Temple Emanu-El Couples Club installs new officers
At the recent 21st anniversary of Temple Emanu-El Couples Club, Nelda and Stan Golden installed the new slate of officers for 2010. New Officers are Joan and Malcolm Shwarts, presidents; Jeanne and Ronnie Isaacson presidents elect; Elaine and Bernie Weil and Linda and Bernie Goldman, co-vice presidents (Social); Blanche and Sol Weinberger and Sarah Yarrin and Jack Repp, co-vice presidents (Membership); Carole and Berry Cohen, secretaries; Sandra and Dan Gorman, treasurers; Renee and Buddy Gilbert, parliamentarians; Joyce and Jerry Zellman, sunshine; Frances Sue and Morton Schneider, publicity; Edie and Paul Singer, historians.
Everyone enjoyed dinner catered by Maggiano’s, and the music provided by Norma Valles. The Couples Club is a social club with the purpose to have an opportunity to make new friends and reconnect with past acquaintances. Couples with one person 50 or older interested in joining this club should call the membership vice presidents at 972-934-9681 or 214-361-0486.
Tzvi Eliezer Rich named winner of Artscroll drawing contest
Mazel Tov to Torah Day School of Dallas 8th grader, Tzvi Eliezer Rich, son of Rabbi Yaakov and Susan Rich who has been named the winner of Artscroll’s worldwide drawing contest.
The contest requirement was to think of a possible new book for Artscroll, and to create a book cover for it. Tzvi Eliezer chose to illustrate a cover for a book on the Holocaust called “Survivors: 50 Stories about People Who Survived.”
Artscroll’s Web site says that “The response to ArtScroll’s Write, Draw, and Win contest, for grades 1 – 8, was stupendous! With more than 1,260 creative and imaginative entries, from more than 100 schools around the world, it was a tough call for the judges – but we tried hard to pick the best of the best. We should all be proud of the great talent of the students in our schools.”
Ann and Nate Levine Academy offers cheerleading to youngsters
Cheerleading. Not a typical extracurricular activity at a Jewish day school—unless your school is Ann and Nate Levine Academy. This past school year, as part of its extensive Educare Program, (and through the summer months, as part of its Speciality Camp) Levine Academy offered its Lower School girls the opportunity to be part of a Cheerleading Squad. Under the experienced direction of Rhonda Adams, owner of PowerKids Sports & Fitness, and with the help of Levine Academy parent and teacher Nadine Gold and Levine Academy student Mikayla Lewison, the girls met once a week after the regular school day to learn cheers and choreography, and to prepare for the pep rallies they would lead throughout the sports seasons. Having started off with just eight girls in September, the squad swelled to 27 by the end of the year. It became such a favorite extracurricular activity that Levine Academy decided to continue the program through the summer in the form of a summer cheerleading camp. The word spread quickly to non-Levine Academy students who snapped up many of the 30 spaces; two of the three summer camp sessions are now full, with many children on the waiting list.
The cheerleading program is more than just cute uniforms, pom-poms, and megaphones. It is part of an overall approach to make physical activity – and all of the benefits derived from it – part of a child’s everyday life. “Cheerleading is a wonderful way for children of this age to cultivate such skills as strength, hand-eye coordination, balance and agility,” stated Adams. “And just as important, it is a great way for the girls to build self-confidence and self-esteem. It gives me such pleasure to see so many girls go from being too shy to perform at the first pep-rally to being front and center at the last pep-rally.”
Cheerleading is just one of the many exciting enrichment programs that Levine Academy offers to its students. This past year, children in the Early Childhood Center could attend such classes as drama, gymnastics, cooking, science, music, ballet, and martial arts. Beck Lower School students had the opportunity to participate in yoga, drama, art, music, sports, chess, computer, ballet, and improvisation. The school year culminated in the First Annual Educare Spring Review and Recital where the ballerinas, musicians, martial arts masters, and cheerleaders showed-off their talent. While no space is available for the June cheerleading camps, there are still a few spots available for the camp that runs from August 2 – 6. Contact Rachel Nicholas, camp director, at 972-248-3032, ext. 143 if you are interested in attending.
