The Yardley Borough Police Officers will begin providing security at Abrams on Monday morning, March 30, 2015.
Passover Schedule
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
10:00 am
Kindergarten Passover Play
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
10:00 am
Nursery Passover Program
Thursday, April 2, 2015
10:00-11:00 am
Grades 6-8 Passover Program
1:45 pm
Grades 1-5
Passover Program
Friday, April 3-Friday, April 10, 2015
NO SCHOOL
Passover Recess
The Budowsphere
The Budowsphere
Welcome to the Budowsphere! This is where Rabbi Budow shares his thoughts, musings, and insights on Jewish education and various other topics of interest to the Jewish community.
We are only about a month away from our annual 8th grade trip to Israel. In a previous blog I spoke about Zionism, and the trip to Israel is the most important manifestation of Zionism in the school.
Our graduation trip to Israel started in 1999, and I have been privileged and blessed to lead every excursion. Each year I try to change things and provide new, exciting experiences for our students. I am never bored- the students are energized, and their enthusiasm electrifies me.
There was one year that we did not go to Israel. It was during the years of the Intifada, and the situation in Israel was really dire. There were daily bombings reported in Jerusalem, suicide bombings all over the country, and stories of lives spent in and out of bomb shelters. Everyone worried about whether or not we could or should take the students to Israel. It was the year my daughter graduated, and many Shabbat meals were spent with her asking, “Dad, are we going to be able to go to Israel this year?”
Because of the terrible conditions, and many parents’ justifiable fears, we decided to forgo Israel and take the students on a Jewish historical tour of Eastern Europe. We started in Budapest, where we visited a synagogue that cost $25 million and was certainly very impressive. We traveled to Prague by train, a city that was once central to Jewish life, and ended our tour in Amsterdam, culminating in a visit to the Anne Frank house.
The trip was interesting, but I felt uneasy and agitated during the entire trip. Everywhere we went there seemed to be nothing but museums and dry, lifeless places. The lavish synagogue in Budapest was just a museum- there are no services held there. In Prague, one of the biggest tourist attractions is the cemetery. We went to Theresienstadt, and prayed at a river where Jewish ashes were thrown by the Nazis. When we finally arrived in Amsterdam we visited the Anne Frank museum, the building where a young girl lived out her short life.
My reaction to the entire trip was that this was a “march of death.” Every place we went was a testament to Jewish lives that were taken, and I vowed “never again.” The next year, although the Intifada was still raging, we returned to Israel. There were so few tour groups making the trip to Israel that the Jerusalem Post actually wrote an article that singled Abrams out as one of the few organizations that was willing to come to Israel during this time. I have the article framed and hanging in my office as a remembrance.
I am adamant that my purpose is to teach Jewish students about life, not death. When we visit Israel I purposely arrange the trip so that we visit the Kotel and experience life in Israel before we go to Yad Vashem. I am determined that we will not take our children on a “death march,” commemorating the genocide of our people, but instead will continue to bring them to Israel to rejoice in the vibrant, living country that is ours.
L’shana Haba Jerusalem.
Rabbi Ira Budow
Naming/Endowment Opportunities
Abrams has several great spaces within the buildings that afford naming/endowment opportunities. You can honor a loved one and also make a significant, lasting contribution to our school!
Opportunities:
The Secular Library– this room is located in the middle of the school and is a hub of learning for our students.
Classrooms– there are several classrooms available for naming on the second and third floors.
Nursery rooms– there are two rooms available downstairs in the Nursery.
Gallery space– an art alcove between the first and second floors
The Zion Gate– the space between the original building and the link that is lined with Israeli art and artifacts.
Contact Rabbi Budow for pricing, payment plans, and further information!
School Guidance Counselor
I am happy to announce that we have hired Dr. Donna Porwancher as our guidance counselor. Dr. Porwancher will begin her tenure at Abrams in September.
Dr. Porwancher is retiring from her position as a school psychologist at the Lawrence Township Public School District.
An on-site guidance counselor will be able to address many of the issues that confront our students in a professional and caring manner, and we welcome her to our Abrams community.
We thank Dr. Susan Fuchs for recommending Dr. Porwancher to the school.
Rabbi Ira Budow
2015 Reading Olympics
Abrams Hebrew Academy elementary school students won a blue ribbon at the Reading Olympics held at the New Hope- Solebury Upper Elementary School nbsp;on Wednesday evening, March 25, 2015.
Abrams middle school students competed in the Reading Olympics on Wednesday, March 18, 2015, led by AHA teacher, Chris Konopka.
Our middle school students won a blue ribbon, and AHA was one of the top performing schools at the competition.
Mazal Tov to all of our student participants and kudos to Ms. Miller and Mr. Konopka for their coaching and leadership!
2015 Annual Dinner
Many thanks to everyone who volunteered, contributed, and attended the 2015 Annual Fund Dinner. Your support and participation is greatly appreciated.
Special recognition goes to Liza Sherman, our dinner chair, whose tireless efforts along with her committee resulted in a wonderful evening.
Yasher Koach!
SkyZone Fund Raiser
SkyZone
45 Runway Road
Levittown, PA
April 7th, 2015
3pm-8pm
Help the PTO raise money for Abrams and have family fun during the Pesach break!
You may buy tickets on-line, but remember to mention Abrams or present the fundraiser flyer (below) to the cashier.
AHA art teacher Donna Moskowitz and AHA students participated in the Leket Israel float design contest for the 2015 Celebrate Israel Parade. In total, there were over 155 submissions from over 180 students in various schools.
Abrams was the winning school with the highest percentage of entries and will receive a $500 gift card for school supplies!
About Leket Israel
Serving as the country’s National Food Bank and largest food rescue network, Leket Israel works to alleviate the problem of nutritional insecurity among the growing numbers of Israel’s poor. In 2014, with the help of over 55,000 volunteers, Leket Israel rescued 1.5 million hot meals and 25 million lbs. of produce and perishable goods, and supplied over 1.2 million volunteer prepared sandwiches to underprivileged children. Food that would have otherwise gone to waste is redistributed to 180 nonprofit partners caring for the needy, reaching 140,000+ people weekly.
Congratulations to Mrs. Moskowitz and our artistic students.
Pesach at Greenwood House
The 8th grade visited the Abrams Residence at Greenwood House and celebrated Pesach
with “their” seniors.
Tuition Payments
Past-Due Tuition Payments
To the minority of parents who are not up-to-date with their tuition payments or have not made special financial arrangements with James Dorvil, our business manager, please note that your child(ren) will not be allowed to return to school after the Passover break without making your past due payments or coming to an agreement with Mr. Dorvil in our business office.
Please note that the car pool line is for grades N and K only. All other students are to be dropped off in the front of the building.
Parents who use the back for drop off should follow the directions of the teachers in the parking lot. They are there to assist students and maintain a safe environment.
Under no circumstances are parents to park their cars in the middle of the line and leave them unattended to walk students into the building.
** We ask that parents refrain from cellphone use in the parking areas while dropping off and picking up their children.
Abrams Notes
Birthday Celebrations at School
When sending birthday treats into school to celebrate that special day for your child, please consider sending in a healthy treat, such as frozen fruit bars, rice cakes, fruit salad or cups, sugar free pudding snacks, yogurt cake or pie, cheese sticks, light popcorn or air popped popcorn (when age appropriate), pretzels, carrots/celery (when age appropriate).Please avoid nuts because of allergies.
In order to maintain a consistent kashrut policy and to avoid confusion, ALL orders for birthday cakes/cupcakes MUST be ordered from Cramer’s Bakery, 16 E. Afton Avenue, Yardley. Cramer’s will deliver the order to the school at a discounted price.
Please call Kim Pierce at 215-321-5707 to place your cake/ cupcake order.
Celebrate Your Simcha at Abrams
Abrams Hebrew Academy is a perfect choice to host your family or social affair, business meeting or athletic event. Whether you’re looking for an inviting space to celebrate a special occasion; a meeting area with state-of-the art technology; a fun, safe environment for a child’s birthday; or a gym or athletic field for a sporting event, Abrams can accommodate your needs and your budget. For more information on room rentals at Abrams Hebrew Academy, call (215) 493-1800 or e-mail info@abramsonline.org.
Check Your Child’s Assignments with Homework Now
Parents- all homework will be posted on-line by all teachers grades K-8 by Sunday evening each week.
Instructions for use of homeworknow.com:
Click on homeworknow.com
Click on Parent and Student
Click on find school
Click on Pennsylvania
Click on Abrams Hebrew Academy
Click on your child’s teacher
View homework assignments
Share Abrams News With Others
Is there a family member (such as a grandparent) or friend who would be interested in hearing about everything going on at Abrams? Sign them up for our e-mail list today! Please contact the Main Office.
Information about the Extra
Please submit any information to be considered for inclusion in the Extra to Dale Sattin, Director of Development & Communications: dsattin@abramsonline.org. (215) 493-1800 ext. 22 by
