Dvar Torah: VayeshavIn our Parasha, Parashat Vayeshav, we read about the unbelievable and famous story of Yosef and his brothers. After returning to the Land of Israel, the children of Yaakov grew up together, but it seemed as though Yaakov had favorites. The Torah tells us that Yaakov “favored his son Yosef” and that “he made him a colored coat”. The story continues with the dreams of Yosef in which his brothers bow down to him, which led to their jealousy and hatred. Eventually, some of the brothers considered removing Yosef by throwing him in a pit and eventually by selling Yosef as a slave to Egypt.

The main question that arises from this story is what made the brothers hate their younger brother Yosef so much? How could the brothers come to hate Yosef to the extent that they wanted to get rid of him and lie to their father that a beast had eaten him?

Our rabbis have contemplated the reason why the brothers hated Yosef so much. One of their main explanations was that the brothers thought one son would be the "chosen one" over the others. The brothers learned from history that it is always only one son that is chosen to spread the message of G-d. It was Yitzchak to be chosen over Ishmael and Yaakov over Esav. Yosef,

on the other hand, knew that this time, a family and a nation would be chosen and that from there on it would be a group effort - the work of the entire nation; the children of Israel.

The brothers of Yosef thought it is zero or one - them or him. That is the reason they tried to “get rid of him”. The miraculous story of the survival of Yosef going from a slave to the deputy of the Pharaoh showed that this time the story is different. When Yosef met the brothers (in the next parashah) they started to realize that now they need to work as a family and not as individuals that compete with each other. From that moment the mission is not of the individual but it is the mission of the Yaakov’s entire family that will become the people of Israel.

We can learn from this story that great goals cannot be achieved by only one person, but by an entire group of people working together. From the experiences of these brothers, we can see that it is not by competition and rivalry but by collaboration that big missions and destinies can be completed.

Shabbat Shalom!

Rachel Cohen Grade 10

Elsa High School Newsletter www.carmel.edu.hk

Term 1 Edition 1530 November 2018 - 22 Kislev 5779

Watch this week's video about Professional Development

youtu.be/Wem-GaAQjx4

We, RobotElsa High School Robotics Team secure HKU PhD mentors in their journey to competing at this years FIRST Robotics Competition

Last week I went to the HKU Robotics Lab to recruit some engineering mentors for Prism, the Elsa High School Robotics Team. In the lab, they had lots of advanced equipment and resources. In particular, there was an advanced 3D printer that was able to print a scaled down and detailed model of the heart. This print was special in that it was printed with a mix of different materials, making it feel like a real heart and it was eye-opening to see what is possible to achieve given the right equipment.

After chatting with a professor responsible for the lab, he referred me to two current PhD students. I explained to them that FIRST Robotics Competition is an international robotics competition in which over 3,000 teams worldwide compete every year, and showed them clips and photos from our previous competition, including our robot. They told me that they think this competition is at Undergraduate level, and the time constraints we are facing make it even harder than the current Undergraduate level robotics competitions in Hong Kong. It was encouraging to receive positive feedback and support from more experienced members of the HK robotics community.

They were keen to become engineering mentors for the team who will aid us in the design process of our robot as well as printing small parts that we need.

Thank you HKU for this amazing opportunity to come in and learn more about how different robotics teams operate. We look forward to their further support.

Steven Zhou Grade 12

This competition is at Undergraduate level,

[and] even harder than the current Undergraduate level

robotics competitions in Hong Kong

News @ ELSA

This year was my first year for exams and it was very stressful yet a little fun. In the ten days before my exams I was studying very hard to revise everything we had learned since August. It felt like trying to conquer Mount Everest. All week I was feeling very nervous about the start of my exams; the night before exams started I revised everything and my Dad quizzed me on all I needed to know for the next day (English and Science). The day came and I was shivering. After English, I knew what to do so when it came to Science, I came in and sat down. Another day passed and it was my Jewish Studies exam that was one of the toughest ones, but I got through it with some time left to spare. When I got home that day I studied for my Hebrew exam. The next day came and I managed to complete all my exams in a timely manner. Each day became easier as I felt more prepared for what was to come. Jack Diestel Grade 6

Over the past three days we have been writing our mid-year examinations at school. During this time everyone has been very anxious as we all want to achieve our very best. This experience has taught us skills that we will be able to use in the future when we face our Diploma examination. On the first day, I felt very stressed and unprepared even though I had spent a lot of time working on each of my subjects. Once we had entered the auditorium and I had found my seat I felt more prepared and confident in my abilities. Overall, I think that this was a great learning experience for me and I can use it in my future.

Afik Himmelman Grade 8

This week, Wednesday through Friday, all students in Grades 6-11, participated in taking their Mid Term "Timed Summative" (Exams). I found that some of the exams were manageable; however, I found some of them really challenging. I learned a few things this year. I learned that timing yourself, and planning, while you are in the exam is a surefire way to make sure that you have time to complete the exam. This really helps me, because if I don't do this, I spend time in the exam worrying about whether I am going to finish. I also learned that bringing a good pen is something that people overlook. A good pen helps you write quicker and more neatly, and can also help reduce muscle straining in the hands. Wishing good luck and good grades to everyone who took their tests. A special thanks to the teachers, and to Mr. Russell in particular, for all of their effort in making the exams run smoothly.

Dan Hasofer Grade 9

Exam Updates

News @ ELSA

Dr. Quratulain Zaidi (BSc. Hons, MSc, MSc, PhD) is a mother and registered Clinical Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions

Council HCPC in the UK is a member of the British Psychological Society and British Association Counselling & Psychotherapy and abides by the Ethical

Framework for Good Practice in Counselling and Psychology. She has lived in Hong Kong and Singapore for 16 years. She specialises in assisting families

with issues including parenting, teen issues, Cybersafety, marriage guidance, post natal depression, stress and anxiety disorders, depression, bullying, eating disorders, OCD and self-harm. She is an expert in educational assessments and

learning challenges in children, for example ADHD, ADD, Dyslexia and ASD.

Are we Fostering a Generation of Screen Addicts? Dec 11@ the JCC Carmel School PTA & The JCC are proud to present a Movie Screening of “Screenagers” followed by a Talk with Dr Quratulain Zaidi.

December 11 7:00 pm @ the JCC Garden Room

Price: 100 HKD

RSVP: :enquiries@jcc.org.hk/2801 5440

“Screenagers“ has come to the Carmel School PTA and JCC communities!  You won't want to miss this highly acclaimed documentary about the impact of screen time on our children.  Be part of the solution in this very important discussion about what parents can do to help children

set up boundaries and self-regulate their screen time.

PTA Announcements

בס“ד

Glow in the Dark Inter-House Dodgeball TournamentPlease bring a plain white T-shirt that you don't mind getting messy or painted

SpecialChanuka

Competition@ Elsa

Wednesday, December 5th

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CARMELSCHOOL ASSOCIATION

On Chanuka a small light defeated great darknessNow it is our turn to spread the light...

בס”ד

Chanuka talent show!

Our traditional talent show will take place on Chanuka, in the Auditorium.

December 7th

Come and share your talent with us!!

RSVP: nadiv.duitch@carmel.edu.hk

3 MondayTheme: Dress up as your favorite teacher

Activity: Teachers vs. Students football match

4 TuesdayTheme: Pajama Day

Activity: Chocolate game

6 ThursdayTheme: Dress up as your favorite movie character

Activity: Soda pong

7 FridayTheme: Chanukah (e.g. candles, donuts, dreidel)

Activity: Talent Show

5 WednesdayTheme: Twin Day

Activity: Jelly bean guessing and Candlestick game

December 2018 / Kislev 5779$100 for whole week / $20 for each day / Everything goes to charity.

Spirit Week

בס”ד

Spirit Week @ Elsa

Elsa Student Council

Announcements

Happy Birthday to Dov Kahmin, Alexander Gershon

and Bradley Selevan

We hope you’ve enjoyed reading The Weekly Daf!

From The Weekly Daf Team

Tyra Dahlberg, Louis Effron, Hanna Hipwell-Serfaty, Ian Lyons, Issy Lyons, Luis Yap

and Mr. Dan Bartholomew

Follow Us Online! @CarmelSchoolAssociation Carmel School Association

Thank you to all who have pledged so far

Please visit https://www.carmelschoolassociation.wufoo.com/forms/srkpwrj0azvroo/

to find out how you can contribute

CARMEL ANNUAL FUND

Announcements

Red Sorghum by Mo Yan

The acclaimed novel of love and resistance during late 1930s China by Mo Yan, winner of the 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature

Spanning three generations, this novel of family and myth is told through a series of flashbacks that depict events of staggering horror set against a landscape of gemlike beauty, as the Chinese battle both Japanese invaders and each other in the turbulent 1930s.

A legend in China, where it won major literary awards and inspired an Oscar-nominated film directed by Zhang Yimou, Red Sorghum is a book in which fable and history collide to produce fiction that is entirely new—and unforgettable.

“Through a mixture of fantasy and reality, historical and social perspectives, Mo Yan has created a world reminiscent in its complexity of those in the writings of Faulkner and García Márquez, at the same time finding a departure point in old Chinese literature and in oral tradition.” - The Nobel Prize Committee

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Mare Barrow's world is divided by blood - those with common, Red blood serve the Silver blooded elite, who are gifted with superhuman abilities. Mare is a Red, scraping by as a thief in a poor, rural village, until a twist of fate throws her in front of the Silver court. Before the king, princes, and all the nobles, she discovers she has an ability of her own.

To cover up this impossibility, the king forces her to play the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons. As Mare is drawn further into the Silver world, she risks everything and uses her new position to help the Scarlet Guard - a growing Red rebellion - even as her heart tugs her in an impossible direction. One wrong move can lead to her death, but in the dangerous game she plays, the only certainty is betrayal.

“Fascinating world building... Readers will be intrigued by a world that reflects today's troubling issues concerning ethnic inequality, unfair distribution of wealth, pollution, warfare, political corruption, and the frightening power of the media.” - VOYA

Non Fiction

Fiction

The Red Pencil by Andrea Davis Pinkney

Finally, Amira is twelve. Old enough to wear a toob, old enough for new responsibilities. And maybe old enough to go to school in Nyala - Amira's one true dream.

But life in her peaceful Sudanese village is shattered when Janjaweed gunmen arrive. The terrifying attackers ravage the town and unleash unspeakable horrors. After she loses nearly everything, Amira needs to dig deep within herself to find the strength to make the long journey - on foot - to safety at a refugee camp. Her days are tough at the camp, until the gift of a simple red pencil opens her mind - and all kinds of possibilities.

New York Times bestselling author Andrea Davis Pinkney's powerful verse and award-winning artist Shane W. Evans's breathtaking illustrations combine to tell an inspiring tale of one girl's triumph against all odds.

“Pinkney faces the horror of war head on, yet also conveys a sense of hope and promise” - Publishers Weekly

Support at home is key to how young people approach reading for pleasure. Every week we will be promoting books new and old, fiction and non-fiction for readers of all ages and levels. Our libraries are open to students and parents alike and books can be borrowed through student’s accounts.

These books, and more, can be found directly here: libraryceo.com/carmel/opac/index.php or through our school library site here: carmel.edu.hk/learning/library

Fiction

Books of the WeekEdition 15

הספר הכי מוצלח ויפה שתמצאו בספריית העברית הוא בעצם ספר שתורגם מאנגלית.

אני מתכוונת כמובן לסדרת ספרי ״האסופית, אן מהחווה הירוקה״ שהגיעו אלינו מקנדה הרחוקה.

הסדרה מתארת את חייה של ילדה )שהופכת לאורך הסדרה לנערה ואז לאישה( בשם אן שרלי.

אן היא ילדה יתומה שגדלה כל חייה בבתי יתומים ואצל משפחות אומנה, ומעולם לא זכתה לחום ואהבה. למרות כל זה, היא ניחנה

בדמיון עשיר וביכולת למצוא חן ולהיכנס ישר ללב. בנוסף, יש לה שיער ג׳ינג׳י, נמשים, עיניים אפורות וכמה שמלות מכוערות והיא בטוחה שגם

היא עצמה מכוערת )למרות שאנחנו יודעים שזה לא נכון(.. יום אחד אן מגיעה בטעות )זה סיפור ארוך, תקראו בספר..( לזוג אחים מבוגרים

בשם מתיו ומרילה, הופכת לחלק מהמשפחה ומשנה את החיים שלהם וכמובן שגם את שלה.

לאן יש כישרון נדיר למשוך אליה הרפתקאות מצחיקות ומשעשעות, ולסבך את עצמה כל פעם מחדש. אבל כאמור, הכישרון האמיתי שלה הוא להיכנס ללב, והיא תיכנס גם ללב שלכם אם רק תתנו לה )בשביל

זה אתם צריכים ללכת לספרייה ולשאול את הספר, אז קדימה!(. המורה תמר

גברת ריצ'ל לינד התגוררה בדיוק במקום שבו פנתה הדרך הראשית של הכפר אבונלי במדרון אל עמק קטן עטור עצי אלמון ושיחי פוקסיה. את העמק חצה פלג מים, שמקורותיו נבעו אי שם רט. בתחילת דרכו באותם יערות היה זה ביערות שליד חוות קתב

פלג מים פזיז ומתפתל, אפוף סודות אפלים של מקווי מים ומפלים, אבל כשהגיע לעמק של גברת לינד נהפך לנחל שקט ונוח, מפני

שאפילו פלג מים לא היה יכול לעבור ליד דלתה של ריצ'ל לינד בלי להקפיד על התנהגות הגונה ומנומסת; הוא ידע כנראה שגברת לינד משקיפה מחלונה ופוקחת עין על כל מה שחולף ליד ביתה,

החל מפלגי מים ועד ילדים, וכשהיא מבחינה במשהו מוזר או שלא במקומו, היא לא מניחה לו ולא מוותרת עד שהיא מגלה על שום מה

ולמה.אנשים רבים באבונלי ובמקומות אחרים נוהגים לעסוק בענייני

שכניהם הרבה יותר מאשר בענייניהם שלהם; אבל גברת ריצ'ל לינד הייתה אחת מאותן בריות רבות כישרון, שמסוגלות לטפל בענייניהן

שלהן וגם בענייניהם של אחרים בעת ובעונה אחת. היא הייתה עקרת בית חרוצה; מלאכתה נעשתה תמיד, ונעשתה היטב; היא ניהלה את חוג התפירה, עזרה בניהול בית הספר של יום ראשון* והייתה עמוד התווך של אגודות הצדקה באזור. ועם כל זאת היה

לגברת ריצ'ל פנאי בשפע לשבת במשך שעות על יד חלון המטבח שלה ולתפור שמיכות טלאים - עקרות הבית של אבונלי נהגו לספר ביראת כבוד שהיא תפרה כבר שש־עשרה שמיכות כאלה - ובאותו

זמן לפקוח עין על הדרך הראשית, שחצתה את העמק והסתיימה

מתוך הספר "האסופית, אן מהחווה הירוקה" כתבה: לוסי מוד מונטגומרי

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ספרפינת ה יה העבריתסמסטר ראשון: מהדורה מספר 13

כ״ב בכסלו ה׳תשע״ט

במעלה הגבעה האדומה התלולה שמעבר לו. ומאחר שהכפר אבונלי שכן בחצי־אי קטן שצורתו משולש הבולט לתוך מפרץ סנט

לורנס, היה כל היוצא ממנו או הנכנס אליו צריך לעבור באותה דרך ראשית, תחת עינה הפקוחה והרואה־כול של גברת ריצ'ל.

יום אחד בראשית חודש יוני, בשעות אחר הצהריים, ישבה גברת לינד כמנהגה ליד החלון. השמש שלחה קרניים חמימות ובהירות;

המטע במדרון שמתחת לבית עמד בפריחתו הוורודה־לבנה כלחייה של נערה סמוקה, וממעל זמזמו רבבות דבורים. תומס לינד - איש

קטן קומה ושפל רוח, שאנשי אבונלי קראו לו "בעלה של ריצ'ל לינד" רט היה - עסק בזריעת הלפת בשדה שמאחורי האסם, ומתיו קתב

אמור גם הוא לזרוע את הלפת שלו בשדה הנרחב הסמוך לחווה הירוקה. גברת ריצ'ל ידעה זאת מפני שערב קודם לכן, בחנותו של

ליר שבקרמודי, היא שמעה אותו מספר לפיטר מוריסון שהוא ויליאם בעומד לזרוע את הלפת שלו ביום המחרת בשעות אחר הצהריים.

רט הדבר היה בתשובה לשאלתו של פיטר כמובן, משום שמתיו קתבמעולם לא נידב מידע מיוזמתו על כל דבר הנוגע לחייו.

רט נוסע לו בשלווה, בשעה ולמרות זאת ראתה לפתע את מתיו קתבשלוש וחצי אחר הצהריים ביום עבודה רגיל, דרך העמק ובמעלה הגבעה; יתר על כן, הוא היה לבוש במיטב בגדיו וענד צווארון לבן

- הוכחה ברורה שהוא בדרכו אל מחוץ לאבונלי; והוא נהג בכרכרה ובסוסה האדמונית - סימן מובהק שהוא

רט, יוצא לנסיעה ארוכה. ובכן, לאן נסע מתיו קתבומדוע נסע לשם?

ספרים נוספים בסדרה