From the Director of Education

School News - March 2005

From the Director of Education

Be happy, it's Adar! Purim is one of the most joyous and fun holidays on the Jewish calendar and is celebrated on the 15th day of Adar.
The story of Purim is found in the Megillah (scroll) of Esther. The heroes of the story are Esther, a Jewish woman living in Persia, and her cousin Mordecai. Esther was taken to Ahasuerus, King of Persia, to become part of his harem. King Ahasuerus made Esther queen and did not know that Esther was a Jew.
The villain of the story is Haman (boooo), advisor to the king. Haman hated Mordecai because Mordecai, a Jew, refused to bow down to him, so Haman plotted to destroy the Jewish people.
Mordecai persuaded Esther to speak to the king on behalf of the Jewish people. This was a dangerous thing for Esther to do because anyone who came into the king's presence without being summoned could be put to death, and she had not been summoned. Esther told the king of Haman's plot against her people. By doing so Esther saved the Jewish people.
The word "Purim" means "lots" and refers to the lottery that Haman used to choose the date for the annihilation of the Jewish people.
The Megellat Esther is unusual in that it does not contain the name of God. In fact, it includes virtually no reference to God.
The primary commandment related to Purim is to hear the reading of the Megillah. It is customary to boo, hiss, stamp feet and rattle gragers (noisemakers) whenever the name of Haman is mentioned to drown out his name.
We are also commanded to send out gifts of food and to make gifts to charity. This special mitzvah is called Misloach Manot. The origin of this custom is found in the Megillah when Mordecai declared the holiday of Purim as a time of "feasting and gladness and of sending food to one another, as well as gifts to the poor."
Join the fun, come to the carnival on Sunday, March 13th and for the reading of the Megillah on March 24th at 7:00 p.m.
B'shalom,
Leah Schaer

News From the ECC

Allow me to introduce you to the Pre-Kindergarten at Congregation Albert. My name is Janet Raskin Ehrlich and I have been part of the Congregation Albert family since 1987. I taught Sunday school for 10 years and have been teaching in the Early Childhood Center for 9 years.
I am blessed to have two assistant teachers this year,
Desiree White and Marnie Bethel. We believe that play is the young child's work and that each child learns through everyday activities.
In the Pre-Kindergarten we incorporate the secular with Judaic studies. When we study a unit such as the family, we introduce Hebrew words and concepts that relate to it.
We discuss the concept of mitzvot and how we can live different ones each day. Every Friday we collect tzedakah. At Thanksgiving, we took some of the money and went to Smith's to buy food to donate to the Roadrunner Food Bank.
This Tu B'Shevat we continued the tradition of co-hosting a seder with the kindergarten class. Parents and care-givers were invited to celebrate this holiday with us.
We look forward to continuing to give your children a warm, caring, Jewish environment at Congregation Albert.
B'shalom,
Janet Raskin Ehrlich

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Passover Food Drive

Let's hear it for our wonderful 3rd grade class! The third grade religious school class is once again sponsoring our 2nd Annual Passover Food Drive to benefit the Jewish Community Food Bank.
We will kick off this wonderful mitzvah at the Purim Carnival, March 13, 2005 and collections will end the Sunday before Passover, April 17, 2005. The third grade class is planning a field trip to the Food Bank so that the students are better able to see and understand how this service benefits the community.
Not only does the food bank receive the gift of the actual food, but also they receive one dollar for each pound of food that is donated. This is a double mitzvah. All non-perishable food will be accepted. Look for information in next month's bulletin for items that are in great demand.
Annie Furie, 3rd grade religious school teacher.

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Tu B'Shevat with 2nd and 3rd Graders

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Camp Oranim

It's not too early
to start thinking about
Camp Oranim.
Mark your calendar for this year's
week-long sleep away session
July 31st- August 7th, 2005.
If you would like to volunteer
or are thinking about being a counselor,
please call Leah in the school office at 883-0306.

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Adult Education

Sign up now
for Adult Education classes
starting in March and April:
Understanding Family & Marital Communications
begins March 1st,
Rabbi's Lunch & Limud:
Exploring the Passover Haggadah
begins March 9th,
Book Discussion: "My Grandfather's Blessings"
begins April 3rd, and
Introduction to Islam from a Jewish Perspective
begins April 5th.
Please come by or call the school office
at 883-0306 to register.

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Smith's Earn & Learn

It's time to reenroll in the Smith's Earn & Learn Program.
Cards issued over the past year will soon expire. It's now time to reenroll in this program that helps our school immensely. Our school earned close to $500 from this program — just because you purchased groceries! When you use your Fresh Values Card, Smith's donates up to 5% of your total purchases to our school. Reenroll TODAY!
Fill out the form below, print this page, and return it to the customer service counter of your local Smith's store.
Earn & Learn Enrollment Form
Your Fresh Values Card Number:

First Name:

Last Name:

Street Address:

City, State, Zip:

Phone
          ( )
E-mail

Our School's Name:
          Congregation Albert School, Albuquerque, NM 87110

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