SHABBAT & YOM TOV CANDLE LIGHTING
| Fri., Sept. 21 |
Shabbat and Erev Yom Kippur |
6:48 p.m. |
| Wed., Sept. 26 |
Erev Sukkot |
6:39 p.m. |
| Thurs., Sept. 27 |
Sukkot |
7:48 p.m. |
| Fri., Sept. 28 |
Shabbat |
6:36 p.m. |
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| Wed., Oct. 3 |
Hoshanah Rabbah |
6:29 p.m. |
| Thurs., Oct. 4 |
Shemini Atzeret |
7:37 p.m. |
| Fri., Oct. 5 |
Shabbat and Simchat Torah |
6:26 p.m. |
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G’mar Chatimah Tovah
A YOM KIPPUR MESSAGE
I would like to thank Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson for the following story which I found so meaningful. The story is part of his special Torah Column for the High Holy Day Season 5768. I have heard much about Rabbi Elijah Schochet, but to the best of my knowledge we are not related.
Rabbi Elijah Schochet, who was a congregational rabbi in the San Fernando Valley for many, many years, grew up in Chicago, in a time that was considerably more rough and tumble than now, in which growing up in Chicago really meant something. His grandfather was a traditional Rav in Chicago.
One Shabbat afternoon, Rabbi Schochet recalled – he was about eight or nine years old at the time – a great big Cadillac pulled up in front of the rabbi’s house. Three burly guys wearing suits get out, and you can see the holsters underneath their coat pockets bulging with, presumably, one of the ways they maintained their authority on the streets. They open the back door of the limo, and one of Chicago’s most famous Jewish gangsters emerges, walks up the stairs of the house, knocks on the door, enters the rabbi’s house, takes out a thick envelope stuffed with money, and on Shabbes, sets it down on the table in front of the rabbi and says: “Nem far de yeshiva kinder. Siz mein mama’s yahrzeit. This is for the Yeshiva students; it’s my mother’s yahrzeit (the anniversary of her death).” He then turns around without another word and walks out.
Little Eli Schochet was furious. He is furious at this man for desecrating Shabbat, the holiest day of the week. After all, this hoodlum is driving on Shabbat, he is driving right up to the rabbi’s home on Shabbat, he is handling money on Shabbat – all sins prohibited in the Torah. This gangster thinks he can buy off the rabbi in such a way, despite his infamous life, despite the horrendous crimes and the violence to which he is addicted. And little Eli is furious at his Zeyde. What kind of a Rav allows this to happen? What kind of a Rav sits back and lets someone mock Judaism and all that Judaism holds dear, mock the sanctity of Shabbat in his own home, without so much as a word?
Years later, in conversation with his Zayde, Eli finally raised the subject. “Zayde, how could you take that money? How could you allow such a desecration to occur?” And his Zayde replied: “The man has led an ugly, public, brutal life his entire life. But you have to realize what happened to him. One day, in the midst of all the brutality and all the violence, one day he realized that it was his mother’s yahrzeit, and at that moment, he remembered her dreams for him that he should be a mentsch; that he should someday be a good Jew; that someday he should make a positive difference in the world. And for one brief moment he resolved to live that dream. So he got in the car, he drove to my house, he made a donation. Yes, on Shabbes! But for that split second there was in instant of truth, an instant of purity in which he was living his mother’s dream and acknowledging his own continued allegiance to that dream.”
What Rabbi Schochet Sr. was able to recognize was the “Pinktele Yid” the very essence of every Jew; that divine spark that is buried in the heart of every Jew waitng for the moment. Sometimes it glows for only an instant. But when it does,, we need to seize the moment, for all it needs is one spark to create a holy conflagration. May the Almighty give us all the strength as we approach this Yom Kippur to find within ourselves that spark.
Rabbi Artson is the Dean of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at the American Jewish University.
BEES VISIT KINDERGARTEN
 The Kindergartners learned about different aspects of Rosh Hashanah including symbols and traditions.
In addition to songs, stories and art projects they spent two weeks learning about bees. This unit concluded with a special visit from local beekeeper, Harold Goldberg. He taught the children how honey is harvested from beehive to jar. He brought a lot of beekeeping equipment for them to see and many varieties of honey for the students to taste. It was a wonderful learning experience…just in time for Rosh Hashanah.
 
THE SWEETNESS OF ROSH HASHANAH CAME TO BELMONT ASSISTED LIVING
Our middle school students have adopted the residents of the Belmont Assisted Living in Sunnyvale. The 5th grade students spent many days preparing Rosh Hashanah skits and the meaning of the high holy days for a presentation to the senior residents. Last year our middle school students celebrated their model seder with them.
The skit was wonderfully received as was Rabbi Schochet’s skillful shofar blowing. The residents received Shana Tova cards from the students and enjoyed their apple and honey. This outreach program to bridge the generation gap was the brainchild of our math teacher Mrs. Miri Levy. Our students as well as the residents are looking forward to their next opportunity to get together.
 
 
JEWISH STREET FESTIVAL BROUGHT OUT BAY AREA JEWISH COMMUNITY
 It was a beautiful day for the Jewish community to gather at the Jewish Street Festival, in Palo Alto. SPHDS had a wonderful turn out of parents, teachers and students many of whom volunteered at the children’s crafts booth, sponsored by the Parents’ Association.
The SPHDS booth attracted many alumni who enjoyed looking through old year books and commenting “is that me?” on seeing their pictures. Other highlights of the day included the Jewish Study Network rabbis literally slaving over a hot fire so everyone  could enjoy the delicious Kosher BBQ; the shofar making booth; and of course the bouncy jump house of which the children could not get enough. With the amount of spirit and excitement our students expressed with their blue SPHDS shirts, people were wondering if our school had grown to 3,000 students!
Special thanks to our 7th and 8th grade students who participated in activities and in doing so raised funds for the 8th grade’s graduation trip to Israel.
 Our children were also featured in the "j." in their coverage of the Festival, with a wonderful picture of 1st grade student David Benzaquen blowing the shofar.
Many thanks to parents, staff and board volunteers: Holly Mendel, Yvonne Boxerman, Sherry Solden, Nancy Gofman, Esther Rosenfeld, Jhasmin Grosskopf, Hagit Gvili, Naomi Zamir, Svetlana Ravkin, Jonathan Gershater and Sari Spector.
TASHLICH IN PRE-KINDERGARTEN
 The three pre-k classes, Parparim, Arnavot and Chaverim, joined together for a very special Rosh Hashanah celebration. They sang the many songs they learned for Rosh Hashanah. Rabbi Schochet blew Shofar for them and in turn the students showed Rabbi Schochet how well they knew all of the Shofar sounds.
The students and their teachers then proceeded to the front of the school where they all participated in a “mock” Tashlich. Afterwards they enjoyed the delicious honey cake that they baked in honor of Rosh Hashanah. This joyful celebration was a beautiful culmination of two great weeks of learning. A very special thank you to Jose Amaya from our maintenance department for creating a wonderful flowing water source for Tashlich.
LECTURE: KEEPING PRE-SCHOOLERS SAFE
Every year Gan Aviv provides a resource to its parents by bringing in experts in the field of parenting. Areas of interest to be addressed in these lectures are chosen by the parent body. This year our opening lecture focuses on “Keeping Pre-schoolers Safe.”
With some simple adult guidance, very young children can have the power to develop basic safety skills that can help them stay safe with strangers as well as with people they know. These basic skills are the foundation of personal safety habits that they can use for the rest of their lives.
Join us on Thursday, October 18th at 7:00 p.m. in the school’s Multi-purpose room.
For more information visit www.kidpower.org/Young-Children.html
PRE-SCHOOL AND KINDERGARTEN ENRICHMENT CLASSES
Enrollment for preschool and kindergarten enrichment classes is underway. These classes will start the week of October 8th for children in nursery rooms 2 - 6 and those in kindergarten.
The preschool dance class, which meets on Mondays, is taking a waiting list. Enrollment is based on a first-come first-serve basis with minimums and maximums for each class.
If you want to register your child, please leave the form and check with Rachel in the front office. For any questions, please contact Barbara Goldstein at 408 738-3060.
EMAIL ADDRESSES
Chai-Lights, the school’s weekly newsletter, is sent via email to each family. If you have not received it, please send Rachel an email with chai-lights as the subject.
LUNCH PROGRAM
This past Tuesday the school’s hot lunch program began and is offered five days a week. Coupon (5) booklets cost $18.75, if purchased separately each ticket is $4. Booklet of 5 coupons for “seconds” is $12. and if purchased separately each ticket is $3. Please make checks payable to: SPHDS. All coupons may be purchased at the school office.
The week’s menu is: Monday - Macaroni and Cheese
Tuesday – Pizza
Wednesday – Hot Dog
Thursday – Spaghetti
Friday – Fish Sticks and French Fries
All lunches come with salad and fruit drink or water.
PARENTS' ASSOCIATION NEWS
Book Club
The first meeting of the parents’ book club will be on Thursday, October 11th at 12:00. The book of the month is The Liberated Bride by A.B. Yehoshua. The Parents Association has the Bureau of Jewish Education’s “Book Club in a Box” set of 12 copies of the book. Contact book club coordinator, Lena Dickman at 650 251-9557 or lena@dickman.us for a copy.
Coffees in the Sukkah
During Sukkot, Dads and Moms are invited to join the PA in the sukkah adjacent to the Kindergarten playground, for two special coffee mornings.
On Monday, October 1st at 8:00 a.m., fathers are invited to “Donuts with Dad” and on Tuesday, October 2nd at 8:00 a.m. mothers are invited to “Muffins with Mom”. Join your fellow parents for a pleasant Sukkot get-together.
Todah Rabbah
A very “sweet” Thank You to volunteer parents Nancy Gofman, Jhasmin Grosskopf, Rebecca Handwerker, Edia Tzadikario and Nurit Zohar for helping assemble the Rosh Hashanah treat bags for the students.
Board Meeting
The next Parents' Association board meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 30th at 8:30 a.m. and everyone is welcome to attend.
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