RESTAURANT NIGHT RECEIVED RAVE REVIEWS
 The first of our Restaurant Nights opened to rave reviews from all the culinary connoisseurs of fine kosher dining. Our very ordinary MPR was transformed into the most elegant of restaurants. Some of the main dishes on the menu were: empanadas and chumi cheri, prime rib on the grill. There were many appetizers and side dishes, too numerous to mention, that certainly satisfied the most discerning of palates. Above all, the evening’s greatest success was the wonderful feeling of community-building. To sum the evening up in one line, it would read like this: great mood, great food, great price. What more could one ask for?
They were all there; young and old from every part of the Bay area: San Jose, Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, Cupertino, and the East Bay. Reservations were taken for 75, we seated 120 – and then there were take-outs! Our grade seven and grade eight students did a fine job as waiters and waitresses, revealing hidden talents even their parents never knew they possess!
Events like this don’t just happen by themselves. We are fortunate not only to have an incredible staff, but also an incredible parent body. Each of these groups of volunteers gave of themselves way beyond the call of duty.
Catering co-ordination is not included in Sharon Dwek’s job description as Development Director for SPHDS; yet, there she was, pulling all the pieces together; from shopping to décor, to clean up. None of this could have happened without Morah Chanie Lapin! Her initiative started way back at Eitz Chaim Academy with Restaurant Nights in San Jose, and she brought that same energy with her to SPHDS.
Jasmin Grosskopf not only brought us her mother’s recipes, but she also spent the whole of Friday, together with Margarit and Meni Peretz preparing the empanadas and chumi cheri. Our thanks go to Meni and Margarit for all their professional assistance, ensuring that this event was both classy and elegant, an epithet it so richly deserves.
Yaffa Borison and Rachellie Levine, thank you for doing all the shopping. Thank you to that wonderful group of ladies who had nothing else to do on a Sunday but spend it in the SPHDS kitchen: Tammy Bublil, Yifat Levin, Fern Rabinovitz, Nurit Zohar, Irit Bornstein Yifat Piekarz, Hagit Gvili, Osnat Jasper, Farah Zaghi and Avital Hazon.
Thanks go to all the volunteers who decorated and set up: Bat Sheva Joshua, Anat Feldman, Nancy Gofman, Holly Mendel, Mollie and Judith Sherbin, Clara Bendayan Rosenfeld, Etti Tassa, and Paz Brill, who made sure that our MPR stopped being an MPR, and for six wonderful hours became a fabulous restaurant with wonderful ambience.
To Inna Ravkin and Marina Kheyn-Kheyfets go our heartfelt thanks for the difficult job of turning the "stagecoach back into a pumpkin."
Our thanks to Rami Bornstein for recording this event for posterity.
For those who missed it, Restaurant Night will return in January when the theme will be Asian Fusion. For those who made it, we look forward to seeing you again.
Click here to view photos.
GRANDPARENTS AND SPECIAL FRIENDS’ DAY
 Grandparents and Special Friends’ Day is a very special occasion where each student from preschool to Grade 8 has the opportunity to share the day with his/her own special guest whether it is a grandparent, cousin or neighbor. The special guests will join the students on Wednesday, November 21st, 8:45 a.m. for this unique morning of sharing.
Our students, grandparents and special friends will participate in classroom activities.
The Kindergarten through Grade 4 students will participate in a special Thanksgiving assembly at 10:30 a.m. We invite parents and guests to join us.
Dismissal for everyone will be at 12:00; there will be no day care.
GUEST SPEAKER TALKS ABOUT THE OHLONE INDIANS
 Guest speaker, Mary Berger a park interpreter from the Santa Clara County Park Department, spoke to the third grade students about the Ohlone Native Americans who inhabited land from San Francisco to Monterey, in previous centuries.
In Ms. Berger’s fascinating slide presentation the students saw how the Ohlones lived in “tule huts” and demonstrated survival living on the land. The students were divided into two groups. The first group had hands-on experiences with the artifacts and resources of the Ohlones. The second group created and played a game called “staves.” The game consisted of colored sticks which were thrown to the ground to earn points.
The students enjoyed listening, learning and participating in this program.
“GIFT OF READING
The San Jose Mercury News’ “Gift of Reading” program is underway. New or gently used books for children of all ages, from 2 – 17 are already being donated. It is easy to donate - just deposit the books in the boxes outside the classrooms.
This program promotes literacy for children in the greater Silicon Valley community who do not have access to books and introduces them to the joy of reading. At the same time it helps our students actualize the mitzvah of Tzedakah.
Our book drive will run from November 13th – November 30th. Let’s see if we can beat last year’s record of 600 donated books!
MINCHA MINYAN
We are fortunate to be able to offer a Mincha Minyan at 4:45 p.m. which is immediately followed by Ma'ariv.
PARENTS' ASSOCIATION NEWS
Sufganyot for Chanukah
Order forms for glazed or jelly filled sufganyot will be available next week and they will be delivered to school on Tuesday, December 4th, in time for the 1st night of Chanukah. Be on the lookout for the order forms.
Tuesday Morning Coffees
To our newest volunteer, Daniella Schreiber, many thanks for bringing the bagels, cream cheese and fruit for all to enjoy at this week’s coffee.
Remember, we need volunteers to pick up bagels either from Izzy’s in Palo Alto or Izzy’s in Sunnyvale. It will be easy if parents alternate the weekly pick-ups
Please contact Holly Mendel at 408 245-3144 or email: Holly@TheMendels.org
Book Club
The next Book Club will meet on December 20th at 12:00; the book to be discussed is Rashi’s Daughter, Book Two: Miriam by Maggie Anton. For more information please contact Lena Dickman: 650 251-9557 or lena@dickman.us
COMMUNITY NEWS
Rochie Spira to Visit this Week-end
Former Judaic Studies teacher Rochie Spira will speak at a Women’s Melave Malkah this Saturday night, November 17th at 7:00 p.m., at the home of Rabbi Avi and Fia Lebowitz, 3748 Laguna Avenue, Palo Alto.
Enjoy an evening that will include a stimulating talk by an outstanding teacher, a delicious dessert bar and dairy buffet.
The evening is sponsored by the Jewish Study Network. For more information call: 650.961.4576 or email: www.jsn.info or info@jsn.info.
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