Dear Friends,
The Barrack Drama Department has a slew of exciting events coming up in the
next few months. Starting Jan 31-Feb 3 at 7pm in the Barrack Auditorium, the Upper School drama, Mary, Mary by Jean Kerr, will mark its JBHA
debut. The tradition of a student-directed play was established in the early
90's by Jordan Charlestein
'93 z'l (Dream Smith). The play was Ira
Levin's Deathtrap.
I can still remember the audience shoehorned into the foyer of the Highland Avenue
building, facing the fireplace and being entertained by the talented five
member cast. Dream's idea and persistence paved the way for many other student
directors. This year's play, Mary, Mary is also a five character play and is being directed
by senior Ben Freedman. In
addition to being the director, Ben is also the production stage manager for
Barrack's 2009-2010 season. Ben and the cast have dedicated a lot of time and
hard work to present this classic, sophisticated play and look forward to
entertaining you as well, a little more comfortably this time.
In the meantime, the cast of Schoolhouse Rock, Live! is gearing up for the Middle School
musical, a great show for the whole family! Young audience members, as well as
the young at heart (parents, that means you) will be entertained by the classic
songs that helped us learn about conjunctions (Conjunction Junction), The Preamble and everyone's favorite- I'm Just a Bill. Our cast of 12 talented Middle School students are
hard at work with student choreographers Gillie Strauss '10, Hannah Glickman '11 and Eliana Glanzberg-Krainin '11 for our performances set for March 7 at
2pm and March 8 at 7pm.
Auditions for the Upper School musical All
Shook Up! are set for Sunday, February
7th at 2pm. All
Shook Up!, borrows
its plot (loosely) from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, and features the sensational music
of Elvis. The performances are set for May 30, 31-June 1, 2 at 7:30 in The Bluett Theatre at St Joseph's
University.
The 16th annual Cabaret
event will take place on Sunday, March 21 in the dining commons. This year's Cabaret Curtain Calls is the third and final
installment in a series created by Tony Cassidy-Oriente. Tony will be joined by Ben Freedman as writer and director. This event helps raise
additional funds for the Upper School musical. Plan to join the cast and staff
of All Shook Up! as well as alumni
from past musicals: Michael Bihovsky, Doreen Strauss, Natalie West, Jon and
Sara Goldstein, Dina Rendsburg, Ariel Warmflash, Shoshana Blum, Jon Turner and Dana Gitlin. Be the first to hear
selections from Michael Bihovsky's original musical The New Musical -about the first year college experience. Cabaret tickets
will be going on sale soon. Last year's Cabaret was a complete sellout!
For tickets, audition, rehearsal and general information about the Barrack
Drama Department check us out at: jbhadramadepartment.com.
Thank you for your continued support,
Dewey Oriente-Cassidy
Head of Drama
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For Learning.
The Dream Car Project
It's All About Percentages
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 What does
owning a dream car have to do with math? Everything, according to the 8th
and 9thth grade students in Mrs. Marlene Gefter's Algebra I, Part II
classes. The students were asked to research their dream car and ascertain its
price. Dream cars included a VW Bus, a Mercedes SL, and a Chevy Corvette. After
making posters that showcased their cars and learning the math behind financing
them, the students were challenged to apply exponents and percentages to
determine finance costs during a five year-period at three different percentage
rates of interest: the first at a zero percent interest rate, the second at
4.8% rate; and the third at an 8.4% rate.
The real-world
project was fun and yielded surprising results, according to three 8th
graders in the course. "Instead of just learning the formula and solving the
problems from a book, it was really fun to apply the equation to solve a
problem in the real world," comments Jeffrey Brietling. Hannah Cooper agrees: "We found out
the true cost of our car and how expensive the total cost could really be,
depending on the percentage rate of the finance charge. And we can use this
knowledge later on in life too." Jacob Reich added: " We now understand how
different finance charges affect the price of a car and other items. Now we'll
know to buy a car when the interest rates are low."
"Our
project taught lessons about values, as well," comments Mrs. Gefter. "Students realized
that the monthly payments on their dream cars could almost be as much as some people
pay in monthly mortgages. In fact, the total cost of owning their dream car
would be more than most people pay for their homes! The discussion then turned
to making smart choices about purchases and understanding the real costs of the
choices we make and the value system behind them." |
| French Poet Inspires Barrack Students
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Eleventh grade French students in Dr. Sigal
Strauss' French III Honors class have just completed a unit on
the 20th century surrealist French poet Jacques Prevert whose magical poems
invite students to explore a dream-like world. One poem that the students
studied in particular paints a portrait of an imaginary bird. The poem, Pour
faire le portrait d'un oiseau, inspired the students
to create poems of their own about an animal of their choice. Subjects ranged
from whales to white wolves and from butterflies to monkeys. The students will
illustrate their poems and then have them collected in a brochure. "Poetry, in
any language, invites imaginations to soar," comments Dr. Strauss, "and my
students have certainly captured the magic of poetry in their work." Once the
brochure is completed, we will spotlight some of the students' works.
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For Leading.
8th Grader Appointed to Editorial Board of Yaldah Magazine
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Anne
Prusky '14 was
recently appointed to the Editorial Board of Yaldah, a magazine by Jewish
girls for Jewish girls, ages 8-15. Ms. Wendie Gabay, Barrack Head
Librarian, wrote a l etter of recommendation for Anne, highlighting her talents
as a budding playwright, short story writer, contributor to The Cougar
Chronicle
and active participant on the JBHA Book Blog. And the rest is history.
"I always wanted to be on the Editorial Board because I love to read Yaldah,
and I have wanted to be an editor of a magazine for as long as I can remember,"
shares Anne. "Being on the Editorial Board is going to be a wonderful
experience for me because I will be helping Jewish girls from across the Unites
States and around the world to recognize, appreciate, love and be inspired by
what Jewish girls can do."
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Inaugural Barrack Tri-Arts Festival
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Barrack Hebrew Academy proudly presents our inaugural
Winter Tri-Arts Festival on Sunday, January 31, 6pm, in
the Barrack lobby, prior to the opening night performance of the Upper
School drama, Mary, Mary. View the artwork of Jesse
Steinbach'11 and Sarah Turner '11 and
enjoy a performance by the Barrack String Ensemble featuring Sam Hamermesh
'15, Dina Botwinik '16 and
Dobhran Black '13. Then stay to enjoy the opening night
of Mary, Mary.
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Come Out and Support
Our Basketball Teams
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Saturday night, January 23, Barrack is hosting Stern
Hebrew High School. The girls' game begins at 7pm and the boys' game will follow. Both teams need support, since
Stern will be there in numbers. If you are free Saturday night, please try to
come and cheer for our teams!
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For Life.
Barrack
Family Shabbaton: Feb 5-6
NEW
LOWER PRICING
Celebrate with Family & Friends
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"We have
worked very hard to make our first Barrack Family Shabbaton and Concert a
successful event", share Lori Levin and Francine Lipstein, Shabbaton Chairs. Please
give your support!
The entire
Shabbaton weekend for adults is $65 per person, $48 per child, and includes: all
four
meals during
the weekend (Shabbat dinner on Friday night, breakfast, lunch and a 3rd
meal on Saturday) snacks, desserts and non-alcoholic beverages. Tri-mechitzah prayer services; two workshop sessions
with Sam Glaser.
PLUS
tickets to the Saturday evening Sam Glaser Concert valued at $18 each.
Hotel rooms at our Barrack Retreat Center are available for only $54 on a first
come, first served basis.
Plan to participate in the entire weekend or join us for specific
events. Click here for full details and a reservation form. Celebrate
Shabbat with old friends and new ones and help build our warm and welcoming
Barrack community.
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Sam
Glaser Community Concert
Fun for
the Whole Family!
Join us on Feb. 6
|
 The Sam Glaser Concert,
open to the entire community on Saturday
evening, February 6, 7:30pm will take place in the
Barrack auditorium. Seating is limited, so don't miss
this opportunity to bring the
whole family to hear Sam who has been hailed "as the best thing to
happen to Jewish music in decades." Tickets are
$18 for adults and $10 for children under 12.
Click here for a concert flyer and
ticket reservation form. Tickets will be held at the door.
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Chips
for Charity Casino Night,
to
Benefit Juvenile Diabetes
Research Foundation
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Help
find a cure for Juvenile Diabetes. Join us this Tuesday evening, January 26, at 6pm, in the Barrack dining
commons for our Chips for Charity event, a fundraiser to help the Juvenile
Diabetes Research Foundation. The night will consist of poker, blackjack,
roulette, and more. A light dinner will be provided by Max and David's, with
dessert to follow. Raffles of all kinds will be offered, with prizes that
include an iPod touch, free spa treatments, jewelry, a six-month free membership
to a gym, and much, much more! Barrack students will perform various songs and
demonstrate how talented they are.
Sivan
Ben-Maimon
and Alison Levin,
two Barrack sophomores, have orchestrated the event, with support from their
advisor, Mrs. Sarah Waxman. Alison has been living with diabetes since she
was 7 years old and hopes that one day she will be able to live disease-free.
Everyone, students, parents, and friends alike, are invited to join in on a fun
way to help find a cure for juvenile diabetes!
Tickets in advance are $15 and $20 at the door.
Tickets include $15 dollars in chips, 3 raffle tickets and dinner. Additional
raffle tickets are a $1 each. Checks should be made payable to: Jack M. Barrack
Hebrew Academy and mailed to:
Barrack Hebrew Academy
Attention: Sarah
Waxman
272 S. Bryn Mawr Avenue
Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
Click here for
full details and sponsor/family package opportunities.
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Barrack to Host
Israeli Film Festival Screening
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Barrack Hebrew Academy will proudly host the Israeli
Film Festival of Philadelphia's screening of The Name My Mother Gave Me
on Saturday, March 13, 8pm in our auditorium. Save the Date!
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Human Rights Speakers Needed
for Feb. 23 Human Rights Conference
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Barrack's
Human Rights Club is planning its school-wide conference set for February
23,
shares Devra Goldstein, Club president. Club members hope to have at least a dozen
speakers participate in the conference, speaking from a variety of perspectives
about human rights issues that plague our world today. IF YOU HAVE SPEAKERS
TO RECOMMEND,
please contact Devra Goldstein or club advisor Mr. Tom McLaughlin. Thank you.
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A Note
from Michael
Bihovsky '05
Re: His Role in RENT
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Hello
all! Just a reminder that the Hackensack Theatre Company's production of
RENT,
in which I am playing the role of Mark Cohen, opens tonight, January 22,
in Hackensack, New Jersey!! This production takes place in a very intimate
setting, leading to a RENT experience unlike any other - so don't forget to
get your tickets now at www.hackensacktheatrecompany.com!
Due to limited seating, certain performances have already begun to sell
out - so don't wait any longer to get those tickets! ALL
PERFORMANCES WILL BE STAGED AT HACKENSACK CULTURAL ARTS CENTER,
39 Broadway. Hackensack, NJ 07601
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Author Kate Ledger '88
to Speak At Barrack
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Save the date! The
Akiba-Barrack Alumni Association invites the community to hear author Kate
Ledger '88 who will discuss her first novel, Remedies,
at Barrack on April 29. Stay tuned for details.
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Parents' Corner
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Jewish
Day School Parent Survey
Dear
Barrack Parents,
An
important way to ensure that Barrack is headed in the right direction is by
gaining the perspective of our parents. We are thrilled to be taking part in
the 2009-2010 Jewish Day School Parent Survey, coordinated through the
Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education (PEJE) and Measuring Success.
Participation in the survey is an opportunity to learn the perceptions of our
parents and use that data to improve our school.
The
purpose of the parent survey is to:
- Measure our
performance and perceived quality
- Create benchmarks
against which to measure future performance
- Provide input into
our process of continuous improvement and planning
We
encourage you to tell us what you think we're doing right, what we can improve
on, and what is important to you. Your input is valuable information and we
fully intend to act upon the results of this survey. If you don't tell us,
we'll never know!Thank you in advance for
your participation in this important project.
Sincerely,
Dr. Steven
M. Brown
Head of
School
Middle
School Chesed Day
Middle
School students will participate in a day-long Chesed project scheduled for Wednesday, February 10. Our students will be
joined by students from the Lehigh Valley Jewish Day School. Please note that
there will be no Middle School classes on February 10.
Federation
Camp Scholarships Now Available
The Jewish
Federation of Greater Philadelphia is pleased to announce that it has
needs-based scholarships available for families from the Greater Philadelphia
region seeking to send their children to non-profit, Jewish identity day camps
and overnight camps during the summer of 2010. Families reporting net incomes
of less than $100,000 on their 2009 IRS tax returns are encouraged to apply for
awards that generally range between 10% and 40% of tuition. The deadline for
overnight camp scholarships is Friday, February 26, 2010. For day camp scholarships: Friday, March 26,
2010.
For more information, contact Deirdre Mulligan via email or call 215-832-0509. For a complete list of
camps, please visit the Federation website.
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In the Spotlight:
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Upper School Drama Director Loves All Aspects of Theater
"When I
was eight years old, my grandmother took me to see my first Broadway show, The
Music Man,
and I just fell in love with all aspects of the theater," shares Ben
Freedman '10,
director of this year's Upper School drama, Mary, Mary, and the man behind the
scenes and on stage during his career at Barrack and now the director of a humorous
and sophisticated comedy by Jean Kerr.
In 9th
grade, Ben was the sound engineer for Amadeus; in 10th
grade he was assistant stage manager and acted in Our Town and Barefoot in The
Park,
for which he won a Cappie for best actor in a cameo role. In 11th
grade, he was the stage manager for Third and Beauty and
the
Beast.
Why did Ben want to try his hand at
directing? "I played every other role, and wanted to direct before I
graduated. I enjoy the
sophistication of Jean Kerr's play and wanted to help bring it to life with a
very talented cast and crew." The cast and crew of Mary, Mary includes: Alex Stern
'10 as
Bob; Yael Leberman '11 as Mary; Yoni Razin '10 as Dirk; Emily Simkin '11 as Tiffany; and Leon
Davis '11
as Oscar. Emily is also the assistant director and Sarah Turner '11 is the stage manager.
Next fall,
Ben will study theater at the North Carolina School of the Arts, with a focus
on stage management. He attributes his on-going love of theater, in all its
many facets, to his teacher and mentor Dewey Cassidy-Oriente. "Dewey is just great.
I have learned so much from him. He inspired me to go into theater and he
motivates all of us to realize our dreams."
For tickets to Mary, Mary,
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Calendar
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Save the Date:
March
14 Tribute Event
Honoring
Susan
Weisgrau,
For Learning
Robin & Steven
Katz,
For Leading
And Joshua H. Landes
'80,
For Life
Chips
for Charity Night:
Tuesday,
January 26, 6pm
Barrack
Dining Commons
Benefiting
Juvenile Diabetes
Foundation
Research
SA Ski
Trip:
Wednesday,
January 27
No
School
Tu
B'Shevat Assembly:
Thursday,
January 28
Upper
School Drama:
Mary,
Mary
January
31-February 3
Barrack's
Tri-Arts Festival:
Sunday,
January 31, 6pm
Barrack
auditorium, prior to Opening Night of Mary, Mary
Barrack
Family
Shabbaton Weekend:
February
5-6
Sam
Glaser Community Concert:
February
6, 7:30pm,
Barrack Auditorium
Middle
School Chesed Day:
Wednesday,
February 10
Presidents'
Day Weekend:
Friday,
February 12 & Monday, February 15
School
Closed
12th
Grade Shabbaton:
February
19-21
Capital
Camps
Human
Rights Conference:
Tuesday,
February 23
9th
Grade Annenberg Science:
Symposium
Presentations
Wednesday,
February 24
7pm-9pm
JETS
Teams Competition:
Thursday,
February 25
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For everything,
there is a season...
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Mazel Tov
Rebecca Trajtenberg, Assistant
College Counselor, and her husband, Eric,
on the birth of their son, Austin, brother of Mikala. Austin weighed in
at 7 pounds 10 ounces and is 21.5 inches long. The whole family is
delighted and well!
Heartfelt Condolences
With much
sadness we inform you of the recent passing of Dina Ben Ishay, beloved sister of
Barrack Hebrew teacher Rony Cohen (Shalom) and aunt of Adi Weinsaft '89
(Jonathan)
and Ido Cohen '93 (Robin). The funeral and Shiva took place in Israel.
Rony will return from Israel on Thursday (1/28/2010).
It is with great sadness
that we inform you of the recent passing of Dolores Cohen Friedman, beloved wife of Harry
Friedman, mother
of current Barrack parents Amy Mendelson and Susie Weinblatt
(Fred)
and grandmother of Joey '08 and Emily '11 Mendelson, and Jonathan '04,
Rachel '06, Daniel '09 and Sarah '15 Weinblatt. Funeral services took
place on Thursday, January 21st in North Jersey. Shiva will
begin in North Jersey. The Weinblatt Family will return to their home in
Wynnewood after Shabbat for the remainder of Shiva. Morning minyan will be
held at Susie and Fred's home on Sunday at 9am and Monday through Wednesday at
7am. Evening minyan will be held at 7:30pm Sunday through Tuesday evening.
We
are sad to inform you of the passing of Charles
Swartz z'l, beloved father of Carol Shore
(Stephen) and grandfather of Elon '01, Mira '06, and Doron
'12. The funeral will be held today Friday, January 22 in
Providence, Rhode Island and burial will be in Fall River, Mass. Shiva
will be observed at the home of Carol and Stephen ShoreSunday evening,
January 24 through Wednesday evening, January 27, with minyan at 7:30 pm.
| Alumni
Life Cycles
Mazel
Tov
Toby Appel '96 on her engagement to Tommy
Galili.
Toby is Director of Admissions at the International School of Haifa University.
She is also pursuing a Masters in Contemporary Jewry.
Rachel Kriger '98 on her recent graduation from Tai
Sophia Institute, with a masters in Acupuncture. She is now a Licensed
Acupuncturist in Maryland practicing privately at Tai Sophia Clinics in Silver
Spring, Laurel and Baltimore. Her website is www.pointsofreturn.org. Heartfelt Condolences
We are sad to inform you of the recent passing of
Rachel Bedrick, loving grandmother of Emma Satlof-Bedrick '07. Shiva
will be at the Satlof-Bedrick home in Newtown Square from Saturday evening
through Thursday, with minyan a 7:15pm.
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Photo Gallery
Mary, Mary Rehearsal
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Preparing for Hamlet Presentations
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Submit to Benainu
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Please send Benainu information to our new email address benainu@jbha.org
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Get Connected
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