Announcements

April 17, 2024
9 Nissan 5784

Hi everyone,

Now that we have officially entered the Hebrew month of Nissan, Passover is right around the corner! We have some kid-friendly Passover resources to share, as well as some upcoming events. We hope to see you there!

Click here for Passover ideas from PJ Library.
Click here for Passover ideas from Hadar.

Thanks,
Alyssa

Here are upcoming events:

• Monday, April 29: Passover Play(ground) Time at 3 pm. Register here (or just show up).
• Wednesday & Thursday, May 1 & 2: Post-Pesach Food and Toiletry Drive
• Saturday, May 18: Chaverim's Backyard Bash at 8 pm. Register here.
• Saturday, June 9: Save the Date for Pride Shabbat

Upcoming Events

Passover Play(ground) Time
Monday, April 29 at 3 pm 
Playground (weather-permitting) or Kasakove

Enjoy the days of school and the end of Passover with your Beth El friends! We'll have a relaxed afternoon on the playground together for socializing for kids and adults alike! If we have bad weather, we'll move to the Kasakove with lots of toys and games for all ages.

​​​​​​​ Register here (but you can come anyway).

Post-Passover Food Drive for HOPE Community Services
Wednesday & Thursday, May 1-2
Place donations in box outside main office

Do a mitzvah! Beth El Synagogue and UJA-Federation are co-sponsoring the annual post-Pesach food drive on Wednesday, May 1-Thursday, May 2 to benefit the food pantries (kosher and non-kosher) at HOPE Community Services in New Rochelle, a UJA grantee. Bring your:

• everyday non-perishable groceries
• unopened leftover Pesach groceries (no matzah)
  
• cleaning supplies and toiletries

There will be a box outside of the Main Office for collection. Beth El is joining with other local synagogues to fight hunger. 

Questions: Contact food drive chairs Debbie and Steve Young.

SAVE THE DATE: CHAVERIM SPRING EVENT
Saturday night, May 18 
Hosted by Dan & Leah Rivlin

Calling all parents of school-aged kids! Come kick back, celebrate Spring, and enjoy some adult company with your Beth El parent community! Brought to you by Chaverim, the same organization that gave you bourbon, wine and bowling, so come out for a good time! 

Cost: $10 per person, BYO drinks
​​​​​​​Register here.

Dear Families,

The Nursery School is bustling with Passover prep, including lots of matzah crunching and excitement! We have a number of things to share with you, so please read carefully below:

1. As a reminder, full day classes will be celebrating their model sedarim this Friday at lunch time. We ask that you try not to send in any chametz in your child's lunch on Friday (bread, pretzels, crackers, etc.) as the children will have "cleaned" their classrooms and the chametz will have been burned. To that end, there will not be a pizza delivery on Friday, as was noted on the original hot lunch schedule.

2. We are excited to share that Phase II of the Playground Project has begun! Work is currently being done on Gan Teva (Lower Field) and Playground 2. See photos below.

3. School will be closed for the Passover break Monday, April 22- Wednesday, May 1, with school resuming on Thursday, May 2. 

4. We are happy to announce that we are now fundraising through Mabel's Labels. With every order we will earn 20% commission for our school. If you are not familiar with Mabel's Labels, they offer personalized waterproof name labels for your children's items. This is the perfect time to get your orders in before camp and the new school year. Visit campaigns.mabelslabels.com and choose Beth El Nursery School (New Rochelle) from the organization list. Click here to order.

5. For After Care families, the next Staff Meeting will be on Tuesday, May 7 at 2:45pm. As a result, after care will end on May 7 at 2:30pm. 

6. Our second annual Field Day will be on Sunday, May 19 at 1PM. Nursery School families are invited for a fun afternoon of relay races, yummy snacks and shmoozing on Gan Teva, the lower field. Cost is $25 per family. Register here.

7. Today our Shinshin, Maya, visited with our Gezah and Anaf children and practiced the ritual of bedikat chametz (the search for chametz). In addition, Maya has spearheaded an outstanding project related to the hostages being held in Gaza. 

This initiative was NOT discussed with the children, but a card related to a hostage was put in their backpacks today. Please see a note below from Maya explaining this card and additional project details.

Dear Parents,

My name is Maya Tzabary and I am one of the eight Shinshinim in Westchester. I would love to share with you the project I have been working on-- “One Seat” reserved for a hostage at our seder table.

What is the project about?
On Passover we celebrate the transition from slavery to freedom. In our reality, while 133 Israelis are being held hostage by Hamas, it is our duty not to forget them and to do everything we can to get them free. This year, in addition to setting out a cup for Elijah the prophet at the Seder table, we pray for the return of all the hostages and reserve ‘one seat’ for them at our table. To that end, individual cards have been created for each hostage. The cards focus on what kind of people they are and what they like to do, so we all remember that it could have been any of us. 

Who is it for?
Everyone! The information about the hostages is not too graphic so it will be appropriate even for high school or middle school students. Today your child came home with one of these cards. Please place this card at an empty seat at your table and ask yourself a fifth question: what can you do to help bring the hostages home?

Thank you!
Maya Tzabary, Westchester Shinshinit.

Additional cards are available at Beth El. If interested, please feel free to reach out to us and we will make the necessary connection for you. 

Wishing you and your family a meaningful and enjoyable Passover holiday,
Ronnie and Shery

Highlights:

• Nursery School Registration for the '24-'25 School Year continues: Classes are filling up. Register here.
• Anaf parents are invited to celebrate Havdallah on Monday mornings in the Youth Lounge beginning at 9AM. ​​​​​​​
• ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Passover Break: Apr. 22 - May1. School resumes on Thursday, May 2. 
• Mabel's Labels Fundraiser for Beth El Nursery School:  Click here to order.
• ​​​​​​​After Care will end at 2:30pm on Tuesday, May 7.
• ​​​​​​​Sunday, May 19 at 1PM: Our second annual Field Day! Register here.