfully and sensitively expressed thanks to every component and speaker at the dinner program. The awards of photo albums spanning nearly 30 years of their children at Maimonides them will be presented to them at a different time, one album was given to them in Shiva to remininse the memories as a family.

THE DINNER’S PROGRAM COMPONENTS: It began with appetizers and milling out on the deck, and closed with a big dessert buffet as well, to facilitate conversations and connection. This dinner did not have assigned seating. After the emcee’s welcome, the program opened with a video of students of all ages speaking on what they look forward to next year (fitting the “To Be Continued!” theme) and then the relevant Dvar Torah by Dr. Sean Ference, and the presentation of the award to the Zlatopolskys by Lilah Weisburg. After the main course was served, the program’s Part II resumed by Laura Melnicoff playing two heartfelt worldless Chassidic melodies leaving room and creating a space for everyone’s thoughts. Chana Mathless (10th grade) led the recitation of Chapter 1 of Tehillim, everyone put a coin in Tzedakah. Raizy Rubin explained the dinner’s pivot, and Shayna Kudan shared how the Albany community has been a “Chazak, Chazak” for her family over 4 decades, spiced with humor, warmth and inspiration.

TO BE CONTINUED!?

This year’s school dinner theme was titled “To Be Continued!” honoring the local dedication of 3 generations of the Laber family, and appreciating the communal dedication of Dr. Aaron and Rebecca Zlatopolsky.

Just this past weekend, over the holiday of Shavuot, Mrs. Raizel (Laber) Blesofsky suddenly passed away at age 23, while in her first year of marriage. The funeral was yesterday in Queens. All this week Raizel’s siblings, her widowed husband Yisrael Blesofsky, and her parents Rabbi Avraham and Nechama Laber are sitting Shiva at 5 Upper Mannix Road in East Greenbush. Shiva hours are 10am-1pm and 5pm-9pm.

We are all praying for the health of her newborn son: Tinok HaKohen ben Raizel.

To Be Continued!? Is it appropriate to go ahead with the scheduled school dinner in a time like this, while her family and the community mourn her untimely tragic passing?

We draw inspiration from the Rebbe’s response to a devastating terror attack in early days of Kfar Chabad: “בהמשך הבנין תנחמו - with continued building you will be comforted”.

After much deliberation and discussion with the family, we will be going ahead with the annual school dinner, a communal event, this Thursday night, May 28th, the 12th of Sivan.

Unfortunately, the Labers won’t be in attendance as they observe Shiva. We wish them solace and comfort in this most difficult time. The Laber family honorees see this communal gathering, to include Torah, prayer and Tzedakah, as a merit and a strengthening. We’re going to shift the dinner’s focus to the “Chazak”.

The 3-word Hebrew phrase in the dinner logo: “Chazak, Chazak, V’Nischazeik!” is said aloud by the reader and congregation at the conclusion of each of the Five Books of the Torah. The first two words are singular, “Be Strong!” as we each strengthen and support each other, leading to the last word in the plural: “Let us be strengthened!” - together!

May our unified efforts to gather and connect and support our community bring merit and salvation, blessings and success.
May we share good news.

The Maimonides School

PS: The ad journal will be sent to the printer late tonight on Memorial Day. If you’d like to include an ad or message or greeting for the honorees, the school or this year’s graduates, please be in touch with Raizy Rubin 518-772-7299.
The dinner event itself will be 6:30pm on Thursday May 28th at Shabbos House. For more info and RSVP see maimonidesschool.org/dinner or contact Raizy.

Dinner - Maimonides Hebrew Day School

Made at Maimonides today for Jerusalem Day in Morah Rivi's art class. Simple shapes, outlines adding doors and windows and domes, and then dabs of metallic paint giving that warm golden glow... a Jerusalem of Gold!

This Saturday night!
Orders: www.tinyurl.com/mhdspizza