aaeds/blog

Leadership Blog 

On Wednesday, our students acted to improve the world, and it was incredible to witness.

Our 3rd and 4th grade students gathered with their teachers and with parent volunteers to cook a beautiful meal from ingredients donated by their parents. Chicken, shnitzel, vegetables, rice, fruit salad, potatoes … all of it made with care and love. Then, in the evening, three students, their parents, Ms. Goodman, and I delivered the food to participants in the Safe Parking LA program, ate dinner with the program's participants, and got to learn a bit about their lives.

Next Wednesday, we are making extra food for our Thanksgiving Feast, and more students and parents will be bringing a Thanksgiving dinner to Safe Parking LA participants.

Safe Parking LA is a program that arranges safe, overnight parking for people who fall into one of the gaps in the system that supports the homeless population. Participants in this program sleep in their cars. Many of the people that this program serves have jobs, go to school, or do both. They are the “hidden homeless”-- they could be your coworker, or sitting next to you at a fast food restaurant, and you would have no idea that they were homeless. But they sleep in their cars. They make too much money to qualify for housing assistance programs, and not enough to afford an apartment.

I had the pleasure of speaking with one participant for about 30 minutes who is a student at American Jewish University (my alma mater) on-track to earn her MBA in nonprofit management. She works three days a week, goes to school two days a week, and supports her daughter who is earning her AA from a community college. When she graduates, she wants to start a nonprofit that actually serves the needs of the homeless community. She said that the problem with the programs out there is that they treat all homeless people the same. How can a program that's only open during business hours support someone who can't afford to take off work?

Watching our students interact with the program participants was incredible. You could see that their vibrant, fresh presence and smiling faces brightened the participants' day. Our students proudly explained the many dishes they brought, pointing out the ones that they each prepared. The program coordinators, Emily and Suzanne, were endlessly grateful. One of their goals is to create community among the program's participants, encouraging them to eat meals together instead of in their cars. Having our students there gave everyone one more reason to be together.

Our children will, God willing, never know what it means to be truly hungry, or to feel the insecurity of not having a safe place to sleep. Many of us as parents are concerned that our children might grow up in a bubble, not understanding how incredible their lives are. For the students who cooked and/or delivered food that day, awareness is starting to rise within them. They are beginning to understand that need looks different for different people, and that the face of poverty is not always easy to spot.

Wednesday was so impactful that we have decided to make this a service that we, as a community, can regularly provide to the Safe Parking LA community. Morah Hava has generously volunteered her time to run an enrichment class starting in January, in which students of all ages can come after school on Wednesdays to prepare dinner for Safe Parking LA on a weekly basis. More faculty members will also be donating their time to help. We will also be organizing volunteers of parents and students to be bringing food Wednesday evenings to this group �" not only delivering food, but dining with them.

This endeavor will not be without expense. Wednesday, to help defray the cost, students brought in different ingredients to make the meal. Once we start doing this on a regular basis, Hava will be going to Costco to buy food in bulk. Though space in the enrichment class will be limited, we want to extend the opportunity to our whole community to support this effort. If you would like to contribute toward covering the cost of food, you can donate here.  

If you are interested in volunteering to bring dinner to the participants, anyone can sign up, regardless of whether or not your child participates in the enrichment class. If you would like to sign up, you can do so here.  

Last spring, we considered opening our Adat Ari El parking lot to be a Safe Parking LA lot. Due to security concerns, we decided against it �" and now we have been given another opportunity to not only make a difference in these people's lives, but to teach our children what it truly means to serve others. Your support, whether through donating your time or contributing financially, will truly make a difference.

 

80 years of Adat Ari El....

Come join us for a fabulous Celebration

Inside The Classroom

Click below to view the classroom pages:

TK

Kindergarten

1st Grade

2nd Grade

3rd Grade

4th Grade

5th Grade

6th Grade

 

In the Community

Annual Fund 2018-2019

We're at day 55 of our 100 days, 100% participation 2018-19 Annual Fund campaign. And, if the numbers were to tell a story, it would tell one of community, strength, “firsts”, and so much gratitude for all of you!

The numbers speak for themselves:

Faculty, Staff, and Administration - 100%
Governing Board - 100%
TK - 88%
Kindergarten - 87%
1st Grade - 100%
2nd Grade - 80%
3rd Grade - 87%
4th Grade - 71%
5th Grade - 95%
6th Grade - 100%

It's important to me that I reiterate the WHY of the Annual Fund. There are so many benefits for our school if we can get to 100% participation:

• Our accreditation from CAIS (California Association of Independent Schools) will be stronger if the visiting team sees 100% participation from our families
• We will be able to approach outside donors - including foundations - more easily to ask for support
• More funds will be available for programming, facilities, curriculum enhancements and professional development, to name a few.

Remember that “community” does not only refer to you, our parent community, but also to the Board, faculty, and administration. We are filled with appreciation that our Board members are so deeply committed to what an investment in ADAT means - not just of time, but of financial resources, that they have come together with 100% participation. Then, there is our administration and faculty. Whether they have been here for 30 years or 3 months, they have come together in solidarity with ADAT and 100% participation and alignment with our Annual Fund goals.

Now, it's your turn. Help us reach our goal by stepping up to complete the remaining 24%. We are almost there and we have made incredible strides thanks to our Board, faculty, administration, and nearly three-quarters of our community. Together, let's prove how strong we are by making your gift to our Day School Annual Fund.

100 days, 100% participation, 100% commitment to our mission. Together, let's discover the power of giving.

From the Synagogue

There will be a spirited, playful, Prayground on Shabbat, November 17, 10:45 - 11:45 AM in the Dieber chapel!  After our alternative, fun shabbat experience together, families are invited to the community kiddish and also to take the lead in our social action Project of assembling food bags for Hope Mill who monthly need our help in feeding their families in need. 

Family Chanukkah Fest

Family Channukah Fest!!   12.04.18

Bring the whole family and join us for songs, dinner and a festival!

6:00 - 8:00pm

Chanukkah N'ranena 12.07.18

Join the N'ranena Band for a festive, dynamic and musical Erev Shabbat experience, followed by a bring your own picnic dinner! Meals are also available for purchase. 

Click here to RSVP 

12.09.18

Sunset Healing Service

A calming, spiritual, emotionally healing way to connect to Shabbat and the community.

12.14.18

L.A. Zimriyah Chorale Dinner & Service

6:45 pm - Dinner 

8:00 pm - Musical Tefillah

Click here to RSVP for Dinner 

Interested in joining a Chavurah here at Adat Ari El?

A Chavurah is a group of families or individuals who meet on a regular basis to celebrate Jewish life, socialize, and learn together. It's a terrific way to get to know others at Adat Ari El, essentially creating a smaller community within the larger one. Members must make a commitment to the group to meet regularly, usually at least once a month. What you choose to do when you meet is up to you! You can go to services together, share lifecycle events, go on a hike, watch movies, have speakers at your gathering, etc. Each Chavurah decides the types of activities to participate in and will periodically meet with staff at Adat Ari El to share experiences, review goals, and make sure the group is meeting the needs of its members.

Please click here to let us know your interest and availability so we can start connecting you to your Chavurah.

 

Havdalah Highlights

We start each week gathered together as a school for a Havdalah ceremony, during which we highlight students who we have noticed acting in ways that carry out our mission. Because we are so proud of our students, we wanted to share their stories with you!

6th grader Itai G. was an excellent team member at Pali Camp for his peers. He was a great example of what we expect out of our graduates.

As she was exiting the Book Fair, 3rd  grader Mikka G. said to one of the other girls in 3rd grade that she "would do absolutely anything for her friends". It was so lovely to hear such positivity!

At the book fair, Katriela W. noticed that third grader Rose K. offered money to a student who wanted to buy something, but didn't have any money.

Third grader Jon Jon M. offered to skip recess to help hang class work for Language Arts night. 

Third grader Zoe S. goes above and beyond for her class every day.  She cleans up after class, brings ice to her friends, and offered to let someone read her new book before she did.

When Shara was hanging up the lost and found, second grader Sarah F.  noticed that there were a lot of clothes to hang up and offered to help her without being asked.

Calendar

Mark your calendars for these important dates:

• November 19: 6th grade parlor meeting - will be rescheduled - date TBD
• November 21: Thanksgiving feast - 12:30pm dismissal - no day care available
• November 22/23: Thanksgiving - no school
• November 30: 4th grade Shabbat dinner & service
• December 1: Synagogue 80th Anniversary Gala
• December 4: Family Chanukkah Fest - 6:00 - 8:00pm

*click here to view the full calendar

Jewish Trivia question of the week

Each week, we'll pose a Jewish Trivia question of the week and will reveal the answer in the following week's newsletter! Here's this week's question: In the Synagogue discovered at Masada, which direction does the arc face?

a. East

b. West

c. North

d. South

ANSWER from last week's question:  Who was the first Hebrew writer to receive the Nobel Prize for literature?

b. S. Y. Agnon - 1966