November Newsletter (2008)
Message from the Principal and Educational Director of Bialik
Under the capable guidance of Mr. Yves Rouillard, our students launched the Green Initiative at Bialik High School this past month. A group of 40 students, led by a steering committee of five Secondary V students, planned, coordinated, and launched a well-designed program to educate, motivate, and mobilize the entire Bialik community to make our school environment viable for the future.
At a staff meeting last month, the students showed a compelling student-prepared PowerPoint presentation to share what they had learned as well as to share their short- and long-term goals. The official school-wide campaign began in the last week of October with grade-wide assemblies followed by a week of other “kick-off” activities. Longer-term educational activities include a short, documentary-style movie-making competition. Planning is also underway for fundraising activities that will help support the cost of supplies and equipment for sustaining “green behaviour." A variety of recycling bins have already been set up around the school, especially in the cafeteria, thanks in part to the generous donation from last year’s Junior Student Council’s fundraising efforts. Committed members of the Green Club are going through these bins on a regular basis to ensure that the content is correct.
We are all very proud of the students’ leadership and commitment to such a crucial endeavour, and we look forward to hearing more about their activities.
At the same time, we have a large group of students involved in the Human Promise, a student organization dedicated to improving the lives of the people in Darfur. Several Bialik students are leaders in this organization. As well, other Bialik students will be participating in a day-long conference this month to work on this initiative.
Through their actions, our students are demonstrating their understanding of tikun olam. We continue to be proud of and amazed by our students’ understanding of their obligations in this regard and by their astounding creativity and dedication when it comes to putting their ideas and commitments into action.
Elaine Wisenthal Milech
Message from the Principal and Educational Director of JPPS
דּוֹר הלֵךְ וְדוֹר בָּא וְהָאָרֶץ
לְעוֹלָם עמָדֶת
“One generation goes and another generation comes, but the earth remains forever.”
Ecclesiates 1:4
Judaism and ecology go hand in hand. There are many concepts in Judaism that are compatible with the environment, where humans have control over what they do and don’t do.
Not wasting without cause (bal taschlit): an obligation to “recycle, reduce, reuse” rather than discard. This mitzvah has its source in a prohibition against cutting down fruit trees in an effort to prevent forests from being destroyed.
Not causing undue pain to animals (tzaar ba’alei chaim): an obligation to feed livestock before ourselves. This mitzvah has its source in preventing man from destroying the habitats of countless species.
The Torah advocates taking responsibility for our actions and provides many examples throughout the Bible that illustrate the importance of accountability.
The quality of our environment affects all of us no matter where we live. It is important to develop environmental awareness and foster sensible action early in the lives of our students, at school as well as at home. Finding ways to teach the children of the next generation how to take care of the world should be a continuous lesson all year long instead of a one-day or one-week lesson in the year.
“Going green” has shone a new, well-deserved spotlight on our collective conscience. More than ever, we all have a responsibility to protect and use the whole planet on which we live in a way that will protect it for us, our children, and our grandchildren.
Adina Matas
Message from the Director of the JPPS Children’s Centre
We are very busy at the Children’s Centre, working on art projects for our third annual Art Vernissage. This exciting project is held in memory of Mackenzie Belson. “Mackie” was one our students, who passed away tragically more than two years ago. Each class chooses different famous artists, learns about their lives and styles of art, and then works on different projects. The results are unbelievable, and a good time is had by all. The final pieces of art are displayed at our first parent-teacher interviews, where the parents purchase their children’s art. All donations, raffle, and silent auction proceeds go directly to the Mack Belson Foundation.
As the weather changes, so does the music playing in the classes. Chanukah is approaching, and the children have begun to learn songs and dances for the upcoming festivities. Before too long, our halls will smell of latkes and other holiday treats.
We are starting to get excited about our upcoming move. The location is still top secret! We will soon be able to share our news with you. Stay warm and enjoy the season!
Randy Zucker
Message from JPPS Home and School Association
In celebration of the festival of Sukkot, the Home and Sand we gratefully thank our volunteers for all of their help.
Home and School has gone green! We chool Association provided honey cake and grape juice to all of the students. This was enjoyed in our succah!
Our Hot Lunch and Soup programs are running well, are no longer supplying plastic cutlery to the children; they are now being asked to bring their own cutlery from home. Our caterer has switched to using recyclable materials, and at our request, TCBY has changed their containers to recyclable ones.
H&S is once again funding the Art in Education Program, where, through art activities, the students will learn art history in French.
Finally, we will once again be organizing the annual JPPS Chanukah Party! It will take place on Sunday, December 7, 2008, from 1:00–4:00 at JPPS.
Marnie Mitnick Cohen JPPS ‘78
Message from the Bialik Home and School Association
Home and School began the New Year by serving honey cake to the whole school in celebration of Rosh Hashana. There is no better way to guarantee a sweet New Year!
During parent/teacher interviews, we sold calendars and Entertainment Books. As well, we were thrilled to begin selling gently used uniforms. Many heartfelt thanks are extended to Cindy Bercovitch, Kaden Behar, and Randee Gottlieb for their help.
We would also like to acknowledge everyone who donated their used uniforms. We will continue collecting them throughout the year, so please feel free drop them off at the school office. Always remember that all proceeds collected by the Home and School Association go directly back to the school.
If you have extra time and would like to become involved in the Home and School Association, please call Maura @ 514-497-5185.
Maura Hoppenheim Wajcman ‘82
A Very Healthy Headstart to Their Day
The excitement level was high on the cool morning of October 7, 2008. Jackets were hastily pulled on, mittens tucked into pockets, and the children were off! “I am so excited to buy carrots so my mom can make carrot cake!” said Garner Ross, a proud K3 student. Upon arriving at the market, French teacher Natalie Custeau led the children on a scavenger hunt for healthy fruits and vegetables. The white eggplants and five-pound, multi-coloured cauliflowers were favourites with all of the students. This was yet another one of the innovative and educational outings for which JPPS is known.
Amy Finkelstein JPPS ‘78, Advancement Manager
Green is the New Gold at JPPS-Bialik
The JPPS-Bialik Green Initiative is a project that is currently captivating the imagination of students and staff alike at all three schools. At Bialik, the key student leaders for this ambitious initiative are five Secondary V students who have refused to accept that their home away from home cannot be more eco-friendly. Yes, if you truly want to find some friendly looking chaps who will stare you down for not recycling, look no farther than Lara Berliner, Elissa Brock, Josh Bercovitch, Yoni Abres, and Sabrina Dabby. I recently had the opportunity to ask the five leaders their thoughts on the campaign.
“Our goal is to ultimately make everyone conscious of the effect that their lives have on the environment,” Josh explained as he detailed the raison-d’ètre of the initiative. Elissa took this concept a step further. She outlined that every day during the official kick-off week saw the school participate in an activity designed to raise collective awareness. One activity in particular was rather striking as a means to educate the masses: “We took all the garbage from lunch and showed everyone how many recyclable things were actually put in the trash. Many people were surprised.”
Lara explained that the Green Initiative is designed to be taken home to one’s family as well, which is an aspect that cannot be over-emphasized. It is one thing to be environmentally conscious during school hours; it is quite another to ensure that one’s own family subscribes to these ideas as well. That is why education is such a major aspect of the initiative. One must clearly explain and repeat that making the choice to compost and/or separate the different types of material for different types of recycling will indeed require added effort, but essentially, this is all a part of tikkun olam or (healing the world).
While Bialik has certainly started off on the right foot, the elementary school has been just as impressive. JPPS Vice-Principal Debra Michael has instituted a waste-free lunch program that will soon be the envy of all environmentally conscious schools. Already in effect is a bold new policy whereby paper cups and plastic cutlery are no longer available in the school. Parents must now supply their children with reusable material only. Perishable waste will be composted.
“I don’t know of any other school that does this,” Debra proudly exclaims.
Here’s hoping for many Green pastures in our collective futures!
David Smajovits ‘00
Ashkenaz ou Sepharad, Nous Sommes Tous Les Juives!
Yvonne Benyayer is known around Bialik for being a very businesslike French teacher. That’s precisely why, when the staff member of 23 years offered to open up her family sukkah for a class outing, everyone got excited.
“Tout est bien tombée” said Mme. Benyayer. In other words, on Thursday, the 16th of October, everything just simply came together, as her Secondary IV and V classes spent the relaxing last two periods of the day learning about Sukkot and bonding as schoolmates. Festival songs were sung, mouthwatering Sephardic food was eaten, and of course, valuable lessons were learned. Cycle 2 Vice Principal Louise Shiller and Director of Jewish Studies Daniel Rosenberg also gladly joined the students on the outing, while the rest of the administration lent their support to the initiative by organizing the buses for transportation.
We all know that Bialik High School is a preponderantly Ashkenazi school. Having said that, it only stands to reason that the rich Sepharadic culture permeating the minority of the JPPS-Bialik family has a difficult time expressing itself. Leave it to Mme. Benyayer to attempt to reverse that tide.
“C’etait tout un plasir, mais, what I really wanted to do,” Mme. Benyayer explains in her best “Franglais” (for my benefit only), “was to show everyone that I am a Sepharad and a Jew.” She feels that sometimes those not familiar with the Sepharad background have many questions and do not completely understand the many different customs belonging to their cousins. She says that Sepharadic Jews are sometimes “prejujé.” “By bringing people to my sukkah, I wanted to show everyone that ‘I am just like you, but with different customs.’ ” An important lesson indeed.
David Smajovits ‘00
Did you know……this year’s Open Houses were our best ever, with record-breaking attendance? We are growing!
JPPS-Bialik in the News
JPPS-Bialik loves seeing current and former students highlighted in the media. Here is this issue’s recap:
- The November 12th edition of the Suburban contained a large photo of the Bialik Choir performing at the Kristallnacht event at the Beth Israel Beth Aaron synagogue.
- The McGill News, McGill University’s alumni magazine, highlighted the fine work that Jonathan Mitchell ’95 has done as co-president of the McGill Young Alumni Association
- The November 6th edition of the Canadian Jewish News ran a story about a group bat mitzvah program taught by Samantha Druzin ‘02
- In the same November 6th edition of CJN, Yarden Holzer, from our most recent class of 2008, is mentioned for winning an award from the Jewish National Fund of Montreal for her outstanding work.
- The October 10th edition of the CJN had a nice feature detailing Evelyn Tauben ‘96’s wonderful “Faces of Israel” exhibition at the Emet Gallery at Congregation Dorshei Emet. The exhibition is on until January 5, 2009.
- The October 10th edition of the Gazette’s sports section published a full-length feature story on former Montreal Canadien Jose Theodore, written by Ben Raby ’01.
- In the Saturday, October 4, edition of the Gazette’s Life section, a nice write-up of Chef Shawna Goodman-Sone ’88’s cooking exploits was featured.
- On September 2nd, Erika Rath was featured in the Gazette in an article detailing her amazing near 100-pound weight loss. Mazel tov, Erika!
Way to go, JPPS-Bialik!
David Smajovits ‘00
Career Day: The World Is Your Oyster
What do a rabbi, a public relations intern with the Montréal Canadiens, a McGill medical student, a CTV news reporter, and a well-known local culinary personality all have in common? No, that line is not the opening to a bad joke, but just a part of the lineup of speakers that were present at Bialik’s Annual Career Day. Spearheaded by Bialik’s Guidance Department and the Education Committee, the morning of Thursday, November 6, could have very well changed the lives of more than 100 Secondary IV and V students, as the lasting message was one of trusting in oneself.
“Bob’s office is right down the hall from mine,” explained Daniel Smajovits ’03, to a class of amazed Secondary V students, clearly outlining an obvious perk for working with the team. The “Bob” that he refers to is, of course, Bob Gainey, the General Manager of the Montreal Canadiens,. While explaining that his daily routine includes putting together the press clippings and coordinating the media circus that defines Habs games, Daniel pointed out that he never really saw himself as a public relations intern for the Canadiens back in high school. Truthfully, he did not know what he wanted to be at all back in high school.
“I just loved to cook, and I knew that I could teach this to other people,” explained local celebrity chef Shawna Goodman ’88, as she addressed the wide-eyed class of Secondary IV students. In sum, Shawna’s message is to never give up on a dream. Oftentimes, parents, grandparents, and others may put pressure on students to choose a certain career path, with only the best intentions in mind. The majority of speakers, however, underlined the point that success is the result of the individual’s inner drive and motivation to succeed, and this will only occur if and when the individual is happy with what he or she chooses to do in life.
Natalie Elbaz ‘96 knows this only too well. The daughter of a family of doctors, this Bialik alumna is as stubborn as she is brilliant. She explained that, several years ago, she knew full well that she would have disappointed her family by attending law school instead of medical school; she actually refrained from disclosing that she was at law school until after her first week! “They were very upset at first,” she admited, but she was sure that she was on the right path.
While this communications officer does not endorse hiding the truth from one’s parents, he does wholeheartedly agree that Career Day was a total success, and Bialik students definitely have outstanding role models to look up to.
Full list of speakers:
- Sean Sztern (Finance - Desjardins)
- Adam Cieply (3rd yr. Law McGill)
- Audra Libman (nutritionist)
- Lily Harrison (aspiring restauranteur
- Cindy Sherwin (CFCF reporter)
- Stephanie Finkelstein (speech lang. Pathologist)
- Daniel Blumer (John Molson School of Business)
- Josh Weinstein (engineer)
- Ann Lang (CBC reporter)
- Ron Varga (physiotherapist)
- Lauren Katz (medical school McGill)
- Jason Martin (1st yr. Law U of M)
- Samantha Saks (3rd yr. Physiology student - McGill)
- Rabbi Jacobson (Chevra Kadisha)
- Nathalie Elbaz (practicing lawyer and new mom)
- Jason Prizant (entrepreneur)
- Gilad Ben Shach (3rd year Math/Physics McGill)
- Daniel Smajovits (student and Canadiens PR intern)
- Jason Magder
(Journalist at Gazette) - Bryan Solloway (Pol.Sci./Sociol at Concordia 3rd yr)
The following people were indispensable resources for the event:
- Karen Byer (Education Committee)
- Anat Gerstein (Education Committee)
- Debra Mayers (Education Committee)
- Cindy Bercovitch (Education Committee)
- Leonie Richler (Bialik Guidance Department
David Smajovits ‘00
Sports News at Bialik
- A hearty congratulations goes to our juvenile boys touch football team. They defeated West Island College and won GMAA GOLD on October 30, 2008!!!!
- Our Bialik Soccer teams made us proud at the JISA Soccer tournament.
Here are the results:
- Bantam Boys: Silver Medal
MVP: Brody Hoppenheim - Bantam Girls: Gold Medal
MVP: Samantha Leibgott - Juvenile Boys: Silver Medal
MVP: Dylan Weiss - Juvenile Girls: Gold Medal
MVP: The Entire Team
Kristallnacht
On Monday, November 7, at the Beth Israel Beth Aaron synagogue, the community-wide annual Kristallnacht commemoration was held. This year marks the 70th anniversary of The Night of Broken Glass.
On one night in 1938, over 200 synagogues and thousands of Jewish businesses were shattered and set aflame by the spark that would burst into flame as the Holocaust. The commemoration service for Kristallnacht is always meaningful, but this year it was especially passionate, and even inspiring. There was a wash of young faces among the older crowd. Bialik’s Yiddish choir contributed beautifully to the tone of the evening. Tehilim was sung gracefully by Moriel Shahin.
We were fortunate to hear from a survivor, Charlotte Lintzel; the Consul General of Israel, Mr. Yoram Elron; Rabbi Poupko; and Professor Weinstock from the University of Montreal. They spoke with grief and heartbreak but also with proud intensity and a call for action. Each speaker helped to put into context the importance of remembering Kristallnacht, even while living in the security of Canada today. They stressed the importance of Jewish pride and unity and our power to strive for the future by carrying with us our past.
As the commemorative candles glowed and light encompassed the synagogue, the community sang together. First Kaddish, mourning all we have lost, and then O Canada and Hatikvah, signifying our present good fortune and graciously looking towards the future.
Danielle Sochaczevski ‘10
Bialik Expansion Campaign
Mezuzah Campaign Update
As you have undoubtedly already heard, to celebrate the completion of Phase I of Bialik’s Expansion and with Phase II well underway, we are offering the naming rights to every mezuzah in the school.
This is a first-come, first-served opportunity that can’t be missed. There is no better way to honour or memorialize a loved one. There is no better way to say “thank you” than by naming a specially designed mezuzah on your child’s classroom door in honour of the teacher that changed your child’s life, or maybe even yours!
We are also auctioning off the naming rights to the main front door entrance and the door to the new Athletics and Performing Arts Centre on the world’s most famous and most trusted online auction website, Ebay. The deadline is Friday, November 28, 2008.
To date, we have generated $45,126, with over 20 mezuzot sold. The Bialik Expansion Campaign has now raised $2,579, 135 towards our immediate minimum goal of $3 million dollars. Remember, we can avoid a tuition fee increase associated with the expansion if we achieve this goal!
We encourage you to take the opportunity to leave a tangible legacy in support of Bialik’s expansion. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact amy.f@jppsbialik.ca.
- Handcrafted needle-point mezuzot made by JPPS-Bialik students.
- Customized mezuzot for donors at the highest levels
- Plaques to commemorate a loved one who has passed, a graduating year, a favourite teacher or staff person, or just to leave your mark!
- Prices start at just $1,800 for a classroom mezuzah!
- All gifts may be paid in installments over five years
Amy Finkelstein JPPS ‘78, Advancement Manager
Mitchell Fogel
Alumnus of the Month
The Bialik Alumni of the Month space has previously featured the likes of a famous television personality and a doctor who has won prestigious awards. This month, Bialik is proud to honor an alumnus who has worked tirelessly at a craft that rarely, if ever, receives public accolades in spite of its inherent difficulty and incredibly long hours. Bialik is proud to bestow this month’s Alumni of the Month honour to Mitchell Fogel ’00, CA.
“You know, only 459 people actually passed their CA exams in 2007 in Quebec,” Mitch told me when I inquired about the academic process one needs to follow in order to become a chartered accountant. When you consider the sheer volume of people graduating from various programs in different fields, one must take a step back to realize that, at the ripe old age of 25, Mitch’s accomplishments have been extraordinary.
Currently working for the accounting firm PSB Boisjoli in Montreal, Mitch followed a very impressive path towards his current career. After attending Solomon Schechter Academy and Bialik High School, Mitch chose to enrol at Dawson College, where he graduated on the Dean’s List in the Commerce program. Following CEGEP, the next step was McGill University, where he continued to excel academically in the Honours Accounting program. He later received his Graduate Diploma in Public Accountancy, which then enabled him to begin the year-long process that culminated with his passing his CA exams and receiving his CA certification. Moreover, Mitch accomplished all of his graduate school tasks while working at the accounting firm.
“There was no way I could have gotten that far without math teachers like Adele Balinksy and Paula Cohen (both since retired from teaching) at Bialik, who challenged me when I was younger. Bialik always made me feel like I was a part of a special community. I always enjoy telling people where I went to high school. I didn’t realize it back then, but Bialik really gave me the proper background to succeed, not just in academics, but also things like social skills.” Having myself graduated with Mitch in the class of 2000, I can also attest to what Mitch said next: “I made my best friends at Bialik too. My life today really is the way it is because of my five high school years.”
On the heels of this past month’s highly successful career day at Bialik, Mitch offered the following sage advice for those still unsure as to where their careers would take them: “When I was at Bialik, I still wanted to be a baseball player or professional athlete, like pretty much every kid. My life motto has always been that ‘you will definitely regret things that you don’t try,’ so I tried being a ball player, and that obviously didn’t work out. After putting in a lot of effort in science classes, I also quickly knew that I wasn’t going to become a scientist. But I did have a knack for business and math, and I knew that if I pushed myself academically as much as possible, I would succeed.”
Yes, Mitchell Fogel is most definitely a Bialik success story of whom we all ought to be proud.
David Smajovits ‘00
Lords of the Dance
For Lia Elbaz and Ariel Sterlin, Christmas can’t come soon enough. No, these girls currently in Secondary II and Secondary III, respectively, aren’t planning a cruise to Alaska; they are performing in Les Grands Ballets Canadiens’ annual production of The Nutcracker at Places des Arts! Reserved only for ballet’s top dancers, performing for Les Grands Ballets Canadiens definitely marks an incredible achievement for these budding dancing superstars.
“I’m so excited,” says Lia, who has been practising ballet for nine years. The Nutcracker shows will mark her very first Place Des Arts performance. Eleven-year dancing veteran Ariel is slated to dance at Place Des Arts with Les Grands Ballets for the fifth time and even has the part of “a mouse” on her CV.
As someone who knew virtually nothing about what it takes to reach this pinnacle, I emerged from this interview thoroughly impressed. While it was fascinating to learn that training for The Nutcracker is a ten-week process with intense two-hour practice sessions on Thursdays and, moreover, that the only language of instruction is French, the absolute most impressive fact about these girls was the level of competition that they faced in order to land their roles in the production. The majority of dancers who audition (around 60 in total) are those who attend specialized dancing schools. In other words, while Lia and Ariel learn Yiddish and Tanach here at Bialik and still make the cut, their competition has the added advantage of actually going to day school for ballet! How impressive is that?
“I love the performing aspect of it; we also get to make a lot of new friends,” Ariel says, beaming. Well, we here at JPPS-Bialik love that you love it. You can catch this dynamic duo at the aforementioned Place des Arts December 13–30 for a total of nine shows. If you are curious (as I was), the two can be seen on top of the “grand Christmas tree” at the opening of Act Two.
David Smajovits ‘00
We’re 36!
We at Bialik High School love telling everyone how exceptional our school is. In this newsletter, we are especially thrilled to announce that the official report from the Fraser Institute has bumped our rankings up from 40th out of 474 in the previous report to 36th out of 474 high schools in Quebec! To make this even more impressive, one must understand that students at Bialik reach their high levels of academic excellence in spite of a program that is more demanding than other schools—Hebrew, Tanach, Yiddish, anyone?
Mazel tov, Bialik!
For much more information concerning how the rankings are established and to see Bialik’s stats in comparison with the 474 other high schools in the province, please log onto:
http://www.fraserinstitute.org/reportcards/schoolperformance/schooldisplay.aspx?id=QCS404503
David Smajovits ‘00
“We’re thinking about Yiddish…”
JPPS-Bialik has always placed a premium on learning Yiddish, as we deeply understand the connection that the language has to our history as a people and also to our own individual family histories. Miranda Tuwaig, a 2008 graduate and current Health Sciences student at Dawson College, felt so passionately about the importance of learning Yiddish that she wrote a valedictory speech so impressive that a Yiddish publication called Yiddishe Heften or Les Cahiers Yiddish, all the way in France, decided to publish it in its entirety! Wow!
While our brief space here does not allow for a complete reproduction of the entire speech, the following paragraph perfectly sums up the overall message:
“My Zaidye knew six languages: Spanish, Yiddish, English, Russian and more. But now he has Alzheimer’s and can’t remember them. He often mixes them up. However every Friday night, we have Shabbat dinner with the family and sometimes I sing him a Yiddish song. I don’t know how, but when I sing, it reminds him of his life before and he starts telling us stories about himself. He also starts singing the songs that he sang when he was little. One of the best parts about singing the songs is also his big smile and when he takes my hand and even laughs. This is what Yiddish means to me. I am sure that each one of you have your own special meaning of Yiddish in your families.”
David Smajovits ‘00
A Piano with a JPPS Pedigree
A Heintzman piano from the 1930s has been generously donated by two brothers, Mathew and Jonathan Morton, JPPS-Bialik graduates from 1993 and 1998, respectively. They are pleased that it will find a home at JPPS, because it originally belonged to their late great-grandmother, Esther Sirota-Breitman (1900-1983), herself a JPS graduate, whose daughter Dorothy Morton was also a JPPS graduate as well as a McGill music professor. Both Matthew and Jonathan have fond memories of their music classes at JPPS.
Matthew moved to Toronto recently, where he is a physician, and Jonathan works in IT here in Montreal. While neither pursued a career in music, their continued appreciation for it made giving up the piano difficult, especially since it had been in their family for so many generations. That JPPS students will now enjoy the instrument has made parting with it the right thing to do.
Elizabeth H. Kennell, Director of Advancement
Your Opinions Count! Here’s the Chance You’ve Been Waiting For!
An important way for us to ensure that JPPS-Bialik is headed in the right direction is by gaining your perspective. We are thrilled to be taking part in the launch of a new parent survey coordinated through PEJE, the Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education, to assess our school.
The purpose of the parent survey is to:
- Measure our performance and perceived quality
- Create benchmarks against which to measure future performance
- Provide input into our process of continuous improvement and planning
Next month, you will receive an email inviting you to take the survey during the week of February 2–13, 2009. I want to stress the importance of your participation. Our goal is a 100% response rate to ensure that we hear all parent voices. The data collection, analysis, and reporting will be handled by an independent third party, Measuring Success, that works with PEJE to develop tools for Jewish day schools to measure their performance.
We encourage you to tell us what you think we’re doing right, what we can improve on, and what is important to you. Your input is valuable information, and we fully intend to act upon the results of this survey. If you don’t tell us, we’ll never know!
Stay tuned!
Laurence Fhima, Chief Operating Officer
JPPS—Leading and Lighting the Way for Others
“And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the nations, that my salvation may be unto the of the earth.”
Chapter ISAIAH XLIX, Verse 6
At JPPS, our ultimate goal is to send less total waste to the landfills. This, in our estimation, is even better than simply recycling. In order to do so, the entire JPPS community is invited to embrace our Green Initiative, which we hope will mark a major paradigm shift in all our thought processes. Building on environmental projects from previous years, such as our Grade 4 environmental initiative, “Unless…,” we want to work with staff, students, parents, and the Home & School, together with Bialik, in order to strengthen and multiply the overall impact.
New Initiatives This Year
Waste-Free Lunch
We are very excited about our pilot “Waste-Free Lunch” project. The goal here is to do just what the title says—completely eliminate all the waste created from the students’ daily lunches. We will do this by:
- Recycling appropriate materials
- Eliminating all plastic cutlery
- Composting all perishables
- Returning all the rest home. We hope that students share what they have learned at school with their parents.
We will begin to focus on other areas of the school once the lunchroom is well maintained.
Paperless Environment
What would any Green Initiative be without a substantial decrease in the amount of paper used by the school? To this end, we have taken the following concrete steps:
- The use of FirstClass BackPack and Teacher areas has eliminated the use of paper in many parent-student communications.
- Electronic report cards have further reduced the amount of paper used by the school. All of this adds up to money saved for the school.
Education
We cannot become overnight experts in this field, but to ensure that everyone learns all they need to over time, we are instituting the following measures to ensure the long-term success of our initiative.
- Regular eco assemblies will be held to review our progress and to learn new ways to reduce our environmental footprint
- We encourage change in day-to-day patterns. Even using 30 seconds’ less water every day can help make a big difference over time.
- We ask students to bring lunch in reusable containers. This also saves money and reduces a substantial amount of waste!
- We keep permanent reusable forks and spoons on hand—even on hot lunch days. In case your child is without one, he or she can rest assured that the environmental policies will not be violated.
- We motivate students to take a leading role and encourage peers to make a difference. The earlier our children grasp the real significance of the environmental problems, the better off we will be.
There is no reason why every single child cannot be a leader among his or her peers and household.
Building-Wide Changes
Surely all of the above would not have the same impact should the building itself not be subjected to an environmental upgrade. Our building has indeed been evaluated, and the recommendations have been given to the appropriate people responsible. As of now, we are in the process of upgrading our systems in order to reduce our lighting and heating consumption. Expect a further update next newsletter.
The JPPS Team
Calling All Volunteers!
This year’s Gala (Concert) will take place on April 2, 2009, and it promises to be an evening to remember!
Many exciting and innovative ideas have been brought up, and we would love to share them with you! As always, we need volunteers to help plan the event. As we all know, it takes a great team to make a great gala! Please contact amy.f@jppsbialik.ca if you are able and willing to join us. We would love to see you at our next meeting!
Joanna Yufe Naimer ’91 and Steve Stein,
Co-chairs, Gala 2009
October’s Menschen of the Month
Mazel tov to the following students:
Secondary 1: Julie Flinker, Sarah Shtern, Leah Friedman, Brandon Baran-Goldwas, Nathalie Bruck
Secondary 2: Noah Siegal-London, Tara Greenwald, Yuval Almog, Rebecca Battat, Kyra Tuwaig
Secondary 3: Gabriel Steinberg, Jonathan Schneidman, Elad Holzer, Leah Almakias
Secondary 4: Daniel Aintabi, Marlee Rozansky, Richard Nashman, Richard Lupovitch, Aaron Gluck-Thaler
Secondary 5: Alon Azimov, Tal Barsheshat, Adam Eliesen, Rosie Behar, Gabrielle Ohayon, Jordan Slapcoff
Bialik High School Theatre Presents
The Merger, adapted by Anisa Cameron, & 7 Stories by Morris Panych
For Immediate Release
Bialik High School Theatre is proud to present an evening of one-act shows on December 2nd and 3rd, 2008. Bialik Theatre will present two modern comedies with a common connection. The shows boast 24 Bialikers from grades 7 through 11. We hope you can come and support tomorrow’s stars today!
The Merger, adapted by Anisa Cameron from a one act play by A. A. Milne: The Merger is a fairy tale set amid the corporate world. Facing a market meltdown and financial ruin, King and Company and Prince Industries must 
merge to keep their businesses from bankruptcy. Camelia King, the heir apparent for King and Company, must marry Simon Prince of Prince Industries to ensure the merger is successful. The only problem is, they've never met, and Camelia is not, "technically speaking," beautiful (due to a curse her great aunt placed on her when she was born). Will she win Simon's hand in marriage despite her misfortune? If her parents have anything to say about it, of course she will! Trickery, True Love and a mysteriously missing secretary!
7 Stories: A modern surreal comedy by one of Canada’s brightest playwrights, Morris Panych, 7 Stories searches for deep answers to questions about the meaning of life amid a cast of bizarre and memorable characters. A person clings to the ledge of the seventh storey of an apartment building, determined to leap off. Through interactions with the various, interesting tenants of the building, will he change his mind about how bleak life is, or will he be encouraged to jump?
Directed by: Anisa Cameron
Asst. Director: Josh Patton
Set/lighting designer and technical director: Chris O’Neil
Assistant Stage Manager: Samantha Hackel-Butt (Bialik Alum 2006)
Starring: Alon Azimov, Tal Barshashat, Rosie Behar, Sara Behar, David Benrimoh, Noam Blauer, Matthew Brownstein, Riva Bruck, Baily Cohen-Krichevsky, Cheryl Gabbay, Rebecca Luger, Jonathan Mashaal, Einav Ne’Eman, Shaun Nishmas, Gaby Ohayan, Michael Rappaport, Michelle Rubin, Noam Shalev, Zachary Silberberg, Jesse Stein, Ariel Sterlin, Sacha Weil, Daniel Witkowski
Shows:
Preview Show December 2nd at noon. If you are a school group or community group interested in attending the preview for free, please contact Diane at ddk@bialikmtl.ca
December 2nd and 3rd, 2008 at 7:15 p.m.
$12 per ticket.
Location:
Bialik High School,
6500 Kildare Rd.,
Cote St Luc, Quebec
For information please call 514-223-2736 or email Diane at ddk@bialikmtl.ca.
Homecoming Sponsors
We also wish to thank Howard Dubrovsky ’96 and Nitai Friedman ’77. We could not have done it without you!
Donors
The following individuals and organizations have made donations to JPPS-Bialik from September 20, 2008, to November 18, 2008. As promised, these donors will also be included in a year-end listing according to their level of giving in the JPPS-Bialik annual report. We wish to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who has helped facilitate JPPS-Bialik's role in nurturing Jewish identity and culture while continually pursuing cutting-edge competitiveness marked by acadmic rigor and excellence.
- Lisa Goldschleger Adams '83
- Barry and Heidi Adler
- Aecon
- Mr. Jason Agulnik '88
- Mr. and Mrs. Michael Atkin
- Richard Azoulay and Elizabeth Flam Azoulay
- Mrs. Jodi Bager
- Dr. and Mrs. Natan Behar
- Benattar Equities Inc.
- Mr. Albert Benattar
- Mr. and Mrs. Allan Benchetrit
- Ms. Sandya Benoist '88
- Yvonne Benyayer
- Mr. Marc Benzacar '88
- Irwin and Cynthia Bercovitch
- Ms. Stacey Bernstein '83
- Harvey and Brenda Blatt
- Mr. Jamie Blatt '83
- Richard and Julie Blatt
- Mr. David Bloom '83
- Mrs. Lorraine Bloom
- Richard and Naomi Blumer
- Mr. Randi Boyer '88
- Mr. Elijah Breder '88
- Elizabeth Ann Brinberg
- Mr. and Mrs. Eli Brosh
- Issie and Eileen Burbela
- Nissen Chackowicz and Dr. Deborah Cohen
- Ms. Stacey Chandler '88
- Ms. Tracy Cherow '88
- Mr. Howard Codas '88
- Mrs. Deborah Cohen
- Ms. Lori Cohen '83
- Mr. Myron Cohen
- Orit Sarah Cohen
- Shelley Cohen JPPS '69
- Mr. Daniel Collier '88
- Robert and Giovanna Cooperman
- Samuel Dalfen '83 and Sandy Surkis
- Mr. and Mrs. Peter Dascal
- Albert Demers
- Stephane and Ellen Demers
- Ms. Ruth Dorenfeld '84
- Marty Dorfman and Cindy Pellatt
- Garry Kallos and Diane Dupuis-Kallos
- Edith Lando Charitable Foundation
- Mr. Stuart Eiley '83
- Edmond and Suzanne Elbaz
- Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Elias
- Hanna Eliashiv
- Michael and Liane Eliesen Michael and Liane Eliesen (NTD Apparel Inc.)
- Mrs. Ruth Eliesen
- Marc and Lori-Ann Elman
- Mrs. Joy Epstein '83
- Mr. Jeffrey Erez '88
- Estate of Lawrence Bessner
- Mr. and Mrs. Barry Fagen
- Mr. Lee A. Feldman '83
- Mr. Leslie Fenster '88
- Mark and Marcie Fergenbaum
- Ms. Heidi Aronoff Feuerman '83
- Ms. Hindi Fisher '88
- Ms. Shawna Fleischer '88
- Mrs. Rona Fogel
- Fondations Colossol Cie Ltee (Les)
- Ms. Joanne Fox '83
- Aviyam Friedman '81
- Mrs. Debbie Friedman
- Ms. Maureen Frumkin '83
- Ms. Lynnie Garfinkle '88
- Mr. Geoffrey J. Gelber
- Geo. Weiner Inc.
- Steven and Alyssa Glazer
- Globe Metal Recycling Service Inc.
- Michael and Wendy Goldwax
- Mr. and Mrs. Marven Goodman
- Morris & Rosalind Goodman Family Foundation
- Deborah Goodman Davis '80, David Goodman '81, Jonathan Goodman '84, Shawna Goodman Sone '88
- Mrs. Marla Goodman-Stutman '88
- Neil Gordon and Dr. Aida Gordon
- Anita and Ron Gottesman
- Dr. Roland Grad '77 and Corine Capdevielle
- Ms. Lisa Greenberg '88
- Mr. Michael Greenberg '88
- Mrs. Anna-Sue Greenberg
- Ms. Donna Greenspon '88
- Bram GrossMr. and Mrs. Leslie Groszman
- Mr. Yosif Grunberg '88
- Victor and Rita Guindi
- Robert and Ingrid Gurman
- Steve ’84 and Debbie Gurman
- Audrey Harari
- Dr. Ryan L. Heisler '85
- Clifford and Sharon Herer
- Ms. Tina Hirsh '83
- Ms. Stephanie Hutman '88
- Mrs. Irene Itcush
- Ms. Jordana Jacobson '88
- Jewish Community Foundation of Montreal donors
- Denny Josepovici and Ronit Ziegler
- Ronith Ziegler
- Dr. Michael Kapusta
- Mr. Ryan Katofsky '83
- Mr. Andrew Kay
- Mr. Eric Kimmel '88
- Gary Kimmel
- Bart and Bonnie Kitner
- Mr. Yosi Knecht '88
- Marc and Lisa Knobovitch
- Mr. Dana Kobernick '83
- Ms. Sandra Kogan '83
- Ingrid Kon
- Mr. Michael Konyves '88
- Ms. Ingrid Kovitch '83
- Harvey Kreisman JPPS '57
- Ms. Sheryl Kreisman '88
- Lorne and Bonnie Kronish
- Stephen '77 and Rona Kucer
- Mr. Sammy Lackman '88
- Mr. Jonathan Lander '88
- Mrs. Robin Lassner '88
- Mr. David Lazar '83
- Mrs. Franceen Lenoff
- Mark '85 and Candice Levine
- Mr. Douglas Levitt '88
- Ms. Jodi Lieberman '88
- Mr. and Mrs. Roni Dabora
- Mitchell and Randi Litwin
- Ms. Leiba Long
- Larry and Lydia Long
- Steven and Glenda Lubotta
- Marsha Lustigman
- Allen Majnemer '77 and Heidi Gossack Majnemer '79
- Suzanne Mann
- Joseph and Pearl Maritzer
- Ms. Marnie Mars '88
- Dr. Orly Mashal
- Ms. Marjorie Mayers '83
- John Mendelson JPPS ’77 and Miriam Bercovitch '82
- Mr. Andrew Merling '83
- Mr. and Mrs. Brian Miller
- Ms. Elana Miller '83
- Mr. and Mrs. Guiseppe Minichiello
- Lisa Bidner
- Ms. Susan Mittelman
- Mr. and Mrs. Howard Modlin
- Mrs. Alison Anisef
- Matt and Debby Newpol (Metromec Inc.)
- Mr. Lawrence Nyveen '83
- Mr. Shawn Payne '88
- Ms. Diane Pinsky '83
- Ms. Beth Prosterman '83
- Mr. Allan Ptack '83
- Ms. Alisa Quint '88
- Ms. Gayle Clayman Rabinovitch '88
- Mr. Neil Rabinovitch '83
- Dr. Benjamin Raby '88
- Mr. Mitchell Radowitz '88
- Ms. Bridget Sachs Rappaport '83
- Mr. and Mrs. Eric Rappaport
- Barry Rashkovan '79
- Mr. David Rashkovan '83
- Mr. Danny Ritter '88
- Mr. Danny Robibo '88
- Ms. Kelli Roiter '88
- Robin Rosen
- Mr. Lenny Rosenberg
- Mr. and Mrs. Jason Rosenthal '83
- Mr. Jaimie Roskies '83
- Mr. Warren Ross '88
- Ms. Kimberley Rothenberg '88
- Richard and Deborah Rubin
- Ms. Rhonda Rudick '88
- Mr. Peter Rusk '83
- Ms. Farla Fleming Russo '83
- Ms. Karen Rutenberg '83
- Sacks Enterprises Inc.
- Sari and Jeff Sacks
- Dr. and Mrs. Danny S. Samra
- Trifon and Julie Saros
- Mr. Avi Satov
- Michael and Frederica Savelson
- Savite Construction Inc.
- Mr. Jonathan Scheffer '88
- Shirley Schneider
- Andrew and Robin Schwartz
- Mr. and Mrs. Joel Segal '80
- Ms. Randi Sheftman '83
- Ms. Sari Sheiner '83
- Mr. Neal Sherman '88
- Ms. Cynthia Sherwin '83
- Mr. Yona Shtern '79
- Ms. Heidi Shuster '83
- Mrs. Karen Sigman
- Mr. Bruce Silcoff '83
- Ms. Sally Sima Singal
- Mr. Steven Small '88
- Mrs. Lorna Smith
- Mr. Jeff Solomon
- Mr. Danny Steinberg '83
- Ms. Gillian Steinberg '88
- Mr. Maxine Steinberg '83
- Sandor and Robin Steinberg
- Mr. Sid Stermer
- Richard Stern '87 and Marnie Zigman
- Ms. Roberta Strulovitch '87
- TCBY Yogourt
- Mr. Kelley Torchin '88
- Mr. Robert Tucker '88
- Daniel and Laurie Turner (D.L. Turner Consultants)
- Mr. Charles Wachsberg '83
- Mr. Richard Wachsberg '83
- Mr. Sarah Wajcmann '83
- Mrs. Helen Wajs
- Mr. Avi Wallerstein '83
- Ms. Linda Waserman
- Ms. Jordana Wax '88
- Ms. Karen Wellen '88
- Mr. and Mrs. Louis Wilk
- Ms. Lyanne Winikoff '88
- Mr. Mark Winkler '88
- Ms. Lynn Wright '83
- Brian and Jaquie Young
- Mr. Sean Young '88
- Ms. Stephanie Zack '88
- Mr. Simon Zinger '88
- Esther Hadida
- Lawrence ’76 and Janet Zoltak
- Mr. Marvin Zwikler '83
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