Dear Friends,
Why
Annual Giving?
Because...
Shaping
the lives of students today creates a better future for all of us.
Annual
giving dollars are a vital means through which our school is able to carry out
its mission
of educating the next generation of Jewish leaders, locally, nationally and
worldwide.
Every
year our school must raise substantial unrestricted funds in support of secular
and Judaic education excellence, a wide range of extra-curricular activities,
an expanded sports program that encourages maximum student participation, and
increased accessibility for a greater number of students. And, annual fund
dollars narrow the gap between the actual cost of educating a Barrack student
and tuition.
This
year, our goal is 100% participation from our school community: administration,
faculty, Board, parents, grandparents and alumni. Funds contributed by those
closest to our school affirm to the broader community the importance of a
Barrack education. We cannot ask from others what we are not willing to do
ourselves.
Our
Annual Fund financial goal for 2009-2010 is $425,000. Every gift, no matter
the size, makes a difference and helps us achieve this vital goal.
Your
Annual Fund gift made today will be credited toward your attendance at Barrack's
Tribute
Event set
for Sunday, March 14 honoring For Learning, Susan Weisgrau...inspiring English
teacher; For Leading, Robin and Steve Katz, Communal leaders and Philanthropists;
and For Life, Joshua
Landes '80,
alumnus, Business and Jewish communal leader.
Support
Barrack today. Simply
log onto www.jbha.org and click on "Support Barrack," and "online giving." Your electronic contributions will help the school reduce
fundraising costs. Our students, faculty, and entire school community thank you
for your essential support.
Sincerely,
Susan W.
Marks
Director of Institutional Advancement
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For Learning.
Upper School Essay
Contest
Sponsored by JBHA
and an Anonymous Donor
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The Ten Commandments: Gift or Burden?
An Essay Contest Sponsored by Barrack Hebrew Academy and
an anonymous donor. Cash Prizes Range from $500 to $1500 for winning essays
Deadline: January 20, 2010
Dear
Students:
What do
you really think about the Ten Commandments? Are they a gift or a burden? Do the Ten
Commandments saddle us with too much responsibility, or do they enable society
to flourish? Due to the generosity of an anonymous donor, we are pleased to
present the Barrack essay contest for this year, and the topic is: The Ten Commandments, Gift or Burden? There will be two
$1,500 first prizes, two $1,000 second prizes, and two $500 third prizes. By
request of the donor, this essay contest is for Upper School students. Take
advantage of this great opportunity over the winter break to write an essay and
to participate in this contest. Full details follow. Good luck!
Rabbi Judd
Krueger Levingston, Jewish Studies
Mrs.
Sharon Levin, Humanities The
2009-2010/5770 Barrack Essay Contest invites Upper School students to write an
essay of 700-800 words (about two pages double-spaced) addressing this question and
sub-questions:
How are God's Ten
Commandments needed today - for every person, every community and for every
society?
Which specific
commandment do you believe warrants special attention for our culture today?
Students are
invited to write a personal essay reflecting on the ethics and values that are
most meaningful to them, especially as they relate to the Ten Commandments. Entries will be judged for the wisdom
and insight that students bring to their paper.
Winning
essays may be shared with the Cougar Chronicle and with other local
newspapers and some portions of the winning essays may be published!
Prize
awards:
9th-10th
grade students: First
prize: $1500
Second
prize: $1000
Third
prize: $500 11th-12th
grade students:
First
prize: $1500
Second
prize: $1000
Third
prize: $500
The judges
will take the content very seriously; content includes the wisdom or insight or
inspiration each student brings to his or her paper, making an effort also to
honor God.
Extra
help:
For more
information or for extra help on your essays, see Mrs. Levin in the Humanities
department or Rabbi Levingston in the Jewish Studies department.
Submission
information:
Papers must
be typed, double-spaced with size 12 font. Important: Do not use your real name on your essay. Instead, use a
pseudonym (a false name such as Charlie Brown, Queen Elizabeth, etc.) and
staple an envelope to your essay. The outside of your envelope should
have your pseudonym. The inside of the envelope should have a piece of
paper with your pseudonym together with your true name, signature and date.
Due
date, Wednesday, January 20th. Essays should be submitted
by Wednesday,
January 20th
by the end of lunch period to Mrs. Rubin at the front desk, to Mrs. Levin's mailbox or to Rabbi
Levingston's
mailbox. No late papers will be accepted. Good luck! |
Middle School Essay
Contest
First Prize: $1,800
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A number of
Middle School students would like to enter the 2009-2010/5770 essay contest. In
response to these requests, our school will sponsor a Middle School essay
contest as well. All students in grades 6-8 are invited to participate. Details follow:
The Ten Commandments: Gift or Burden?
A Middle School Essay Contest Sponsored by Barrack Hebrew
Academy
The
2009-2010/5770 Barrack Middle School Essay Contest invites Middle School students to write an essay of
approximately 500 words (about two pages double-spaced) addressing these questions:
How are God's Ten
Commandments needed today - for every person, every community and for every
culture?
Which specific
commandment do you believe warrants special attention for our culture today?
Middle
School students are invited to write a personal essay reflecting on the ethics
and values that are most meaningful to them, especially as they relate to the
Ten Commandments. This is a personal essay, but students also need to
quote the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20) to help to explain their ideas.
Winning essays may be
shared with the Cougar Chronicle and with other local newspapers and some portions
of the winning essays may be published!  Grades
6-8, First Prize: $118
All
participants will receive a prize!
Think
carefully as you write the paper. It is a good idea to begin your essay
by stating the question and by beginning to answer it. Think about the
big ideas in the Ten Commandments about how people relate to one another and to
God.
Extra
help:
For
more information or for extra help on your essays, see Mrs. Farrell, Middle School Director, your
Core teacher
or Rabbi Levingston in the Jewish Studies department.
Submission
information:
Papers
must be typed, double-spaced with size 12 font.
Important: Do
not
use your real name on your essay. Instead, use a pseudonym (a false name such
as Charlie Brown, Queen Elizabeth, etc.) and staple an envelope to your
essay. The outside of your envelope should have your pseudonym. The
inside of the envelope should have a piece of paper with your pseudonym
together with your true name, signature and date.
Due
date, Wednesday, January 20th. Essays should be submitted by Wednesday, January
20th by the end of lunch period either to Mrs. Rubin at the front desk, or to Rabbi
Levingston's
mailbox. No
late papers will be accepted. Good luck! |
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World
Affairs Club Members Participate
in Model Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing
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 Members of Barrack's World Affairs Club participated
in the Model Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing sponsored by the World
Affairs Council. The event was held at Temple University's Fox Business School
and involved students from approximately a dozen public and independent schools
located throughout the region. "Our students took on roles of major figures in
world diplomacy and researched their positions, representing themselves and our
school with distinction, "shares Dr. Minna Ziskind,
club advisor. "More than once a member of the World Affairs Council staff came
up to me to tell me how much they love it when Barrack students participate
because of the superior quality of their research and presentations. I am so
proud of all of them." Participating students included: Hannah Dardashti,
Yana List, Ilana Stolyar, and Renee Zwillenberg,
focusing on Cuba; Danny Elkin and David Kolansky,
focusing on Afghanistan-Pakistan; and Eli Taichman,
focusing on Egypt. |
Voila! Scapin!
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Barrack French students
enjoyed an innovative and modern production of Scapin, a classic comedy by Moliere, which
integrated puppets into the performance. The theater trip climaxed a unit on
Moliere that included reading scenes of the play in French and studying the culture
and theater history of 17th century France. A special thank you is
extended to Dewey Oriente-Cassidy, Barrack's Drama Director, who conducted a
special theater workshop in each French class.
Dana Chirileanu, Joyce Ferber, Elisabeth McMichael, George Shotz,
and a number of parents joined the group as chaperones. "We all enjoyed this
very funny, unique and entertaining production," comments Dr. Sigal Strauss,
French teacher and trip organizer.
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Friday Parent Learning Series
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Rabbi David Strauss,
of Main Line Reform Temple, led a discussion of Hanuka- The Real Story
today, during the final Friday Learning Series of 2009. This successful series,
sponsored by Barrack's Home and School Association (HSA) brings rabbis of every
denomination and community scholars together with Barrack parents to discuss
pertinent Jewish topics.
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For Leading.
Jackie Drobny:
New Satell Teen Fellow
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Congratulations to Jackie
Drobny,
a Barrack senior, who has been accepted into the prestigious Satell Teen
Fellowship for Leadership and Social Activism program of Gratz College. This
innovative leadership development program for inspired, motivated Jewish teens
who want to make a difference in the  world, prepares Jewish adolescents to
express their voice in leadership roles and active service for a lifetime of
engaged citizenship. As one of 21 teen Satell Scholars, Jackie will participate
in bi-monthly leadership programs,
meet and discuss vital issues with political, civic and business leaders, and
travel to Washington, DC to meet government leaders and to Israel where she
will meet with other teens committed to creating a more compassionate and caring
world. The program runs from November through August, with a two-week trip to
Israel scheduled for June. "I am honored and very excited about this fellowship
opportunity," shares Jackie. "I am looking forward to meeting all the other
Fellows in the program and to sharing ideas and interests. In college, I plan
to combine my interest in Jewish Studies and Israel with International
Relations, and this program will further my abilities to make a positive difference
in the world."
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All-Main Line Girls' Soccer Team
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Congratulations to sophomores Tamara Moskowitz
and Sivan Ben-Maimon who received an Honorable Mention in the All-Main Line Girls' Soccer Team announcement.
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Girls' Varsity Basketball Update
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Barrack's Varsity Girls' Basketball team (2-1) pulled
off a 55-52 win against Stern Hebrew Academy on Sunday. Tamara Moskowitz
lead the team with 20 points, with help from Arielle Belfer,
who added 12 points. Despite 4 of our starters being in foul trouble throughout
the game, other team members stepped up to keep the lead and contributed to the
victory. Arielle and Jackie Khutorsky (ended the game with 5
points) hit key free throws late in the fourth quarter to secure the win. Kentrina
Wilson is the team coach.
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Boys' Varsity Basketball News
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Barrack Boys' Varsity Basketball team won its first
game with a thrilling 54-51 victory over Stern Hebrew
Academy, a victory that was not decided until the final seconds. Leading by
three, with four seconds left, Barrack's inbound pass hit a wire, giving Stern
one last chance to tie the game. The final three point attempt fell short. Dan
Gabbay led Barrack, scoring 14 points. Ron Gabbay
and Jon Pressman had 10 points each, and Tal Ben-Maimon
contributed 9 points in the victory. Barnett Kamen
is the team coach.
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Cross Country Update
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The boys and girls cross country team performed well
throughout the fall season and had some stellar performances in the finale of
the season in the Tri-County and Penn-Jersey League championships. All of the
runners improved throughout the season and ran personal bests every week. The
two top runners in the Tri-County championships were sophomores Ezra Solway
who finished in third place, and David Kolansky,
who finished fifth. Ezra finished with a time of 18:07 and David with a time of
18:23. "These two sophomores helped carry the team all season and placed in
almost every meet," reports Coach Jerry Washington.
"The season overall was successful. Track and Field begins in late February.
Everyone interested should come out and join the team."
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For Life.
Class of 1999 Reunion
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Members of the Class of 1999 gathered in the Barrack dining
commons last Saturday evening for a festive cocktail party catered by fellow
classmate Josh Katz, of Max and David's. The alum
traveled to campus from the tri-sate area, New York, Washington, DC and as
far away as California to share news, views, and family photos. The classmates
reminisced about their school days, their favorite teachers, and the pranks
they played as seniors. Some of the alum slept over in Barrack retreat hotel
rooms and enjoyed Sunday brunch together. Becky Stern
organized the reunion. Class members also made a class gift to the school: two
alumni memorabilia cabinets that will display books and works of art by
Akiba-Barrack alumni. "On behalf of the Akiba-Barrack Alumni Association, I
thank the Class of '99 for their generous gift," shares Susan N. Gordon,
Director of Alumni Relations. Akiba-Barrack alumni interested in organizing
class reunions should contact Susan: sgordon@jbha.org or 610-922-2326.
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Third Annual Alumni
Basketball Game
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Young Alumni and alumni of all ages are invited to
participate in a lively Akiba-Barrack Alumni Association Basketball Game set
for Wednesday, January 6, 7pm in the Barrack gym.
The spirited game will be followed by refreshments. Mark your calendars and
plan to meet old friends and make new ones. And bring your family members to
cheer you on. RSVP to alumni@jbha.org
or call 610-922-2326.
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Parents' Corner
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Upper and Middle School Essay Contests
Upper
and Middle School parents are requested to encourage their students to participate in
Barrack Hebrew Academy's 2009-2010 essay contest. Full details are outlined in
the "For Learning" section of this newsletter.
Federation's
Super Sunday: Jan 10
Super
Sunday, the
Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia's major fundraising event that
benefits the community, is set for Sunday, January 10 at Barrack Hebrew
Academy. Plan to join the many telephone volunteers who contribute to the
success of this vital community fundraising effort.
8th
Grade Parents Meeting
A meeting
for 8th grade parents is scheduled for Tuesday, January 12, at 7:30pm in the
library. Parents
will have the opportunity to meet with Dr. Steven M. Brown, Head of School; Vivian
Young,
Director of Admissions; Barrack Department Chairs; and Carol Jacobs, Director of College
Guidance.
Please mark your calendars and plan to attend.
Library
Volunteers Needed
We are seeking
Library volunteers to help out in our beautiful Jack M. Barrack Hebrew
Academy Library. Volunteers should love books and young people. Contact
Wendie Gabay, Head Librarian, WGabay@jbha.org
or 610 922 2356 for details.
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: dmulligan@jfgp.org or call 215-832-0509. For a complete list of
camps, please visit the Federation website: www.jewishphilly.org
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In the Spotlight:
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Hanuka,
Oh Hanuka
A
Joyful Celebration
Members of
Barrack's JLI (Jewish Leadership Initiative) and Chesed Club, along with
advisor Sarah Waxman, planned and implemented a joyful, weeklong celebration of
the Festival of Lights. A school-wide assembly, highlighted by student
and faculty choral performances led by Dr. Karin Orenstein, launched the
festivities and Middle School students lit the Hanuka candles. Throughout the
week, each grade took turns lighting candles on the school's beautiful bronze menorah.
Additional activities included a Maccabiah Team competition, with the student
body divided into four teams. Each
team completed assigned tasks and participated in competitions much like
a color war. The winning team was
not identified at press time and will be announced after winter break, as will
the names of all the team captains.
Seniors Arielle Belfer and Lena Ladenheim, JLI members,
co-chaired the weeklong celebration. They were assisted by fellow JLI members: Daniel
Becker,
Ben Freedman,
Gabe Duec, Ben Miller, Erika Shaid, Jillian Meltzer, and Samara Gordon.
An
administration/faculty and student/faculty tug of war in the gym added to the
fun. Latkes, jelly donuts (suganiya) and chocolate gelt provided delicious and
traditional culinary touches to the week's events. A Chesed Club toy drive collected
gifts that will be distributed to needy children by the Cradles to Crayons
non-profit organization. And an administration/faculty/staff Hanuka Party in
the dining commons capped Hanuka celebrations.
As the
Hanuka candles burn bright, we wish you Chag Sameach from the entire Barrack
school community!
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Calendar
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Winter
Break:
December
24- January 3
Classes
Resume: Monday. January 4
Alumni Basketball Game:
Wednesday, January 6, 7pm
10th
Grade Shabbaton:
Friday,
January 8-10
Senior
Portraits:
January
11-13
8th
Grade Parent Meeting:
Tuesday,
January 12, 7:30pm
in the
library
Middle
School Shabbaton:
Capital
Camps
January
15-17
Martin
Luther King Jr. Day
Monday,
January 15
School closed
10th
Grade Muss Meeting:
Wednesday,
January 20, 7:30pm
in the
auditorium
SA Ski
Trip
Wednesday,
January 27
School closed
Tu
B'Shevat Assembly
Thursday,
January 28
Upper
School Drama
Mary,
Mary
January
31- February 3
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For everything,
there is a season...
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Mazel tov to:
Hallie
Anderson, Barrack
Faculty member, on her marriage to Ben Wachtel
Eli
Philip,
a Barrack senior, who was chosen to attend the Saban Leadership Seminar in
Washington, D.C.
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Heartfelt
Condolences to:
Wendy Shenberg whose father-in-law passed away
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Photo Gallery
Faculty Party
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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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Not on our mailing list? Join us today to get updates on what's happening at Barrack.
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