Schechter Shavua Purim Edition! March 1, 2021

Purim, Schechter-Style!

The Rabbis taught “Mi she’nichnas Adar, marbin b’simcha.”  When Adar-the month that brings us Purim-arrives, our happiness increases. On Friday, we celebrated the joyous holiday of Purim in school.

Besides all of the excitement that takes place during the reading of the megillah and other celebrations on Purim, a large measure of that Adar joy comes from helping others who are less fortunate than we are. In observance of the mitzvah of matanot la’evyonim (giving gifts to those in need) we collected tzedakah for the month and we completed two different projects to help others. Our EC and Middle School students made toiletry packages, and our Lower School students put together snack bags, all of which will be donated to the Bridge Family Center, located here in West Hartford. A little background about The Bridge:

The Bridge was founded in 1969 to meet the needs of West Hartford community youth who were engaged in high-risk behavior, especially substance abuse, and who were getting into trouble with the law. Over the next few years, the Bridge expanded its outreach efforts, opened a shelter for runaway and homeless youth, and began to work directly with schools.  Today the Bridge is a comprehensive, regional nonprofit agency offering a broad range of services to children, youth, and families in the Greater Hartford area, with particular attention to serving those at risk. Schechter is proud to be supporting the Bridge as part of our Purim celebration.

Families generously contributed both travel and full size items including hand lotion, chapstick, toothbrushes/toothpaste,shampoo and/or conditioner, hair brushes and combs, deodorant, nail polish, and shaving cream as well as a tasty assortment of non-perishable foods and drink boxes that make great snacks. These packages will go a long way to support the children, youth, and families at The Bridge!

And, continuing with our annual Purim tradition, during our Megillah readings (which took place on Zoom this year), students drowned out the name of Haman by performing another mitzvah!  Each child brought in a box of kosher macaroni and cheese or plain pasta to use as a ra’ashan (noise maker) during the reading of the Megillah. After the reading, the ra’ashanim were collected to be donated to the Anja Rosenberg Kosher Food Pantry.  

Of course, Purim wouldn’t be complete without costumes! 

We appreciate that our Schechter families have taken the time to support our efforts to integrate tikkun olam (repairing the world) right here in our own community into our holiday celebration!  

Lastly, where would we be without our favorite Purim tradition... the beautiful Mishloach Manot assembled by our dedicated Parent Association!! A tremendous thanks to Mishloach Manot coordinator Rachel Glantz and PA President Karen Tuvin, along with their fantastic team of packers and drivers! This project is one that the entire greater Hartford Jewish Community looks forward to each year, and we are so appreciative of the hard work and dedication that goes into it.

For photos of this joyful celebration click HERE!

Join Us to Celebrate 50 Years of Schechter!

Solomon Schechter Day School is proud to be celebrating our 50th anniversary this year! We are kicking off the festivities with a virtual celebration on Sunday, March 14th from 8:00pm to 9:00pm. The event will feature comedian Joel Chasnoff, distinguished speakers, and more. Please click HERE for sponsorship information and tickets. For questions, contact Sherri G. Pliskin, Director of Development at 860-561-0700 or spliskin@ssds-hartford.org. 

Join us for Project Passover

Got Passover on your mind? Schechter's got you covered for Passover-themed projects and fun for families with young children! Through Project Passover, Schechter provides hands-on creative Passover activities for children ages birth to four, delivered to your doorstep. Free and open to the community. RSVP HERE by March 12, 2021 to get your activity delivered on March 16 or 17. Questions: contact Karen at kshakun@ssds-hartford.org.