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Emotions ran high at our annual 1st Grade Siddur Party- Chagigat HaSiddur Celebration. The children were dressed in festive crowns with white shirts and blue bottoms. The glittering crowns proclaimed "My Prayer" in Hebrew. The children were all geared up for the special day. After spending much time learning to read the Hebrew Alef Bet with vowels, as well as beginning to read and write Hebrew script, they felt proud to now be ready to receive their own personal Siddur (prayer book). They will also begin to study Chumash- Torah texts. Each parent inscribed a loving note to their child which was placed inside the Siddur. Sentiments included how precious is the prayer of a child to Hashem, reminding their child of the deep personal connection they have with Hashem (G-d), statements about how Hashem (G-d) listens to our prayers and provides all our needs, as well as words affirming how proud the parents are of their child and this special milestone in their lives. At the program, parents were given the opportunity to decorate the cover of the Siddur. That is always a fun activity for the adults who enjoy the markers, sticky gems, and colorful embellishments, making each design beautiful for their child! The children sang some songs from the daily prayers as well as other special tunes. Then, each of them was presented with their own Siddur, lovingly handed to them by their parents. Delicious refreshments were served, including a giant cake in the shape of a Siddur!

This culmination of their Hebrew Reading achievement is now the gateway to all future reading and learning of prayer, Torah texts, and modern Hebrew. A tremendous sense of a closeness and meaningful relationship with Hashem is fostered. This will certainly positively affect their bright future, wherever life may take them! We appreciate our dedicated staff and administration for giving our children the opportunity to flourish! Such experiences ensure a rich present and a vibrant future for our community! 

We were delighted to see an imaginative 3-D display in the hallway just outside of the Kindergarten classroom. They have been exploring various Native American tribes, their unique shelters, and the diverse regions in which they lived. The students created model housing structures to depict much of this information. Mediums included heavy cardboard, straw, sand, leaves, wood, and more! They hand-wrote the names of the Native American tribes and some short meaningful information to attach near their displays. This is not simple for our budding Kindergarteners! It is inspiring that these young, inquisitive minds have so much to share with all of us. They explore and engage so deeply with history. Their enthusiasm and curiosity reminded us of the joy of discovery and the importance of understanding the people and cultures that lived in earlier generations before us! 

We had the privilege to host two visiting IDF soldiers. We were grateful to welcome them and to hear their incredible stories of courage, bravery, faith, miracles, and mission. The children were quite fascinated by the details of their experiences. We had the opportunity to thank them for their tremendous sacrifice and service on behalf of our land and our People, in Israel and worldwide. Each day our students say an extra prayer and give extra Tzedakah, on behalf of Israel and the soldiers. It was special to do that personally together with our visitors! They were quite emotional to see how much the children care about them, even though so far away! The soldiers felt that these prayers and Mitzvah merits from the children, are their "superpowers" as they battle enemies that rise against us. The soldiers took the opportunity for another Mitzvah and donned Tefilin and said "Shema Yisrael" with the Middle School boys. They ate lunch with our students and enjoyed seeing the fabulous vibe at Slater Torah Academy! Am Yisrael Chai! 

By: Malkie Rivkin, Judaic Principal 

Today marks 20 years.

Sunday night, August 28, rain and wind begins. Loss of power.

Early Monday, August 29th, storm makes landfall and rain continues until mid morning.

Tuesday, August 30th, levee breaks discovered, flooding and high water.

August 2005. I recall the fresh feeling of just having started the new school year at Torah Academy, the building expertly renovated by The Markovich family over the summer-time. Each classroom was beautifully decorated and perfectly arranged by the teachers, after hours and days and weeks of excited flurry of preparation. After a few wonderful days of school that first week, we left for Shabbat and the weekend. On Sunday came wind, rain, and loss of power. On Monday, high flood waters. This wrecked it all at school…furniture, papers, posters, books, toys strewn about…walls and ceilings all wet, damaged, and moldy. Mr. Morris Kahn, then Board President, went in after a while to check on the building, with the power still out and flood water still on the ground. He waded in the water and walked around with flashlights, giving an update on what was going on inside our beloved building. One of his astonishing comments was, “there are hundreds of pennies all over the place!” This was from the packs of coins that all the children bring at the beginning of the year, to use for daily Tzedakah throughout the coming months! 

Memories…we were at the peak of registration at the time, with 60 precious students, Pre-k through 8th Grade. Later, after months of the community being separated, due to evacuation and families temporarily dwelling in other cities that so graciously welcomed them, Torah Academy re-opened in January 2006, with 26 children returning. The Gematria, numerical value of Hebrew letters, of the name of Hashem is poignantly… 26 ! (Yud (10), Hay (5), Vov (6), Hay (5) )

We posted a big banner and also placed onto our new letterhead stationery, the following phrase:

"Rebuilding Our Community One Child At A Time" ...with Hashem's help, and under the devoted leadership of Rabbi Zelig Rivkin. The students, staff, and Morahs who returned, such as Mrs. Bluma Rivkin, Morah Nechama Kauffmann,  Mrs. Chanie Nemes, Morah Sara Chaya Pertuit, Mr. Wayne Arnold and myself, among others, felt empowered as real pioneers, but also encountered a longing for those students, staff, and community members who never returned. We wondered what the future would hold, uncertain of the ability for our school and community to be re-established.

We hung a huge encouraging display bulletin board with the verse from Shir Hashirim:
מים רבים לא יוכלו לכבות את האהבה-- Mayim  Rabim Lo Yuchlu Lechabos Es HaAhavah /Mighty Waters Can Not Extinguish the Love…

We began putting up documentation and pictures of donations, letters, volunteer groups, and such, sent by Jewish communities from around the world, which felt like a giant hug. 

Later, after realizing that there was still much heavy, structural damage to the building, even though we had makeshift re-opened, the process started to apply to FEMA to renovate and fix the building. The process was long and difficult, not to mention the complexity of the building ownership which was dealt with tirelessly and with much self-sacrifice under the devoted leadership of Rabbi Yochanan Rivkin, the School Board, including also dedicated local Chabad Shluchim and various community members on the board, such as Rabbi Yossie Nemes, Dr. David Kaufmann, Mr. Uzzi Kehaty, Mr. Gershon Schreiber, Dr. Harold Ginzberg to name a few, including taking huge loans to buy the property. 

At one challenging point I wrote a heartfelt letter to The Rebbe and I opened up a book of The Rebbe's letters for guidance. The page I opened was to a school network in Israel, the Reshet, and the Rebbe writes, “the government will build your school a new building!” I was greatly encouraged and optimistic that we would merit this!

After tireless negotiations we packed up the entire contents of the school,  putting most into storage PODS, moving out and setting up classes at a rented venue that we nicknamed "T.A. West". This was a large, two- story  space on West Esplanade Ave. near Power Blvd. 

Meanwhile, FEMA deemed our original building too damaged to repair, and razed it to the ground to rebuild it anew.  After one school year in T.A. West, we packed up and moved once again this time to operate as a co-op school at Chabad Center Metairie. Torah Academy operated there for a few years, with Chabad so graciously sharing the space, under the devoted direction of Morah Nechama Kaufmann.

Of course, there continued to be lots of meetings with architects and builders, with the actual building process taking a few years....and finally the beautiful, new building was ready to move back into! The style and colors were so modern, bright, cheerful, and welcoming! It seemed so huge! Yesterday, 20 years later, in August 2025, I gave a tour and we saw how B”H we are now popping out of every space!  We have added classroom areas in various sections of the Multi-Purpose room and the library. We now have 2 additional modular classrooms outside as well. We have an early childhood division, Jewish Preschool of the Arts, which boasts a 5-star rating! Thank you Rabbi Chesney & Rivkie Chesney for the dedication and efforts over the past 10 years, together with each and every one of the very dedicated staff, teachers and admin, current and past, such as Mrs. Chanie Nemes as interim Principal, Mrs. Naomi Smith, our devoted General Studies Principal to present, as I work alongside her as current Judaic Principal. 

There is much to be grateful for!

The building still looks bright, cheerful, and welcoming… with the smiles of the over 100 children, thank G-d, adding the most brightness of all! The sounds of general learning, Davening prayers, chanting Alef- Bet, Torah study, laughter and friendship, continue to reverberate each day through the hallways. 

We give eternal thanks to Mrs. Rosina Slater for her everlasting endowment gift in 2018, re-naming it Slater Torah Academy, a legacy for the generations to come, that she was able to enjoy seeing still in her lifetime.

20 years later, I reflect on the Divine blessings, the fortitude and perseverance, and the dedication of our community which pulled us through and brought us to the wonderful place, both literally and figuratively, that we are in today!

Looking forward to the future, I wish that we will very soon merit the time of world peace with the ultimate redemption. We will then greet our Righteous Moshiach, with the precious STA - JPA students at our side, and certainly this Slater T.A. building will have its place near the 3rd Beit Hamikdash in the enlarged holy city of Jerusalem! 

200 students, teachers, and family members enjoying Thanksgiving dinner last November.

Try picking out one word that would describe your past year. Now, try doing that to set an intention for the coming year. With Rosh Hashana around the corner, its  great time for reflection and goal setting. With the coming year coinciding with the Jewish new year, at our first elementary assembly, on Rosh Chodesh Elul, this is exactly what our students set out to do. 

 After reading the book "One Word for Kids: A Great Way to Have the Best Year Ever", they chose a word that exemplifies the goals and intentions they want to enter this school year with. We saw words like success, listening, love, and happy. They designed suncatchers with their word that are no hanging in the school hallway. Be sure to check them out next time you visit!

 What is the relationship between classroom set up and student engagement/behavior? Should a preschooler who is concentrating in the block center be interrupted to do a class project? Why do procedures matter? Should children switch centers every 15 minutes? What does the "All About Me" theme mean on a practical level? How can somatic experiencing be applied in a classroom?

These are some of the questions that were answered, discussed and debated during  our Staff PD week from August 6th-11th. A strong team makes a strong school and we learned about each other, enjoyed good food and snacks while listening and participating in many interesting sessions. 

The rest of our time was spent organizing, planning and setting up beautiful classroom environments so we enter the school year with our best foot forward.  

Watch a short clip about our first day of school: First Day at JPA in under a minute. 

Excitement, anxiety, pride and a few normal tears on our first day of JPA as our little birds move up to their next class or begin school for the very first time. The children looked with wonder at their new classroom environments and wanted to play with everything on the shelves. The beginning of the year is when we build rapor and connection with our new friends and teachers as we learn about each other and set up classroom expectations and routines so everyone feels safe and calm at school. Almost 3 weeks later, we have no more tears, but lots of excitement and shared experiences! 

Today, our JPA students had an unforgettable experience as we welcomed visiting musician Shira Moss from Boston for a special drum circle! Each student got to choose an instrument—drums, tambourines, bells, shakers, and more—and had the chance to switch and explore different sounds throughout the session.

With Shira’s guidance, we learned how to create our own rhythms and blend our sounds together as a group, making beautiful music as a community. As we played, we sang familiar songs for Tu B’Shvat, Shabbat, and Shalom Chaveirim, filling the room with energy, joy, and connection.

It was an amazing opportunity to express ourselves through music, work as a team, and celebrate the power of rhythm and song. Thank you, Shira, for an inspiring and musical day!

Did you know that there are over 4,000 laws connected to the mitzvah of mezuzah!? After delving into some of those laws as part of their unit on Mezuzos, 4th and 5th graders were treated to a workshop presentation by the “Mezuzah Doctor” of New Orleans, Rabbi Mendel Rivkin. Rabbi Rivkin shared stories of his experiences, tips and tricks to keeping a Mezuzah Kosher and in good condition, as well as information and insights about the mitzvah of affixing a Mezuzah on the doorpost. Students got to feel the parchment and ask their own questions. This definitely added to their excitement about the topic! 

STA students joined together with the students of JCDS for a week of fun and engaging electives. Children's Choice Week included Cooking, Baking, 3D Printing, Karate, Jewelery making, Sports, Ceramics, Theater, and Gymnastics. The program culminated in a joint lunch at STA, where each elective had a chance to showcase what the students have been enjoying all week. Thank you to Richard and Vivian Cahn for generously sponsoring and spearheading this amazing opportunity for our students! 

Tu B’Shvat, the birthday of the trees, was a special and delicious celebration in our classroom! Our Chickadees brought a wonderful assortment of fruits from home, including plums, kiwis, oranges, apples, pears, and strawberries. Each child had the opportunity to cut their own fruit using Montessori knives, practicing their fine motor skills and independence. They were so excited to prepare their fruit and see the bright, juicy pieces come together. Once all the fruits were chopped, we set up a beautiful buffet filled with so many colors. The children carefully selected their favorites to create their own personalized fruit salads.

It was a hands-on way to appreciate nature and celebrate Tu B’Shvat. The joy on their faces as they savored their fruit salads was the sweetest part of the day!

 This week, STA elementary students had a chance to showcase their creativity and knowledge by creating unique menorah's for the annual menorah contest. Building teamwork skills by pairing up with friends, menorahs were crafted and then judged according to creativity, effort, display, kosher credibility, independent work and message the menorah expressed. Some of the menorahs included "No matter who, no matter where, Chanukah is everywhere", a menorah made of ducks, of sparklers, of makeup to "beautify the world", pinecone menorah, and many more. Thank you to our judges, our very own Ms. Stattelman, catapult teacher, and guest judge community member Hannah Sheynin. The winning Menorahs: 

1st Grade winner- 'Fire truck and Me' Menorah: Luba L.

2nd- 3rd Grade Winners- 'Sparkler Jewish birthday Menorah, spread the sparks of Torah & Light': Eliya S. & Raffi S.

4th- 5th Grade Winner (Tie): "Spread Light & Unity, Never Give up Hope, Magen David Menorah": Lina D.

4th- 5th Grade Winner (Tie)-  'Glowing Menorah, spreading light with glowing OIL lamps": Yuda S.

6th- 8th Grade Winner- "Give chanukah gelt & gifts Menorah, Gift the light of Torah & Mitzvot to others": Tohar S.

Overall school-wide winner- "Light over the DARKNESS Menorah, a little light pushes away much darkness" : Levi L. & Menachem C. (4th- 5th Grade)

The Doves pre-K class recently embarked on a delightful culinary adventure, learning to make latkes from scratch. Guided by the ever-creative Morah Shifra, the young chefs donned their aprons and got straight to work. The process began with peeling potatoes, a task that required patience, focus, and a little extra teamwork. There were, of course, a few booboos along the way, but the children showed remarkable resilience and a willingness to try again. Once the potatoes were peeled, it was time for the grating. With lots of excitement (and a healthy dose of caution), the children took turns grating the potatoes, filling the classroom with the fresh, earthy smell of raw potatoes—a sensory experience all its own.

With the hard work of grating complete, it was time to mix in the essential ingredients. The children cracked eggs, added onions, and measured out other key components of the latke batter. Each student had a role, whether it was stirring, measuring, or taste-testing (just a little!). The sense of accomplishment was palpable as they watched their mixture come together. The highlight of the day, however, was the frying station, which had been carefully set up in the classroom under close supervision. Watching the batter transform into crispy, golden-brown latkes was nothing short of magical. The sizzle of the oil and the wafting aroma made it clear that something special was happening.

The fruits of their labor were shared far and wide. Not only did the Doves get to enjoy the latkes they worked so hard to create, but they also shared them with the Robins (young toddlers) and their teachers. Through this activity, the Doves practiced fine motor skills, teamwork, and patience—all while connecting with a cherished cultural tradition.