The Other Four Sons (Jewish Week)

The Jewish Week, April 22, 2005

This Passover, I will not be so accepting of the child who does not know how to ask. That's because I'll be thinking about four other sons: Ian Katz, the biblical Aaron's sons Nadav and Avihu, and my son, Ethan.

When Ginger Katz woke up in her Norwalk, Conn., home on a September morning in 1996, her son Ian, 20, lay on his bed in the basement, dead of a heroin overdose. The doctors advised Ginger to tell the world that he had died of some freak medical happenstance. But as Ian's friends slowly began to come forward, filling the details of a sordid history of addiction that had begun as early as eighth grade, she realized the silence had to end. It was the silence that had done him in, the acquiescence, denial and wishful thinking from a legion of doctors, educators, friends -- and parents -- that had killed her son. By misreading all the signs, they all had been Ian's enablers.

As I listened to Ginger speak recently to a group of parents at my son's day school, it occurred to me that I, too, had been an enabler -- not of Ian, but of Aaron and his sons, Nadav and Avihu.

I've always found the story in chapter 10 of Leviticus to be very troubling. Here it was, the inauguration day of the priesthood, Aaron's most glorious moment, filled with pomp, miraculously topped off by divine fire. Then something incredible occurred: Nadav and Avihu came forward with an offering that was not sanctioned -- some would say displaying extra passion for God or, most commentators say, showing disrespect to theirelders, possibly even entering the holy precinct in a drunken stupor.

We don't know why it happened, but the two sons, last seen entering the Sanctuary carrying a "strange fire," were obliterated in a catastrophic conflagration. And we know something else: Aaron reacted with utter and complete silence.

Rarely does the Torah note the absence of speech. Here it does. Nadav and Avihu died amid a puff of smoke and a conspiracy of silence.

All my life I've come down on the side of the rebellious progeny. When I was an equally rebellious 17, I was the featured speaker at my congregation's teen service, and I took the opportunity to excoriate the grownups like a latter-day Bob Dylan for being too quick to tune us out. It was my own non-toxic brand of "strange fire."

Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is
Rapidly agin'.

I didn't exactly quote Dylan, but whatever I said, the rabbi was not amused. We Hammermans love to play with fire; the chasidim call it hitlahavut, cleaving to God like a moth to a flame. But I was wrong to defend the dopers and to validate their conspiracy of silence.

I was taught this priceless lesson by my own son, an eighth-grader who had heard Ginger Katz at school, and came home and dared to open his mouth and ask his parents to hear her presentation for parents that night.

That presentation was priceless. I learned much more about the subject than I had known. You can go to her Web site (http://www.couragetospeak.org/) for more details, but we all need to know just how widespread the use of alcohol and drugs is among teens.

We need to know just how much more potent and dangerous marijuana is than what was the case back in those happy hippie days. We need to know the signs and how to combat the peer pressure. We need to know how important it is to do simple things like have dinnertogether as a family. We need to know that we are up against a multibillion-dollar industry and that the people who are making this money are experts at hooking our children. We need to know that little kids are pushing drugs in rich private schools and that it's not just a big public high school problem. We need to know how principles and superintendents often ignore what is happening and how doctors too often become enablers.

We need to know how to choose our friends and how to monitor our children'sactions. At the earlier session attended by the seventh- and eighth-graders, Katzhad implored the students to ask their parents to come that night. Yet very few of the parents attended the evening session. Had the kids just not told them? Had they told the parents but the parents decided not to go? Did it just rain too hard?

All I know is that I had not intended on going either until my child asked me. The moment that happened, I had to go. Ethan had broken the conspiracy of silence and I was not going to miss the chance to join the conversation. I've changed my mind about Nadav and Avihu. Rashi and the others were right: They were drunk. They were drunk and stoned and they were parading around puffing on their strange fire. And no one noticed. Or if they did notice, even worse, they remained silent. Aaron never spoke up: not before,not during, and not after.

His sons were killed by Aaron's own silence.

If Aaron and I were wrong about Nadav and Avihu -- if we ignored all the signs -- I hope to have learned from that horrific experience. It's too late for Aaron, for Ginger Katz, and perhaps for Major League Baseball, but it is not too late for us.

The next time I see a young person heading toward the tent of meeting with a strange fire, I will know enough to speak up and snuff it out.

And the next time a child at my seder lacks the courage to speak, I will tell that child this tale of the Other Four Sons.

The Other Four Sons (Jewish Week)

 

(04/22/2005)

The Other Four Sons

Joshua Hammerman

This Passover, I will not be so accepting of the child who does not know how to ask. That’s because I’ll be thinking about four other sons: Ian Katz, the biblical Aaron’s sons Nadav and Avihu, and my son, Ethan. When Ginger Katz woke up in her Norwalk, Conn., home on a September morning in 1996, her son Ian, 20, lay on his bed in the basement, dead of a heroin overdose. The doctors advised Ginger to tell the world that he had died of some freak medical happenstance. But as Ian’s friends slowly began to come forward, filling the details of a sordid history of addiction that had begun as early as eighth grade, she realized the silence had to end. It was the silence that had done him in, the acquiescence, denial and wishful thinking from a legion of doctors, educators, friends — and parents — that had killed her son. By misreading all the signs, they all had been Ian’s enablers. As I listened to Ginger speak recently to a group of parents at my son’s day school, it occurred to me that I, too, had been an enabler — not of Ian, but of Aaron and his sons, Nadav and Avihu. I’ve always found the story in chapter 10 of Leviticus to be very troubling. Here it was, the inauguration day of the priesthood, Aaron’s most glorious moment, filled with pomp, miraculously topped off by divine fire. Then something incredible occurred: Nadav and Avihu came forward with an offering that was not sanctioned — some would say displaying extra passion for God or, most commentators say, showing disrespect to their elders, possibly even entering the holy precinct in a drunken stupor. We don’t know why it happened, but the two sons, last seen entering the Sanctuary carrying a “strange fire,” were obliterated in a catastrophic conflagration. And we know something else: Aaron reacted with utter and complete silence. Rarely does the Torah note the absence of speech. Here it does. Nadav and Avihu died amid a puff of smoke and a conspiracy of silence. All my life I’ve come down on the side of the rebellious progeny. When I was an equally rebellious 17, I was the featured speaker at my congregation’s teen service, and I took the opportunity to excoriate the grownups like a latter-day Bob Dylan for being too quick to tune us out. It was my own non-toxic brand of “strange fire.” Come mothers and fathers Throughout the land And don’t criticize What you can’t understand Your sons and your daughters Are beyond your command Your old road is Rapidly agin’. I didn’t exactly quote Dylan, but whatever I said, the rabbi was not amused. We Hammermans love to play with fire; the chasidim call it hitlahavut, cleaving to God like a moth to a flame. But I was wrong to defend the dopers and to validate their conspiracy of silence. I was taught this priceless lesson by my own son, an eighth-grader who had heard Ginger Katz at school, and came home and dared to open his mouth and ask his parents to hear her presentation for parents that night. That presentation was priceless. I learned much more about the subject than I had known. You can go to her Web site (www.couragetospeak.org) for more details, but we all need to know just how widespread the use of alcohol and drugs is among teens. We need to know just how much more potent and dangerous marijuana is than what was the case back in those happy hippie days. We need to know the signs and how to combat the peer pressure. We need to know how important it is to do simple things like have dinner together as a family. We need to know that we are up against a multibillion-dollar industry and that the people who are making this money are experts at hooking our children. We need to know that little kids are pushing drugs in rich private schools and that it’s not just a big public high school problem. We need to know how principles and superintendents often ignore what is happening and how doctors too often become enablers. We need to know how to choose our friends and how to monitor our children’s actions. At the earlier session attended by the seventh- and eighth-graders, Katz had implored the students to ask their parents to come that night. Yet very few of the parents attended the evening session. Had the kids just not told them? Had they told the parents but the parents decided not to go? Did it just rain too hard? All I know is that I had not intended on going either until my child asked me. The moment that happened, I had to go. Ethan had broken the conspiracy of silence and I was not going to miss the chance to join the conversation. I’ve changed my mind about Nadav and Avihu. Rashi and the others were right: They were drunk. They were drunk and stoned and they were parading around puffing on their strange fire. And no one noticed. Or if they did notice, even worse, they remained silent. Aaron never spoke up: not before, not during, and not after. His sons were killed by Aaron’s own silence. If Aaron and I were wrong about Nadav and Avihu — if we ignored all the signs — I hope to have learned from that horrific experience. It’s too late for Aaron, for Ginger Katz, and perhaps for Major League Baseball, but it is not too late for us. The next time I see a young person heading toward the tent of meeting with a strange fire, I will know enough to speak up and snuff it out. And the next time a child at my seder lacks the courage to speak, I will tell that child this tale of the Other Four Sons. n Rabbi Joshua Hammerman is spiritual leader of Temple Beth-El in Stamford, Conn.

Special To The Jewish Week

April 15, 2005 and Nisan 7, 5765

  

Shabbat – O – Gram

April 15, 2005 and Nisan 7, 5765

 

Rabbi Joshua Hammerman, Temple Beth El, Stamford, Connecticut

Shabbat Shalom and Happy Passover

The Shabbat-O-Gram will return after the festival while I rid my computer of Hametz.

E-mail announcements will be sent out on an as-needed basis.

 

Send your friends and relatives the gift of Jewish awareness -- a Shabbat-O-Gram each week,

 by signing them up at www.tbe.org

 

Contents of the Shabbat O Gram: (click to scroll down)

 

Just the Facts (service schedule)

The Rabid Rabbi

Spiritual Journey on the Web

 Ask the Rabbi

 Required Reading and Action Items (links to key articles on Israel and Jewish life)

 Announcements (goings on in and around TBE)

Joke for the Week

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why did God bless the Shabbat?
Rabbi Dostai said:
Because it has no partner. The first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth days of the week each have a partner,

but Shabbat does not. . .
Rabbi Simeon bar Yochai taught:
Shabbat said before the Holy Blessed One:
'Master of the Universe, each day has a partner and I have none?'
The Holy Blessed One said in return:
'The people of Israel is your partner.'
And when Israel stood before Mount Sinai, God said to them:
'Remember what I said to Shabbat, that the people of Israel is your partner.'
That is the meaning of:
"Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy." (Exodus 20)

Genesis Rabbah 11:8

 

 

 

 

Passover Links

 

Download our TBE Sale of Hametz Form

 

Click here to make reservations for our Congregational Second Seder

THE DEADLINE IS NEXT WEEK!!!!!

 

My own Passover guide, A Guide for the Perplexed Downloadable PDF Format

 

USCJ PASSOVER LINKS:

 

·         Passover Guide

·         Kosher Travel Program:
Pesah 2005

·         Keeping the Story Alive: Questions and Reflections for the Seder Table

·         Community S'darim

·         When Passover Begins on a Saturday

 

Passover: Guided Learning from MyJewishLearning.com

Guided Learning presents the content for this section by level of depth, and offers you a specific order by which to read through the articles at each level. You can go directly to one of the four levels by clicking below, or take a quiz that will suggest the appropriate level for you based on your results. Or, you can opt to start at the Primer and work your way through all four levels of Guided Learning one by one. Quiz on Passover  Level I: Primer Level II: Topical Overviews Level III: Deeper Explorations Level IV: Analysis & Interpretation

For a host of other Pesach links:

·         www.kosher4passover.com.

 

And finally…

 

Two nice links if you are interested in getting rid of the “hametz of the soul” http://hillel.myjewishlearning.com/holidays/Passover/TO_Pesach_Home/Isaacs_Leaven_717/SpiritualHamezt_555.htm

http://www.rebgoldie.com/pesachrituals.htm

 

HAG SAMEACH V’KASHER – A “ZISSEN” (Sweet) PESACH

 

 

LOOKING FOR A SINGLES SEDER IN MANHATTAN???

 

On the first night of Passover, Rabbi Judith and Hauptman, Professor of Talmud at the Jewish Theological Seminary, and David Arnow will lead a community outreach Seder for young Jewish singles, intermarried couples, and all who seek to celebrate this festival of freedom. The Seder will be participatory, engaging, traditional, innovative and fun. There will be discussions, singing, shmoozing, and, of course, eating!  David has created a new Haggadah for this Seder based on his book Creating Lively Passover Seders which came out last year.

 

If you know people who might be interested in participating, please suggest they learn more and make reservations at www.ohelayalah.org. The Seder will begin at 6:30 at the First Presbyterian Church, Fifth Avenue at West 12^th Street, New York City and will cost $20 p/p.  There’s room for 150 people and reservations are required. Please help spread the word about this Seder.

 

 

 

JUST THE FACTS

Friday Evening

Candle lighting for Stamford, CT: 7:16pm on Friday, 15 April 2005.  For candle lighting times, other Jewish calendar information, and to download a Jewish calendar to your PDA, click on http://www.hebcal.com/. 

Kabbalat Shabbat Service: 6:30 PM in the chapel

Tot Shabbat: 6:45 PM in the lobby.  Special Guest: “Matzah Man”

We are looking for Tot Shabbat host families.  If you are interested, please contact Sheryl Young at sherylayoung@aol.com.  And mark your calendars for a Tot Shabbat outing celebrating Shabbat and Lag B’Omer, on May 20 at Cove Island Park.

Shabbat Morning: 9:30 AM – Mazal tov to Michelle Goldstein, who becomes Bat Mitzvah this Shabbat morning.

Children’s services: 10:30 AM, including Jr. Congregation for grades 3-6 and Tot Shabbat Morning for the younger kids

Torah Portion: Metzora - Leviticus 14:1 - 15:33

1: 14:1-5
2: 14:6-9
3: 14:10-12
4: 14:13-15
5: 14:16-20
6: 14:21-25
7: 14:26-32
maf: 14:30-32

Haftarah II Kings 7:3 - 7:20

See a weekly commentary from the UJC Rabbinic Cabinet, at www.ujc.org/mekorchaim.  Read the Masorti commentary at http://www.masorti.org/mason/torah/index.asp.  University of Judaism,  JTS commentary is at: http://learn.jtsa.edu/topics/parashah/. USCJ Torah Sparks can be found at http://uscj.org/item20_467.html. UAHC Shabbat Table Talk discussions are at http://uahc.org/torah/exodus.shtml. Other divrei Torah via the Torahnet home page: http://uahcweb.org/torahnet/. Test your Parasha I.Q.: http://www.ou.org/jewishiq/parsha/default.htm. CLAL’s Torah commentary archive: http://click.topica.com/maaaiRtaaRvQhbV2AtLb/.  World Zionist Organization Education page, including Nehama Liebowitz archives of parsha commentaries: http://www.moreshet.net/web/index.asp?f=1 For a more Kabbalistic/Zionist/Orthodox perspective from Rav Kook, first Chief Rabbi of Israel, go to http://www.geocities.com/m_yericho/ravkook/index.html. For some probing questions and meditations on key verses of the portion, with a liberal kabbalistic bent, go to http://www.jewishealing.com/learning.html or, for Kabbalistic commentaries from the Zohar itself, go to http://www.kabbalah.com/k/index.php/p=zohar/weekly/intro. To see the weekly commentary from Hillel, geared to college students and others, go to  http://www.hillel.org/hillel/NewHille.nsf/FCB8259CA861AE57852567D30043BA26/DF7D129F15B3DF0885256AB80058E9C3?OpenDocument. For a Jewish Renewal and feminist approach go to http://rabbishefagold.hypermart.net/Torah1.html .  For a comprehensive Orthodox viewpoint from the Israeli rabbi, Yaakov Fogelman, go to the Torah Outreach Program at http://israelvisit.co.il/top/previous.shtml.  Guided meditations for each portion by Judith Abrams at http://www.maqom.com/kavannah.pdf 

 

Shabbat Ha-Gadol and Passover Schedule

Fast of the First Born – takes place on THURSDAY.  Our Siyum Bechorot will occur at minyan on Thursday morning.

Sale of Hametz forms must be in my hand by Friday morning.

For more information on Passover preparations for a year when it begins on Sat. night, see below.

TOT SHABBAT will meet on Friday, April 22, in the chapel.  The main service will be in the lobby that evening.

Shabbat morning, Sunday (1^st Day), and Monday (2^nd Day), services will take place at the regular time of 9:30, with children’s services on each Yom Tov day with Nurit.  Our Shabbat children’s services will be held as usual. Keep in mind that Shabbat service attendance credit will also be given for attendance on Sunday and Monday and on the latter two days of the festival.

April 30 (7^th day and Shabbat) will be both Elders Day and our Annual Teen service.  We’ll be honoring Arthur and Vivien White, our elders of the year.  Lunch will be provided (thanks to Jack and Claire Steinberg, sponsors of Elders Day). Services on Sunday, May 1, the 8^th Day, will include Yizkor prayers.

The Community Yom Ha-Shoah Commemoration will take place here on Wed., May 4 at 7:30 PM.

A REMINDER - NOW THAT WE'VE CHANGED THE CLOCKS, WE "RESERVE THE RIGHT" TO HAVE KABBALAT SHABBAT SERVICES OUTDOORS IF THE WEATHER HAPPENS TO BE GORGEOUS. That flexibility is one reason for the 6:30 start time. Decisions will be made early Friday. Outdoor services begin officially in May.

 

Rosner Minyan Maker

http://www.tbe.org/minyan/index.php

Pick a Day – or pick several – and join us for morning minyan.  Check our minyan calendar often to see which days need the most help.  If the day is colored red that means there is a yahrzeit scheduled for that day.  Also, feel free to e-mail me at rabbi@tbe.org to ensure a guaranteed minyan for that day, indicating the date of the yahrzeit and whether it would be OK to use your name in making that request.

Hospitality is essential to spiritual practice. It reminds you that you are part of a greater whole. . . .

Putting others first puts you in the midst of life without the illusion of being the center of life.
— Rabbi Rami M. Shapiro in Minyan

Morning Minyan: Sundays at 9:00 AM, Weekdays at 7:30 AM – IN THE CHAPEL

Note that in the case of bad weather, Minyan does not take place when Stamford schools are cancelled OR postponed.  On Sunday, minyan is cancelled if our Religious School sessions are cancelled.

 Minyan Mastery

 

Now you can become more comfortable with the prayers of our morning service by heading to…

http://www.tbe.org/site/sog/minyanmastery.htm

 

The Rabid Rabbi

E-MAIL FROM THE FRONT

 

I RECEIVED THIS DISPATCH LAST WEEK FROM JAN GAINES IN ISRAEL. SHE MAKES REFERENCE IN THE FIRST PARAGRAPH TO MY SISTER LISA’S SETTLEMENT, MITZPE YERICHO, WHICH SHE IMPLIES WILL NOT HAVE A CHANCE OF LYING WITHIN THE NEW SECURITY FENCE ROUTE. IT SO HAPPENS THAT MY SISTER IS PROBABLY NOT TOO CONCERNED ABOUT SHARON AND BUSH AT THE MOMENT. ON WEDNESDAY SHE GAVE BIRTH TO A 7 LB. GIRL!

.

Dear Josh, 

 

I just flew back from Eilat to TA.  As we flew over Jericho I craned my neck to see Mitzpe Jericho- - -and there it was, poor little thing.  From the air it is so small and vulnerable. And I thought of you and your sister and the whole disengagement process.  And the only words that kept ringing in my head were "Not a chance for you, Mitzpe Yericho!" 

 

While Sharon is explaining E1-Ma'ale Adumim to Bush, all the jockeying is going on behind the scenes over the REAL disengagement- - the West Bank.  I visited an old friend a couple of weeks ago on Shabbat, who is the sister of Eli Aflalo, one of the Likud loyalists (the guy who came to Knesset in a wheelchair in order to vote with the Loyalists.)  He was there also and we talked a little about the disengagement.  He confirmed what we all suspect:  that the "understanding" with the Americans is for us to keep the 3 big settlement blocs, but everything in the outlying areas is problematic, including Beit El.  We'll see what Bush says and what Sharon DOES but its obvious the U.S. will make the right noises, maybe to help Blair get reelected, and then Sharon will do what he's planned all along. 

 

At least I hope that's the case.

 

I went down to Eilat for the semi-finals of the Rubenstein Piano competition.  Not an American, Israeli or Jew in the bunch.  All 6 were either Asian or Russian.  One of the judges in a lecture says they are the only ones HUNGRY ENOUGH" to get into music these days.  We're going to be seeing a lot of "woos, hungs, chens and lees in the next decades on the concert stage.

 

All is well in Netanya, and its been a gorgeous spring. Glad to see you'll be back in the summer, hot as it will be.  I'm looking forward to Beth being here and catching a whiff of my joyful little home.

 

Hugs to you all, Jan

 

OK, JAN – THANKS FOR THE UPDATE. IT’S INTERESTING THAT ISRAELIS HAVE A SELF PERCEPTION OF LAZINESS.  A RECENT DOCUMENTARY ON ISRAELI TV TRIED TO EXPLAIN WHY ISRAELI SOCCER TEAMS HAVE HAD SUCH TROUBLE MAKING IT TO THE WORLD CUP. THE CONCLUSION WAS THAT ISRAELIS ARE JUST TOO LAZY TO GO THAT EXTRA YARD TO ACHIEVE GREATNESS. WELL, IT TURNS OUT THAT THE NATIONAL TEAM OUTPLAYED BOTH FRANCE AND IRELAND ON THE WAY TO TWO LAST-MINUTE DRAWS; SO MUCH FOR THE LAZINESS THEORY. THEY ARE EVEN BEGINNING TO UNDERSTAND THE NUANCES OF CUSTOMER SERVICE.

 

IN MEDICINE, ISRAEL IS SECOND TO NONE. YES, YOU READ CORRECTLY UP ABOVE; MY SISTER HAD A CHILD THIS WEEK, ASSISTED BY MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY THAT WAS BOTH MORE ADVANCED AND MORE AFFORDABLE THAN WHAT WE HAVE HERE.  THE AS YET UNNAMED BABE WAS BORN IN HADASSAH HOSPITAL, WHICH ASIDE FROM ITS MEDICAL EXCELLENCE, HAS ALSO BEEN NOMINATED FOR A NOBEL PEACE PRIZE THIS YEAR (HTTP://WWW.YNETNEWS.COM/ARTICLES/0,7340,L-3060873,00.HTML) FOR ITS UNCANNY ABILITY TO EXTEND HEALING ACROSS THE POLITICAL DIVIDE.

 

NOPE. NOTHING LAZY ABOUT A COUNTRY THAT WON TWO OUT OF THE THREE OF THE WALL STREET JOURNAL'S 2004 TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION AWARDS.  INNOVATORS WORLDWIDE WERE CONSIDERED.

 

1. THE GOLD AWARD WENT TO SUN MICROSYSTEMS INC. OF CALIFORNIA FOR A WIRELESS APPROACH TO CHIP DESIGN.

 

2. THE SILVER AWARD WENT TO GIVEN IMAGING LTD. OF YOQNEAM, ISRAEL, FOR 'PILL CAM', A TINY CAMERA THAT PATIENTS SWALLOW SO THAT DOCTORS CAN SEE THEIR DIGESTIVE TRACT.

 

3. THE BRONZE AWARD WENT TO INSIGHTEC IMAGE GUIDED TREATMENT LTD. OF TIRAT CARMEL, ISRAEL, FOR 'EX ABLATE 2000', A NONSURGICAL WAY TO DESTROY TUMORS BY FOCUSING ULTRASOUND WAVES ON THEM.

 

READ HOW A NEW BOOK OFFERS SHOWCASE FOR ISRAELI ACHIEVEMENTS, ISRAELI THERAPY USES ADULT STEM CELLS TO TREAT PARKINSON'S DISEASE, HOW AN ISRAELI HELPS TSUNAMI-STRICKEN FISHING VILLAGE GET BACK TO WORK AND EVEN HOW AN ISRAELI TV CHIP LAUNCHES BOOST IN COLOR. 

 

SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS ISRAELIS HAVE BEEN DOING INSTEAD OF PRACTICING THEIR PIANO, JAN.  MEANWHILE, ISRAEL STILL HAS THE WORLD’S GREATEST NUMBER OF MUSICIANS PER CAPITA, ALONG WITH SCIENTISTS, ENGINEERS AND DOCTORS.

 

NOT BAD.

 

Spiritual Journey on the Web

The 20^th Anniversary of Women’s Ordination

 

          This year marks the 20^th anniversary of the ordination of the first female Conservative rabbi, a landmark that is being recalled with colloquia, articles and a newly released documentary.  You can read about the celebration, as well as the events leading up to the ordination at http://www.jtsa.edu/rabbinical/women/.  We’re proud that Beth El’s own Elise (Kahn) Dowell is spearheading these efforts as the Jewish Theological Seminary’s Director of Communications.  You can download some of the key decisions that went into the process, as well as a recent survey indicating that women still face numerous obstacles in gaining equal opportunities in the rabbinate.  But there have been some groundbreaking advances recently.  Read about that at http://jewish.com/modules.php?name=News&file=print&sid=1732

          Of course, it didn’t just happen overnight.  Women gained equality in synagogue ritual over a period of decades, one issue at a time.  To see how this step by step approach happened, go to http://groups.msn.com/judaismfaqs/womeninjewishlaw.msnw.  See a full, multi-denominational summary of the issue at http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/femalerabbi.html.

          So how has this 20-year old phenomenon changed Jewish life?  What will be the long-term impact of the decision?  It has only benefited the movement, to be sure, to bring such talent to the fore.  It has also led to a “kinder and gentler” Judaism.

          Some Orthodox feminists discussed this in an article found at http://jta.org/page_view_story.asp?intarticleid=13788&intcategoryid=4.  A recent article in the Jerusalem Post calls female orthodox rabbis “the next feminist revolution.”  See it at http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1111030174035&p=1006953079845.

 

 

 

Ask the Rabbi

What Happens When Passover Begins on Saturday Night?

 

 

The following is an English summary of a Hebrew responsum by Rabbi David Golinkin which appeared in the Responsa of the Va'ad Halakhah of the Rabbinical Assembly of Israel, Vol. 5 (5752-5754), pp. 109-116.  The complete Hebrew responsum can be found at www.responsafortoday.com. The times mentioned in this summary have been updated according to summer time in Jerusalem in 5765.

 

Question: Erev Pesach this year falls on Shabbat. How should one prepare for the holiday and what should one eat on Shabbat?

 

Responsum: This is a rather rare occurrence; it has happened only eleven times in the twentieth century. The main laws are as follows:

 

1) The fast of the firstborn: According to R. Yosef Karo, once the fast is pushed off, it is pushed off entirely. According to the Rema, the fast is moved up to the Thursday before Pesach, and this is the accepted Ashkenazic practice. Thus Ashkenazim should conduct a siyyum on Thursday, the 12th of Nissan, in order to enable the firstborn to eat.

 

2) The search for the hametz: This ceremony is performed on Thursday evening and the hametz is burned on Friday morning. Technically, it could be burned at any time on Friday since it is not Erev Pesach, but it is burned at the usual time at the end of the fifth hour (11:16 a.m. in

Jerusalem) in order not to confuse people the following year.

 

3) The Shabbat meals: This is the main problem associated with Erev Pesach which falls on Shabbat. On the one hand, according to the Yerushalmi (Pesahim 10:1, fol. 37b) it is forbidden to eat matzah on Erev Pesach in order to eat it at the seder with a hearty appetite. On the other hand, it is difficult to keep hallot in the house on Shabbat when all of the remaining hametz was already burned on Friday morning. Furthermore, it is forbidden to eat hametz on Shabbat morning - which is Erev Pesach - after the fourth hour of the day (9:53 a.m. in Jerusalem).

 

Indeed, this situation is already mentioned in the Mishnah (Pesahim 3:6), Tosefta (ibid. 3:9, 11) and Bavli (ibid. 49a and parallels) but those sources are not entirely clear and, as a result, four solutions have developed over the years:

 

1) Rabbi Yitzhak ibn Giyyat (Spain, d. 1089) ignored the Yerushalmi mentioned above or was not familiar with it and ruled that one should eat regular matzah at all of the Shabbat meals. This custom seems to have disappeared because it contradicts the Yerushalmi.

 

2) The second approach is based on Pesahim 13a and parallels, which says that one leaves enough hametz for two meals - one on Friday night and one on Shabbat morning before the fourth hour of the day (9:53 a.m.), after which one recites "kol hamira" at the end of the fifth hour (11:15 a.m.), as one does every year. This approach has been followed for hundreds of years, but it is quite inconvenient because one must eat in a corner away from the Pesach dishes and one must make sure no crumbs fall on the floor.

 

Furthermore, one must wake up very early in the morning in order to pray and finish eating hametz by 9:53 a.m. (in Jerusalem) and then discard the hametz outside of the house. Rabbi Eliyahu Hazzan (d. 1908) and others have already criticized this method because of the problems of crumbs, sweeping the house, the prevention of Oneg Shabbat and the fear lest one eat hametz after the permitted time. Therefore, it is preferable to look for another solution.

 

3) Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef has suggested a third approach - to use matzah, which has been re-cooked in soup. After the soup cools off, one removes it in whole pieces and dries it out. It can then be used for the second and third Shabbat meals while regular matzah can be used on Friday night because the prohibition in the Yerushalmi does not pertain to the night before Pesach. This method is halakhically valid, but it is difficult to adopt for practical reasons because most Jews will not have the time or patience to follow this complicated procedure.

 

4) The fourth approach is the simplest and the preferred method - to use "matzah ashirah" (egg matzah) at all three Shabbat meals since it is neither hametz nor real matzah. It is already mentioned by the Maggid Mishneh (Spain, 14th century) and by Rabbi Yosef Karo. The latter only rejected it for practical reasons, since not everyone could bake egg matzah. R. Haim Palache relates that this was the practice in Izmir in the nineteenth century and it was followed by Rabbi Eliyahu Hazzan mentioned above and by Rabbi Joseph ben Walid. In the twentieth century, it was recommended by Rabbi Moshe Feinstein z"l, by my grandfather Rabbi Mordechai Ya'akov Golinkin z"l, the Av Bet Din of Boston and the vicinity for many years, by my father Rabbi Noah Golinkin z"l, by Rabbi Shlomo Goren z"l, by Rabbi Kassel Abelson and others.

 

As for the third Shabbat meal (seudah shelishit), it is possible to be stringent like the Rema and eat only fruit, meat and fish. But it is also possible to eat egg matzah all day long following the custom of Rabbeinu Tam, Rabbi Yosef Karo and Rabbi Yehezkel Landau.

 

In conclusion, in our day the fourth custom is preferable. One should search for the hametz on Thursday night, burn the hametz and recite "Kol Hamira" on Friday morning and eat egg matzah on Pesach dishes at all three Shabbat meals.

 

 

Rabbi David Golinkin

Approved Unanimously by the Va'ad Halakhah, 5754

 Temple Beth El of Stamford, CT

Israel Adventure

Led by Rabbi Joshua and Mara Hammerman

 

August 7-August 22, 2005

 

This unforgettable journey will have something for everyone:

 

·        Full children’s program with youth counselor

·        A glorious Shabbat in Jerusalem

·        Archeological dig in the Judean Hills

·        Relax at a five-star Dead Sea Spa

·        Guest speakers and meaningful encounters with Israelis from a wide variety of backgrounds

·        Western Wall Tunnels

·        Ba·        Wilderness Experience in the Negev

·        Exploring Tel Aviv and the mystical city of Safed

·        Visit to our sister city of Afula

·        Visit to an army base

·         Boat ride on the Kinneret and Kayaking on the Jordan

 

WE HAVE ROOM FOR ONE OR TWO MORE FAMILIES!

FOR MORE INFORMATION, SEE OUR WEBSITE WWW.TBE.ORG

 

SPECIAL REQUEST TO TBE MEMBERS

Mitzvah Project from Michelle Goldstein

March 20, 2005

Dear Temple Beth El Congregants,

For my Bat Mitzvah Project, I will be having a toy drive at Temple Beth El to donate to the Children’s Hospital at Yale New Haven. I chose this charity because I wanted to help sick children. This idea appeals to me because it is important to help people in need and I relate best to children. I wanted to do something nice for children that were stuck in the hospital.

Before I spoke to the hospital, my plans were to collect just stuffed animals to donate to sick children, since I love them and they comfort me when I am not feeling well. But when I spoke to the hospital, they told me that they prefer to collect all types of toys instead of limiting it to only stuffed animals.

The hospital has asked for new stuffed animals and new toys for children ages infant through teen (ex. rattles for babies, cards, board games, dolls, action figures, and possibly small electronics such as walkmans or tape players). For health reasons, the hospital has asked for new toys only.

The toy drive will begin on Tuesday, March 22^nd and continue until Sunday, May 1^st. The collection box will be located across from the religious school office Sunday through Friday. On Shabbat it will be outside the main sanctuary.

On behalf of the children at Yale New Haven, I would really appreciate any donations you could make in support of my Mitzvah Project.

Thank you,

Michelle Goldstein

Required Reading and Action Items

Camp Combines Basketball, Zionism (Y-net)

Click here for the most recent Congregational Bulletin from American Jewish World Service. This quarterly publication raises issues of global concern through a Jewish lens and provides suggestions on how to best present these issues to your congregation and community. The enclosed Pesach edition concentrates on Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons, with a focus on the crisis in Darfur, Sudan. We encourage you to share this resource with your congregants and introduce the lessons within. If you need additional resources, please contact Ira Horowitz at ihorowitz@ajws.org. To download the bulletin, please visit: http://www.ajws.org/uploaded_documents/AJWS%20Congregational%20Bulletin%20Pesach%202005.pdf

Ehud Manor, 1941-2005 much-loved composer and Israel Prize laureate; 'Someone in heaven is planning a major production and was short of a writer.'

On Saul Bellow and his Nobel Prize presentation: http://www.nobel.se/literature/laureates/1976/bellow-bio.html

Blogging for a New Middle East (Jerusalem Report)

Balancing Act in Gaza - Jim Hoagland
The Gaza Strip is now the pivot for the hopes of a lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement. Gaza is a barren enclave filled with 1.3 million perpetually angry and impoverished Palestinians. Yet Gaza must be made whole and free and relatively prosperous. Gaza becomes a laboratory for the broad rethinking that is needed on international involvement in the conflict zones of the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Precisely because it is so unpromising and so important, Gaza demands radical and urgent efforts to combine peacekeeping muscle with economic and technical assistance. (Washington Post)
    See also Summit Talk - Richard Wolffe and Holly Bailey
The White House is counting on the Gaza withdrawal as a critical step in its self-styled march of freedom across the Middle East. The real focus of U.S. attention, they say, is violence and lawlessness among Palestinians in Gaza following the settlers' departure. (Newsweek)

 

Gaza: Moving Forward by Pulling Back - David Makovsky
It is wrong to assume that the Israelis and Palestinians can simply return to the summer of 2000, when Washington thought that an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was within sight. Trust between the parties has been shattered by violence, and rebuilding it will not be quick or easy. Reaching for too much too soon will turn the current opening into one more lost opportunity. Rushing to an endgame approach will energize hard-liners in both camps and undermine the leadership of Abbas and Sharon. Abbas does not yet have the authority to veer from Arafat's legacy on the conflict's most sensitive issues.
    The experience of 2000 demonstrates that for any agreement to succeed, Arab states must give vocal support to it so that the Palestinian leader will have the political cover he needs to compromise on questions central to Palestinian identity. Since Arab governments have been unwilling to do this, it is preferable to focus on practical steps.
    Washington should work with Egypt to reconfigure the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) currently stationed in Sinai to patrol the border between Gaza and Egypt. The MFO would be useful because the framework for it already exists. Although simply diverting personnel from the MFO's current mission may not suit the needs of the new task, its configuration could be quickly enhanced. The writer is Senior Fellow and Director of the Project on the Middle East Peace Process at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. (Foreign Affairs)

 

Bush is from Mars, Sharon is from Venus - Aluf Benn
It is difficult to describe a pair more different from one another than George W. Bush and Ariel Sharon. The physical differences are obvious. One is from a tiny village in Mandate-era Palestine, the other the son of patrician Americans. One is a warrior and general and the other a rear guard pilot. At least their farms are about the same size.
    Their worldviews are different. Bush regards the Palestinians as peace-loving people who want to live normally beside Israel. Sharon explains to him that the main problem is Arab refusal to recognize the right of the Jewish people to a state of their own in "the cradle of their birth." Bush speaks about the road map and Sharon responds it hasn't even begun, that we are in a pre-map stage. Bush wants to know what will happen on the day after the disengagement and Sharon answers: nothing. First the Palestinians will dismantle the terror infrastructure, and only then will we go into a political process.
    Sharon warned about a real problem. The American efforts for quick democratization in the Middle East could perpetuate Arab hostility toward Israel even if the regimes are changed from within. The discussions at the Bush farm highlighted the gap between Israel, where there is still a debate over the withdrawal from Gaza, and the rest of the world, which is already anticipating the next withdrawal. The talk about terrorist infrastructures on the Palestinian side is barely heard.

 

Some "Settlement" - John Podhoretz
Why did the media hype turn on a controversy involving an entirely theoretical issue involving possible future construction of apartment buildings and a road in and around a thriving Israeli suburb that sits only 4 miles from Jerusalem? If you were watching news or reading newspapers over the past week, you'd think that the U.S. and Israel were on a dangerous collision course over the issue of that suburb, called Ma'ale Adumim.
    Ma'ale Adumim is usually called a "settlement." But as a description of the place, the word is absurd, because it conjures up an image of a few huts on an undeveloped bit of land. Ma'ale Adumim is 30 years old and is home to more than 30,000 people. The term "settlement" is used, as it is for all Jewish population centers on the West Bank, to suggest that the Israeli presence is only temporary. In truth, a serious peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians will almost certainly leave Ma'ale Adumim in Israeli hands. (New York Post)

 

As Gaza Exit Looms, a Settlement Surges - John Murphy
Sprawled across the desert hilltops about four miles east of Jerusalem, Ma'ale Adumim is a community of red-tile-roofed homes, curved streets bordered by blooming flower beds, cascading fountains, a shopping mall, playgrounds, and 140 factories producing furniture, wine, and computer software. Mayor Benny Kashriel insists the proposed construction is part of a long-standing plan to accommodate the natural growth of the community. "About 80% of our children are buying their homes here and establishing their families here," he said. This week in Ma'ale Adumim hundreds of construction workers operating building cranes and cement mixers were busy erecting a new section of 500 apartments.
    "I don't think we have to give up anything. What for? Because the Palestinians are screaming?...We are building in Ma'ale Adumim territory. We are not expanding at all," Kashriel said. What's more, he said, the development would create more jobs for Palestinians, who fill about 2,000 jobs in the settlement's industrial zone. (Baltimore Sun)

 

Stopping Sale of Products to Israel Isn't Path to Peace - Eugene Korn
On Wednesday, Caterpillar Inc. will hold its stockholder meeting in Chicago. Some have proposed a resolution for Caterpillar to stop selling its products to Israel, part of a wider campaign by some churches to weaken Israel by pressing for selective divestment of companies selling products to the Jewish state. People of moral character take stands based on their moral principles. But such moral stands must be both credible and sound, and the divestment initiatives are neither. When Israelis and Palestinians are moving toward peace through direct discussion and increased understanding, outside parties should not interfere via partisan pressure. Do Christians really want to be seen as obstructive outsiders obstructing peace and healing? The writer is director of Jewish Affairs at the American Jewish Congress and adjunct professor of Jewish thought at Seton Hall University. (Chicago Sun-Times)
   See also Human Rights Watch and Amnesty Promote Caterpillar Boycott (NGO Monitor)

ISRAEL: MYTHS AND FACTS

 

For the latest on the peace process, see our updated entry:  Keeping Track of the Road Map

MYTH

“The disengagement plan is a trick to end the peace process and allow Israel to hold onto the West Bank.”

FACT

Prime Minister Sharon, as well as President Bush, have made it clear that the disengagement plan is consistent with the road map. Sharon has also repeatedly stated his acceptance of the establishment of a contiguous Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, which would require the evacuation of additional communities in the West Bank.

Sharon's motives are being questioned despite the political risks he took in pursuing his plan. After all, few people inside or outside of Israel, would have predicted as recently as the year 2000 that the man considered the father of the settlement movement would defy much of his own party and evacuate Jews from their homes in the territories.

Moreover, the disengagement plan is not restricted to Gaza; it also involves the dismantling of four Jewish communities in Samaria (Ganim, Kadim, Homesh, Sa Nur) with a population of approximately 550. While the number of Jews being evacuated is small, the area that Israel will evacuate is actually larger than the entire Gaza Strip (Speech by Ambassador Dennis Ross, University of Michigan, March 13, 2005).

The Jews who live in the West Bank certainly do not believe the evacuation of Gaza is meant to solidify their position. On the contrary, the reason so many Jews in Judea and Samaria have been so virulently defending the rights of the 7,500-8,500 Jews living in Gaza is precisely because they see their removal as a precedent that will eventually be followed in the West Bank Sharon has only expressed commitments to retain the large settlement blocs that the overwhelming majority of Israelis agree should be incorporated into Israel, and many of the Jews living in smaller, isolated communities see the disengagement as the first step toward their eventual evacuation.

This article can be found at http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/myths/mf22.html#ooo

Source: Myths & Facts Online -- A Guide to the Arab-Israeli Conflict by Mitchell G. Bard, http://www.JewishVirtualLibrary.org. 

 ------------------

 

 

Jewish and Israeli Links:

 

A great resource on all things Jewish: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/news.html

The best Jewish site for Jewish learning: http://www.myjewishlearning.com

Jewish Identity Databases: http://pages.infinit.net/jackross/jt-judaism.htm

 

THE MOTHERLODE OF ISRAEL-RELATED LINKS: http://www.israel.org/mfa/go.asp?MFAH00kj0

 

Israel Defense Force, http://www.idf.il/
Israel Government Gateway, links to Government Ministries, www.info.gov.il/eng
Israel Knesset, http://www.knesset.gov.il/
Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, http://www.mfa.gov.il/
Israel Prime Minister's Office, http://www.pmo.gov.il/
Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, www.cbs.gov.il/engindex.htm
Israel Tourism Ministry, North America, http://www.goisrael.com/
Buy Israeli Products, http://www.israelexport.org/, http://www.shopinisrael.com/,
        http://www.finefoodsisrael.com/
Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies, www.tau.ac.il/jcss
Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, http://www.besacenter.org/
Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, http://www.jcpa.org/
One Jerusalem, http://www.onejerusalem.org/
Twenty Facts about Israel
Myths & Facts: A Guide to the Arab-Israeli Conflict
Jerusalem Archaeological Park, http://www.archpark.org.il/

Israel Education resources for all ages – wonderful collection http://www.myisraelsource.com/

USA:

Israel Info Center - Israel Activism Portal, www.israelinfocenter.com/
US White House, http://www.whitehouse.gov/
US State Department, http://www.state.gov/
US Senate, http://www.senate.gov/
US House of Representatives, http://www.house.gov/
THOMAS (search for US Legislation), thomas.loc.gov
United Nations Watch, http://www.unwatch.org/
Embassy of Israel - Washington, D.C., http://www.embassyofisrael.org/

Media-Related Links:

CAMERA, http://www.jcpa.org/daily/www.camera.org
Jerusalem Post, http://www.jpost.com/
Jewish Telegraphic Agency, http://www.jta.org/
Ha'aretz English Edition, http://www.haaretzdaily.com/
HonestReporting.com, http://www.honestreporting.com/
Independent Media Review and Analysis, http://www.imra.org.il/
Maariv English Edition, http://www.maarivintl.com/
Middle East Media Research Institue (MEMRI), http://www.memri.org/
Palestinian Media Watch, http://www.pmw.org.il/
Britain-Israel Communications and Research Centre,
    http://www.bicom.org.uk/bicom/briefings.nsf
Israel Insider, http://www.israelinsider.com/
Jewish World Review, http://www.jewishworldreview.com/
America's Voices in Israel, http://www.americasvoices.net/
@The Source Israel, http://www.thesourceisrael.com/

 

Other Jewish Sites

Data JEM – an GEM for Jewish Education! Database for  Jewish educational materials: http://www.datajem.com/visitor/IntroPage.asp

The best Jewish kids' site on the Web is http://www.babaganewz.com/ , with games, virtual tours and “J-Pod” downloads, kids of all ages will LOVE it.   

Another superb educational site is http://www.myjewishlearning.com/ -- you can be a self-taught “maven” on all things Jewish!

See My Jewish Learning's Talmud section for great resources on the Talmud.

See Eliezer Siegal's Talmud Page for the best visual introduction to a page of Talmud anywhere.

A Jewish Guide to the Internet: http://www.uscj.org/metny/bellmobj/jnet2.htm

On Jewish Vegetarianism and Animal Rights: http://jewishveg.com/schwartz/ (hey, you KNEW I’d put this one in)

How many Jewish hockey players are there? (None right now…there’s a lockout).  Find out at http://www.jewishsports.com/

Glossary of Yiddish Expressions: http://www.ariga.com/yiddish.shtml  )Please be patient, this page is farshtopt with information)

You can find an online Hebrew dictionary at http://milon.morfix.co.il/

Nice Jewish parenting site http://jewishfamily.com/

http://www.jewishgates.com/main.asp  Jewish Gates is an amazing site, filled with material on Jewish history, ritual and culture. Go straight to the linked index at http://www.jewishgates.com/fullindex.asp and go to town!

http://www.zipple.com/  The Jewish Super Site; a similar site is http://www.maven.co.il/ and my personal all-time favorite,

http://shamash.org/trb/judaism.html 

The sourcebook for Jewish history (all periods) can be found at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/jewish/jewishsbook.html

Online Texts Related to Jewish History.  All the primary sources “fit to print.”

Links to all the Jewish newspapers that are fit to print: http://www.jta.org/page_newspapers.asp

Israel Campus Beat – to get all the latest information on Israel relevant to students on college campuses

http://jokes.jewish.net/ - the best place on the planet to find Jewish Jokes

Conservative Responsa (fascinating decisions related to applying Jewish Law to our times):

               U.S. (Committee for Law and Jerwish Standards): http://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/law/teshuvot_public.html

               Israel (Masorti – Schechter Institute): http://www.responsafortoday.com/eng_index.html

Superb booklet for visiting the sick and for healing in general: http://netivotshalom.org/drashot/rkelman/Bikkur.pdf

 

 

Want to know the real story behind living in Israel? Not the politics, the conflict, the security fence or disengagement from Gaza, but what it's like for people going about their day to day lives in a country as full of cultural and social revolutions as Israel? Then welcome to ISRAEL21c's new blog - Israelity.

 

OPPORTUNITIES FOR ONLINE JEWISH STUDY 

 

         

 

• Distance learning at JTS
• eAcademy Israel Studies
• Guided Learning Mini Courses
• Halakhah Study Group (RA in Israel)
• Hashkafah Study Group (RA in Israel)
• Jewish Interactive Studies
• Jewish Online and Interactive Learning 
• Jewish University in Cyberspace (JUICE) 
• Mishnah Yomit Study a Mishnah a day
• Perek Yomi Study a Bible passage a day 
• Rabin Mishnah Study Group (RA in Israel) 
• The Virtual Bet Midrash at Yeshivat Har Etzion

Davenning Resources – compiled in part by The Shefa Network: The Conservative Jewish Activist's Network (a forum for passionate Conservative Jews to reflect together as they increase creative energy within the Conservative Movement's environments in an effort to bring a healthy non-institutional perspective to the worlds of Conservative Jews).

Audio Siddur: an unbelievable collection of Davenning audio files by Rabbi Mark H. Zimmerman.

SixThirteen.org: A wonderful davenning resource created by Chavurat Kol Zimrah, with the intention of enabling individuals and communities to lead
and participate in their own exuberant and melodious Friday Night Services.

VirtualCantor.com: The purpose of this site is to promote the proliferation of Nusach and to make a Nusach readily accessible to those who have a
desire to learn and a desire to deepen their Judaism. This site is a volunteer work in progress.

Davenning Files from the DC Minyan: Several MP3 files recorded (with the great help of Kehilat Hadar), that review the Friday night and Shabbat
morning davenning, as well as detailed instructions for service leaders.  We hope these will be valuable both to those who have led before and
would like to review, as well as to those who are learning to lead for the first time.

Ellie's Torah Trope Tutor will teach you the tunes for each of the Torah cantillation marks for Torah and Haftorah, Megillah and High Holiday
Torah reading.

Navigating the Bible II offers audio recordings of all Torah readings, complete with vocalized Hebrew text, a copy of the text without vocalization,
transliteration, and translation.

FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS… AND EVERYONE ELSE

A phenomenal new Israel publication. It was created by a Canadian student organization. The majority of the publication is relevant for an American audience. I highly recommend printing the publication and distributing it.

http://www.studentsfordemocracy.ca/site_files/book.pdf

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Frogs are Jumping Everywhere

And Hopping On Over To

Temple Beth El’s Community Seder.

Why Don’t You?

Second Night Community Seder

Sunday, April 24, 2005 at 6:45 p.m.

 

Come to our seder and have some fun

Sharing matzoh and goodies with everyone!

Rabbi Hammerman and Cantor Jacobson will lead this night

And we’ll daven and eat to our hearts’ delight! (*Margery Gussak is catering!)

Please click and complete the Congregational Second Seder reservation and send it with your check,by April 15^th.

All who are Hungry…Let them come and eat!

We are looking to reach out to shut-ins and others in our community who may not have a Seder to go to, so we can invite them to our congregational Second Seder.  If you know of anyone, please contact me at rabbi@tbe.org

Shop For All of Your Passover Needs

at the

TBE Sisterhood Gift Shop

Seder Plates

Matzah Plates

Beautiful Matzah Covers

Afikomen Bags

Elijah and Miriam Cups

Aprons, Napkins and Oven Mitts

Singing “Matzah Man”

Large stock of Haggadahs, including:

Noam Zion’s “A Different Night”

(the Haggadah used at TBE’s seder)

Children’s Items:

Plague Bags

Toy Frogs

Books, Music and Activities

Plague Finger Puppets and Masks

Afikomen Prizes

Shop hours are:

Monday & Thursday 4pm-6pm

Sunday 10:30am – 1pm

PLEASE NOTE:

Since there is no Hebrew School Sunday April 17^th and the following week

the Shop will be open only by appointment that week

Please call Mia Weinstein at 595-0528

(The Gift Shop will be closed during Passover)

MEN’S CLUB SCHOLARSHIP

2005 TBE Men’s Club Scholarships

Please let your graduating students and their friends know that these scholarships are available. 

The Men’s Club awards two scholarships annually.  Both are available to all Jewish students in the greater Stamford community. 

Applications are available at the Temple Beth El office and through the Stamford area high school offices.  Applications must be submitted to guidance counselors by May 6, 2005, and to the Scholarship Committee by May 20, 2005.

Support Stamford Cancer Patients & Their Families.  Join the Temple Beth El team on Sunday June 5^th for the 10^th annual Bennett Cancer Center Walk & Run.  Call Nancy Rosenberg 325-8836 or Beth Silver 967-8852 for details.  All Welcome!  It’s a lot of fun for a great cause!  Walk or run at your own pace!

 

 

 

Last chance to submit your delicious recipes for the cookbook!!  Please submit your recipes on the internet by clicking on this link:  http://www.tbe.org/site/pages/recipe_submit.htm.  Or send your recipes to the Temple Office.  Call Beth Silver if you have questions at 967-8852.

This is a reminder that the Fairfield County Jewish Little League will be having our Tryouts and Practice for our Grade 2 - Grade 7 kids this Sunday, April 17th at 1:30pm at Rippowam Middle School in

Stamford.   Please plan to have the kids there by 1:15pm so we can

start on time.

 

KIDS SIGNED UP FOR T-BALL (PreK/K/G1) DO NOT NEED TO ATTEND.

 

Do you know someone who has NOT yet signed up?   Bring a friend to

the Tryouts on Sunday and if you sign them up - they will get a

discounted $55 registration fee.   Current registration fee is $70

as the early bird sign-up period has ended.

 

Please note that all Games scheduled for this season will be played at THE BALL FIELD AT AGUDATH SHOLOM on Colonial Road in Stamford

(Just East of Agudath Sholom and Gan Yeladim).    Plans are in the

works for getting these fields ready for prime time.  This clean- up/field prep is a joint effort between Agudath Sholom, FCCJLL and the Stamford Adult Soccer League.

 

We are so pleased to have kids from all over lower Fairfield County signed up.  This includes kids from the following Shuls and Schools:

- Congregation Agudath Sholom

- Temple Beth El (Stamford)

- Young Israel of Stamford

- Temple Beth El (Norwalk)

- Temple Shalom (Greenwich)

- Temple Israel (Westport)

- Conservative Synagogue of Westport

- Bi-Cultural Day School

- Westchester Fairfield Hebrew Academy

- Bedford Middle School

- Weston Middle School

- Hillel Academy

- Whitby School

- Mead School

 

Our season starts on Sunday May 8th.

 

Our website is:

http://www.congregationagudathsholom.org/fccjll.htm

 

Please contact Seth Marlowe (League Commissioner) at sethmarlowe@yahoo.com with any questions.

Joke for the Week

When the Jews were in the wilderness after leaving Egypt, God created the manna to eat.

It miraculously tasted like anything the person eating it could wish for [according to rabbinical tradition].

And still the Jews complained.

So God created Manischewitz.

It featured many different products, all of which looked very different. But miraculously, they all tasted exactly the same.

Previous Shabbat-O-Grams can be accessed directly from our web site (www.tbe.org)

 

 

The Web link for this week's Shabbat-O-Gram is - http://www.tbe.org/site/sog/050415.htm - The site is continually updated during the week with corrections and additions.  Feel free to forward this link to your friends. People can subscribe to the weekly Shabbat-O-Gram at www.tbe.org, where you can also find some of my other writings and sermons. You can also check out my recent books, thelordismyshepherd.com : Seeking God in Cyberspace and I Have Some Questions About God