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MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS
Candle Lighting - 6:27 pm
Havdalah - 7:26 pm
Parashat Nitzavim
** Cafeteria News: Chicken Nuggets have replaced Chicken Schwarma on the 2nd Tuesday Lunch**
COMING EVENTS
Monday, September 29
Erev Rosh Hashana, School Closed
Tuesday, September 30 - Wednesday, October 1
Rosh Hashana, School Closed
Wednesday, October 2
School Resumes, Gray Day
Friday, October 3, 2008
Chess Nuts is coming to the Upper School (please see link to registration form below).
Wednesday, October 8th - Wednesday, October 15th - Yom Kippur, Columbus Day, Sukkot - SCHOOL CLOSED
Wednesday, October 8th
Erev Yom Kippur
Thursday, October 9th
Yom Kippur
Monday, October 13th
Erev Sukkot
Tuesday, October 14th
Sukkot
Wednesday, October 15th
Sukkot
Thursday, October 16th
Hol HaMoed Sukkot - CLASSES RESUME- Gray Day
Monday, October 20th
Hoshana Rabbah. EARLY DISMISSAL AT 1:30 pm
Tuesday, October 21st
Shmini Atzeret - SCHOOL CLOSED
Wednesday, October 22nd
Simchat Torah - SCHOOL CLOSED
SAVE-THE-DATES
High School Open House - all 7th and 8th grade students are invited. Sunday, November 9, 2008 from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm.
Grandparent and Special Friend's Visiting Day will take place November 18, 2008 (please see link to form below; complete the form and return to tlubin@ssdsnassau.org or to Lisa Eisner in the main office).
SPORTS ACTIVITIES
Thursday, October 2
- Varsity Soccer Home Game vs. Portledge at 4:15
- Varsity Volleyball Home Game vs. Our Saints at 4:30
- Varsity Tennis Home Game vs. LuHi at 4:00
Monday, October 6
- Varsity Soccer Home Game vs. Our Saints at 4:30 pm
- Varsity Volleyball Practice from 4:00 - 6:00
- Varsity Tennis Practice at Stanco Park at 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
- Middle School Soccer Away Game at Lawrence Woodmere at 4:15
Tuesday, October 7
- Varsity Soccer Home Game vs. Waldorf at 4:15
- Varsity Volleyball Away Game at Knox at 4:15
- Varsity Tennis Home Game vs. Martin Luther HS at 4:15
- Middle School Soccer Away Game at Buckley at 4:15
INFORMATION
The Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth Academic Talent Search is underway. Applications and information can be found on the website - http://www.cty.jhu.edu/. I have a limited number of application and enrollment information materials in my office.
FRIDAY LETTER
Nitzavim 5768
Rabbi Lev Herrnson is Head of School/CEO at the Solomon Schechter Day School of Nassau County and High School of Long Island. His daughter Alana is a student in our 6th grade.
"Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows..." From 1930 until 1954, these words signaled the start of "The Shadow," one of the most well-known radio programs of all time. Mrs. Katzenberger, my fourth grade teacher, introduced us to "old time listening," by then long-syndicated on local radio. And as a boy, I could only hope that those harboring evil plans-"no-good-niks" per my grandmother, would be found out and set straight by "do-gooders." The Shadow, the quintessential of all do-gooders, was an invincible crime fighter possessing many gifts which enabled him to overcome any enemy. And since The Shadow, "generations" of pulp heroes have sought to rectify wrongs and make the world right. At ten years of age, however, long before I read "I the Lord probe the heart, search the mind-to repay every man according to his ways..." (Jer. 17:10), God was to me the ultimate crime-buster.
In Parashat Nitzavim, the "policing" of no-good-niks is a joint effort. Moshe warns the people concerning idolatry: "Concealed acts (nistarot) concern the Lord our God; but with overt acts (neeglot), it is for us and our children ever to apply all the provisions of this Teaching." (Deut. 29:28) While the distinction is clear, the meanings of "concealed" and "overt" remain ambiguous. Rashi [11th C. Franco-Germany] suggests that "concealed" shields the community; it will not be punished for the indiscretions of the individual. Furthermore he notes that the community will be punished collectively if it does not execute judgment upon those who transgress overtly (and then not until the Israelites cross the Jordan River, as indicated by the marks over the words "for us and our children until.") Maimonides [12th c. Spain & Egypt] says "concealed" refers to the reason for the commandments, known by God alone, as opposed to "overt acts" which refers to the performance of the commandments by Israel. Still Jeffrey Tigay notes that modern commentators understand "concealed" to mean "the future, which only God knows."
Thirty-five years after first listening to The Shadow, Parashat Nitzavim prompts me still to wonder about the no-good-niks. While the problem of evil is real, we moderns are more familiar with the lesser sins of indiscretion, omission and other schemes-that on occasion plunder goodness from our day-to-day lives, rather than stone and wood idols. More commonly we might be faulted for an idolatrous fondness of material comforts and conspicuous consumption, for instance.
What happens, however, when the secret schemes of one or more impinge on us personally? Collectively? Who holds them accountable? According to the verse, God will reconcile transgressions against Heaven; we humans are responsible for policing ourselves for crimes against one another. Additionally, Rabbi Yochanan ben Baroka taught, "Whoever profanes the name of Heaven in secret will suffer the penalty in public." (M. Avot 4:4)
Despite these financially concerning times, some dealmakers will exit the markets largely without personal injury. Their transactions, however-intended to reap huge profits, have caused havoc to our financial markets. Schemes conceived in the seclusion of Wall Street's back offices were intended to be covert. Yet over the past few months covert business deals now face scrutiny in the light of day. The fall of Lehman Brothers, and the multi-billion dollar bailouts of Bear, Fannie, Freddie and AIG leave me contemplating the concealed acts the so-called financial "Masters of the Universe," dreamt up for profit at others' expense. Here, what was intended to be concealed or covert ends up overt. And who pays for their "conversion"? We all do.
The dichotomy of concealed and overt acts lends itself to analysis via another, familiar paradigm. During the month of Elul through the Days of Awe, we contemplate two categories of transgression, namely: bein adam la-maqom (transgressions between man and God); and, bein adam l'khaveiro (transgressions between humankind). While it is incumbent upon us to seek forgiveness from those we have harmed, only God can release us from those sins we've committed against God. And while acts committed against God can be either concealed or overt, it's fair to say that the vast majority are concealed. Similarly, transgressions against others can be concealed, but are typically overt. The covert transactions of the dealmakers jeopardized the welfare of the community. And while we will find forgiveness in our hearts, we're all still going to pay.
Upon review of transgressions against God and against man, we come to the following understandings: For concealed sins, confess to God. For overt sins, seek forgiveness from the offended person. And for acts intended to be covert that, in final analysis, end up overt, confess to God and seek forgiveness of man. Both approaches would seem to be necessary, but neither is sufficient. As stated in the continuation of the verse from Jeremiah, "I the Lord... repay every man according to his ways, with the proper fruit of his deeds." (Jer. 17:10) God pays back improper deeds against man. And as The Shadow regularly reminded listeners, "the weed of crime bears bitter fruit... crime does not pay!"
Sub-prime mortgages were hardly guaranteed; mortgage-makers did not see themselves responsible for the general public, but to their deals. Their ill-conceived plans will be judged by God, and by man, by applicable law. At Purim and other times we are reminded that Kol Yisrael ‘arevin zeh ba'zeh, "All Israel are surety for one another." (BT Shavuot 39a) Let us pray that the approach of the next generation of dealmakers be Kol Yisrael ‘arevin zeh ba'zeh, "All of Israel should be sweet (‘arev) to one another." That's the best guarantee anyone could hope for!
Best wishes for a sweet and happy new year.
Shabbat Shalom. Shanah Tovah uM'tukah.
Rabbi Lev Herrnson
lherrnson@ssdsnassau.org
Have a Shabbat Shalom and a Shanah Tova, a year full of health and happiness.
Allan Dalfen
Upper School Principal
PDF files
Chess Nuts Registration
Grandparent/s Day Form
