REFLECTIONS FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

As I age, I discover an increasing number of lapses in my short term memory.  On Wednesday, I realized that I had forgotten to schedule a student to learn with me for this week’s eNewsletter.  I frantically entered the main hallway and encountered Beverly Rogers, ’12 who became my hero for the day when she agreed to learn with me.  When examining Vayetzei, Beverly and I found lots of interesting topics to discuss, four of which I will discuss in this column. The first topic for discussion was Jacob’s greeting to Rachel in perek 29 pasuk 11- he kisses her! Jacob does know that Rachel is his cousin so perhaps he is giving her a friendly peck on the cheek.  However, neither Beverly nor I read it that way, especially after reading the Or HaChaim’s commentary that in pasuk 10 Jacob specifically stated three times the fact that Laban was his mother’s brother so that the shepherds would not read any impropriety into his kiss. If the kiss was just a chaste kiss on the cheek, why would the shepherds object? Beverly commented, “I guess love at first sight has existed since the beginning of time!”

The second topic we discussed was age. You see, Jacob was 84 years old when he finished his first seven years of service to Laban and he was impatient to begin the process of bringing the twelve tribes into the world. What did an 84 year-old man look like at that time?  Maybe Jacob, who lived to be 147, was comparable to a middle-aged man of today.  Also, how old was Rachel at this time?  The commentators disagree.  Rabbeinu Bachaye says that Rachel was 12; the Seder Olam says she was 22 and Midrash Tanchuma says Rachel was the same age as Jacob, 84. Beverly and I had learned previously that Rachel was quite young at the time.  What would a 12 year-old see in an 84 year-old? Beverly stated that aging and numbering years were probably different in Jacob and Rachel’s time.

The third topic we discussed was Rachel’s stealing her father’s teraphim, idols.  Rashi says that Rachel took them to keep Laban from worshipping idols.  Beverly had two concerns in addition to the obvious one of Rachel’s theft. Beverly wanted to know why Laban’s idolatry didn’t bother Rachel prior to this time.  “I mean,” Beverly said, “she went to the well every day and could have easily thrown them down the well.”  I thought about this question and think that when Jacob told his family that they were leaving, Rachel realized that she would no longer be there to influence her father’s behavior and therefore felt obligated to take the idols to prevent his worshipping them. Beverly’s second concern was Rachel’s failure to tell Jacob that she took the idols. Since she knew him to be a great man who loved her, why didn’t she trust him enough to tell him? Rachel omission of this information led to Jacob inadvertently cursing her when Laban came to get his teraphim.  In perek 31 pasuk 32, Jacob says to Laban, “with whomever you find your gods, he shall not live.” (Stone translation) Rashi tells us that the sages teach that even an unintentional curse by a righteous person will come true and therefore one of the reasons for Rachel’s premature death was Jacob’s curse.  

Shabbat Shalom,
Barbie Prince

IN THE NEWS
Book Signing
The Jewish Museum of Maryland and the family of Shoshana S. Cardin cordially invite you to celebrate the publication of Shoshana: Memoirs of Shoshana S. Cardin on Sunday, December 7, 10:30am. Mrs. Cardin will read from and sign copies of her book.

Seating is limited. Please RSVP to Ilene Dackman-Alon at 410.732.6400 x214 or idackmanalon@jewishmuseummd.org.

Proceeds of book sales benefit The Shoshana S. Cardin School.

CLASSES IN ACTION
Art in Physics – part 2
The Honors Physics class finished their bridges projects! Some bridges held more than 300 times their own weight (over 16 pounds)!  
Mr. Whitfield and Ms. Wittner

Ninth Grade English
After reading about the tragic loss of Enkidu, Gilgamesh’s best friend, students in English 9 held a funeral. For the funeral, students read eulogies from Gilgamesh, Ishtar, and a representative of the animals. Following the ceremony, students sat Shiva for Enkidu, sharing stories and reflecting on his life- first as animal-human and later as a full human.  Now that the mourning is complete, students and Gilgamesh will continue on The Hero’s Journey- now having a renewed vision and focus.
Mr. Neft

Personal Finance
“Why do we have to learn how to write checks?  I’m going to pay all my bills online.”  That was the question asked in the Personal Finance course as we began our unit on Banking.  Although we are living in an age of direct deposit, electronic bill paying, and ATMs, understanding the underlying banking system is essential to building good money management skills. With sample checkbooks in hand, students practiced preparing deposit slips, writing checks, and recording their transactions in a check register by “shopping” for gifts and paying by check.  Mrs. Prince and Ms. Schein, tellers at the Prince Bank, processed our transactions. The following week, representatives from Susquehanna Bank joined us to answer a variety of questions on topics ranging from safe deposit boxes to establishing good credit.
Mrs. Schein

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
FOLLOW THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD TO…
CARDIN’S PRODUCTION OF THE WIZARD OF OZ!
Tickets are now on sale!
Please see our website for more information: www.shoshanascardin.org/theatre
Many thanks go to Bethany Wildhorn for volunteering to be the ticket sales coordinator!

COLLEGE SCENE
FREE Webinar on College Borrowing and Loans
Title: Basics of Borrowing for College
Date: December 9, 2008
Time:   1:00 PM EST
Register Now. 

Higher college costs and troubling economic factors are forcing students and their parents to borrow more money to earn a college degree. But how much is too much to borrow? What types of loans are available? What types of scholarships are available? What happens when you borrow, but don’t finish college? Or you can’t repay the loan?

Join us for this free webinar, sponsored by the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) on December 9, to learn more about the Basics of Borrowing for College. Hear student loan experts break down the process of applying for aid, types of loans and how to fill out the FAFSA, and determine how much students/families can afford to borrow, the details of student loan repayment, and much more.

Trends to be discussed include:

• Intro to applying for aid and an overview of student loan economics (types of loans, availability of loans)
• Should students consider attending a less expensive college or postponing college?
• Should students take out loans to pay for college?
• How much can students/families afford to borrow?
• How do you determine what type of loan is best?
• What happens if a student doesn’t finish college?
• How will a student repay the loan, and what happens if they can’t?

Registration Information:
Register Now! For more information about this webinar, visit the NACAC Web site.

JEREMY’S JOURNAL
The Cardin Student Government continues to be hard at work as the year progresses. Aside from the Ravens tickets fundraiser that takes place next week, we have been both planning student activities and addressing student concerns.  We are in the process of planning an event at Players, a popular sports gaming venue in Westminster, which will take place this winter.  Students, please keep in mind that we are always open for new activity ideas!  We are also willing to hear any student concerns that may arise. We are already in the process of working out concerns about the snack machine and the need for plastic ware at lunch (which the student government will soon provide on a trial basis).
                                                                             
We are also very active on the fundraiser front.  See below for the instructions regarding the Ravens Ticket Auction. In addition, the SGA will soon acquire a hot cocoa machine that will be open to student use before school and during lunch.  We may also explore the option of renting the machine out for faculty/parent functions, such as CAPTS meetings. Thank you to Mrs. Prince for donating the hot cocoa machine! 

We are the grateful recipients of 4 Ravens tickets (thank you again to the Winner family!) for the December 28th game vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars.  The tickets are located in section 153, row 39 and have a face value of $110 each.  The following are details on how the auction will work:

COMMUNITY UPDATE
Seaboard USY Reunion
Seaboard Region of United Synagogue for Conservative Judaism (USCJ) is sponsoring a reunion for USYers who grew up in Seaboard, staffed Seaboard events or have a special interest in Seaboard!  Come early and share in the excitement of the USY International Convention Opening Ceremony from 4 - 6 pm at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington. DC. The alumni event will follow from 6 - 8 pm.  The event a light supper, Chanukah candle lighting and entertainment by Mark Novack.  Lynn Berk, longtime Seaboard staff member and USY supporter will be honored at the reunion.

For more information or to RSVP please contact the USY Regional Office at 301-230-0801.

SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES
Summer Technology eCamp
A new state-of-the-art technology camp for Jewish youth, called eCamp, will be available in the summer of 2009 at the American Hebrew Academy, creating an exciting opportunity for Jewish parents looking for an alternative to traditional summer camps.  eCamp, which has operated successfully in Israel, offers a variety of workshops in subjects ranging from game design, robotics and digital music to video editing, digital comics and video programming while providing an international Jewish community where campers and counselors explore their identity together and take part in a multi-cultural society. In addition, the campers enjoy a traditional Shabbat atmosphere and experience Judaism from a pluralistic perspective. The American Hebrew Academy’s campus is located in a park-like, 100-acre, wooded setting in Greensboro, North Carolina. Living spaces are home-like residences built for 20 students each. Campers will live together alongside resident counselors. Campers and counselors will share meals in the Academy’s kosher dining pavilion. The 88,000 square foot athletic center houses a competition-sized pool, indoor basketball courts, a rock climbing wall, and racquetball court. The campus also includes well-maintained soccer and baseball fields and kayaking and sailing on a 22-acre lake. Three two-week summer sessions are planned on the Greensboro campus. The sessions will run June 21 through July 3, July 5 through July 17 and July 19 through July 31. For more information contact Ellen at 877.322.6748 or egreen@americanhebrewacademy.org

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