From Benjamin G. (2011)
All substances made by the Sun are invisible.
The Sun spins around once every 27.4 days.
The Sun loses approximately 4 million tons every second, this is the amount of hydrogen gas that the Sun turns into energy.
Lightning bolts can sometimes be hotter than the sun.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Gann students visit the sun!
Talia K., Haley K. and Danielle S. made an unprecedented visit TO THE SUN. Here is a photo of their journey. I wonder how they got there? (and more importantly, if they remembered to wear sunscreen???)
Friday, March 27, 2009
Professor Sting's Tribute to the Sun
Many thanks to Mr. Rosenberg for sharing this clip. You may notice some similarities between this clip and one that Mr. Johnson posted earlier. We should consider it as another perspective in this very important makhloket.
The Contests
Kudos to Mr. Johnson for a great Shir Clali this morning!
As a reminder, we are running FIVE contests:
1. Best informational post about the sun
2. Best artistic post
3. Best video
4. Best ritual (with pictures)
5. Best faculty post
All entries are due by April 10 - but the sooner you send them in, the sooner we can enjoy them!
If you want to post something to the blog, you have two options. Either email your post to me (rsilverman@gannacademy.org) and I will post it for you, OR, tell me that you want to be added as an author to the blog, I'll add you, and you can post it yourself.
As a reminder, we are running FIVE contests:
1. Best informational post about the sun
2. Best artistic post
3. Best video
4. Best ritual (with pictures)
5. Best faculty post
All entries are due by April 10 - but the sooner you send them in, the sooner we can enjoy them!
If you want to post something to the blog, you have two options. Either email your post to me (rsilverman@gannacademy.org) and I will post it for you, OR, tell me that you want to be added as an author to the blog, I'll add you, and you can post it yourself.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
28 years ago
Last time we said Birkat HaChamah, it was 1981. What happens in 28 years?
* Since 1981, there have been 10,227 sunrises - and just as many sunsets.
* At the beginning of 1981, it cost $0.15 to mail a letter. Now it costs $0.42, but email is free.
* In March of 1981, AIDS was first diagnosed in the United States. At the end of 2006, an estimated 1,106,400 people were living in the US with AIDS.
* In 1981, the Red Sox were 23 years away from winning the World Series, but only 5 years away from the 1986, Buckner-ball-through-his-legs disaster. The wait seemed endless...and sometimes hopeless.
* Sandra Day O'Conner became the first woman on the Supreme Court in 1981. Twelve years later, Ruth Bader Ginsberg joined her.
* In 1981, the US Agriculture Department tried to make ketchup a school lunch vegetable. What would our dining hall staff say about that?
* MTV debuted on August 1, 1981 and consequently, video killed the radio star.
Some thoughts for you....Were your parents married in 1981? Did they know each other? Had they even graduated high school? Speaking of high school....how many of your teachers were alive in 1981?
* Since 1981, there have been 10,227 sunrises - and just as many sunsets.
* At the beginning of 1981, it cost $0.15 to mail a letter. Now it costs $0.42, but email is free.
* In March of 1981, AIDS was first diagnosed in the United States. At the end of 2006, an estimated 1,106,400 people were living in the US with AIDS.
* In 1981, the Red Sox were 23 years away from winning the World Series, but only 5 years away from the 1986, Buckner-ball-through-his-legs disaster. The wait seemed endless...and sometimes hopeless.
* Sandra Day O'Conner became the first woman on the Supreme Court in 1981. Twelve years later, Ruth Bader Ginsberg joined her.
* In 1981, the US Agriculture Department tried to make ketchup a school lunch vegetable. What would our dining hall staff say about that?
* MTV debuted on August 1, 1981 and consequently, video killed the radio star.
Some thoughts for you....Were your parents married in 1981? Did they know each other? Had they even graduated high school? Speaking of high school....how many of your teachers were alive in 1981?
Sun Quilt
You may recognize this wall quilt by Mira, class of 2010. She made it during Exploration Week, and it has been hanging in the gallery on the 2nd floor.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Why Does The Sun Shine?
There seems to be some debate about why the sun actually does what it does. Here to explain it are two music videos. The first is from a song by Hy Zaret and Lou Singer recorded in 1959.
This song was first covered by the famous rock duo, They Might Be Giants in 1987. Later, they came to reject the position that "the sun is a mass of incandescent gas" and created this song. You can see the lyrics here.
The debate continues!
This song was first covered by the famous rock duo, They Might Be Giants in 1987. Later, they came to reject the position that "the sun is a mass of incandescent gas" and created this song. You can see the lyrics here.
The debate continues!
The Beatles Were Very Frum.
Everyone knows the Beatles (especially Ringo) were big big Kabbalists. If you listen carefully, this very lovely song actually represents the union between the Shekhina ("little darlin'") and Yesod (the sun). By stating that the sun is about to come, it indicates that the Beatles believed that the reign of the yezter hara would end ("it's been a long cold lonely winter), that blessings would rain down on all of humanity ("the smiles returning to the faces"), and the Messiah would usher in a new era of enlightenment for all people (" Sun, sun, sun, here it comes... ").
I will be singing this song with some of my best friends on the Golden Gate Bridge of San Fransico at sunrise. What are you going to do for Birkat HaChamah?
The Rebbe's Message
Watch what the Rebbe had to say, 28 years ago:
(thanks to Lila Kagedan for pointing us to the video)
(thanks to Lila Kagedan for pointing us to the video)
Say Birkat HaChamah
Jewish tradition tell us that once every 28 years, the sun returns to the exact position it was in when the world was created. We say Birkat HaChamah at the beginning of each 28-year cycle. On April 8, 2009 (the 14th of Nissan 5769) we will begin a new cycle by saying the blessing:
To mark the end of the current cycle and the beginning of the new one, we will spend the next two weeks celebrating the sun. Each day new postings will be published on this site. Gann students' artwork, poetry, stories, and songs will be featured each day (we hope), as well as other interesting sun-related stories.
If you would like to contribute to the blog (and we hope you will) email your contribution or idea to either Rachel (rsilverman@gannacademy.org) or Mr. Johnson (zjohnson@gannacademy.org).
- "ברוך אתה ה' אלוקינו מלך העולם עשה מעשה בראשית"
- "Blessed are You, LORD, our God, Ruler of the Universe who makes the works of Creation."
To mark the end of the current cycle and the beginning of the new one, we will spend the next two weeks celebrating the sun. Each day new postings will be published on this site. Gann students' artwork, poetry, stories, and songs will be featured each day (we hope), as well as other interesting sun-related stories.
If you would like to contribute to the blog (and we hope you will) email your contribution or idea to either Rachel (rsilverman@gannacademy.org) or Mr. Johnson (zjohnson@gannacademy.org).
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