Dear SHA Community,

We returned from Winter Break this week and school is in full swing!

This week, we were pleased to host Ms. Nili Auerbach from the Lookstein Center at Bar-Ilan University in Israel. Ms. Auerbach toured our school and also made a presentation about the Judaic Studies curriculum that the Lookstein Center offers North American Jewish Day Schools.

We were also pleased to host this month’s Seattle Jewish Day School Head of School meeting that is convened by Samis Foundation. We are proud of our partnership with Samis and with Seattle’s Jewish Day Schools.

Dear SHA Community,

We are looking forward to Sunday’s Maccabeats concerts and our SHA First Grade performance prior to the 1pm concert. Thank you to Benjamina Menashe and Morah Nomi Winderbaum for their work on arranging the concerts and the special performance.

Story from this week’s perasha - VaYetze

Our patriarch, Ya’akov, leaves Israel to find refuge from his brother, Esav, in Charan. He arrives at HaMakom – The Place – to sleep for the night – the place of his famous ladder dream. Morning comes. Yaakov takes the stone that he slept on, makes a monument to G-d with it and anoints it with oil. He renamed the place Beit E-l – House of Hashem.

Dear SHA Community,

Mazal Tov to the SHA Community on the success of the Light the Way Campaign! The campaign reflects the impact that our community can have when we work together in an orchestrated way.

Today, I want to recognize some of the conductors who orchestrated our successful campaign:

Our Development Director, Benjamina Menashe, and Development Assistant, Peta Mehlman, our lead conductors, organized the whole process and ensured that everything ran so smoothly!

Dear SHA Community,

I hope that you have registered for our Trivia Night Campaign Kickoff Event this Motze Shabbat - Saturday Night - at 7:30 pm. I look forward to seeing you there to socialize and have fun!

In this week’s parasha, VaYera, Avraham Avinu is told of Hashem’s plan to destroy Sedom and its four sister cities. The Torah describes these cities as centers of decrepit morals populated by denizens of corrupt values.

Dear SHA Community,

I wish Jason and Brooke Shindler a big Mazal Tov on the occasion of Jacob’s Bar Mitzvah!

I look forward to visiting with you at our Trivia Night and Light the Way Campaign Kickoff on Saturday Night, November 12 at 7:30 pm at the school. This program is new for the school and replaces last year’s virtual gala. The evening will be a fun and social setting to launch our Annual Fundraising Campaign and will include appetizers by Chef Eli Varon and a Trivia Game Show by Premier Entertainment. I hope to see you there!

Dear SHA Community,

We have had an incredible Sukkot week at SHA!

To name just a few highlights: EC Parent Sukkot Program, Faculty-Student Kickball Game, Sukkot Assembly, Teacher Hosted Sukkah Parties, Schreiber Family Baby Naming, Eating in the Sukkah, Lulav Demonstration and so much more!!

Sukkot is called zman simchatenu - The Time of our Happiness. Sukkot is even more associated with happiness than our other holidays. The holiday really lived up to its name this year at SHA!

Dear SHA Community,

In this week’s parasha, Ha’Azinu, Moshe gives his final address to The Jewish People in the form of a song in praise of Hashem and His relationship with the Jewish People. Moshe introduces the song and says, “That I will call the name of G-d, let us make the L-rd great.” Our sages explain that because Moshe was about to begin saying words of Torah, he led the group with a blessing and The Jewish People participated with him in praising G-d by answering amen.

Do you have a child who is starting Kindergarten in Fall ‘23?
Are you wondering about what to expect?
What will be new for your child?
Please Join Us for --
“THE PATH FROM PRE-K TO KINDERGARTEN: ENSURING SUCCESSFUL TRANSITIONS”
FEATURING: JULIE ASHMUN MED, BCBA

Dear SHA Community,

I hope that you had a wonderful Rosh HaShana.

With Yom Kippur fast approaching, our concentration on repentance intensifies. Repentance encompasses much more than correcting specific sins; it includes changing one’s path and developing one’s character traits. This week’s parasha, VaYelech, teaches a lesson about one important character trait - humility.

Dear SHA Community,

This Shabbat is our Middle School Shabbaton. Many of our sixth, seventh and eighth graders will be gathering in Seward Park for a Shabbat program including an oneg at the Ben-Meir’s home, tefila, lunch at teachers’ homes, a fun program with Shinshinit Daniella and a special Seudah Shelisheit. The program will conclude with a special Motzei Shabbat that will include a barbecue and laser tag. Thank you to Mr. Natton Ben-Meir and to Rabbi Weiss and Mrs. Weiss for all of their work in planning this program.