Park Slope volunteer ambulance was kind enough to send three EMTs to give a demonstration at Magen David pre-school to promote safety awareness. The program was presented in a show and tell style to make the children comfortable when there’s an injury or an ambulance. The children got to become junior EMTs for a few hours.

This wonderful website showcases over 100 years of recorded Sephardic music, from the 78 rpm era to the present. It explores in detail the earliest Sephardic recordings, the artists that made them, and their repertory and performance practices. These early recordings tell a rich story of Sephardic musical life in the first half of the 20th century. The website also covers the second half-century of recorded Sephardic music, touching on the amazing outpouring of Sephardic recordings and the diverse performing styles used in each.

As the community continues to expand, more and more people are benefiting from having a Sephardic synagogue in downtown Manhattan. Joseph Kassin, a 21 year old senior studying at NYU lives just one block away from the synagogue. He said, “It’s been extremely convenient for me to have a community synagogue footsteps from my apartment and so close to all my classes. The daily minyanim and classes have been so beneficial. The holidays that I’ve spent in the synagogue, have all been exciting and memorable.

Rosh Hashanah

It is customary to sound the shofar and blow trumpets at the coronation of a king. Similarly, on Rosh Hashanah, we crown G-d as king over the universe and over each of us in particular. The shofar is also sounded to awaken people to repent and return to G-d. The shofar represents a simple outcry of a person who recognized his spiritual “poverty” and whose feelings cannot be contained in words.

Every parent knows the emotion attached to the question, “Where should I send my child to school?” There are so many concerns—the academics, pressures of a dual curriculum, the social aspect, school values, the quality and strength of friendships, and relationships between teachers and students. This decision is, most assuredly, not for the faint of heart.

A lovely way to celebrate and share the importance of the High Holidays with your little ones is to explore wonderful holiday stories with bright beautiful pictures depicting all that Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are about. There are many children’s books about the holidays and we’ve found some of the best.