Shabbat-O-GramJanuary 25, 2001

 Shabbat Shalom!

Today (Thursday) is Rosh Hodesh Shevat.  This Hebrew month contains the New Year for Trees, Tu B'Shevat, a signal to all of us that, despite the snow and ice, Spring is not too far away...  To learn more about this environment-friendly celebration, hug a tree at the JTS Web site, http://learn.jtsa.edu/tubshevat.  And for those who impatient, my officiial, authoritative Super Bowl prediction is found at the bottom of this e-mail.

A SPECIAL WELCOME
This week, our e-mail list has almost doubled in size, with the addition of over 175 congregants who provided e-mail addresses for the recently published congregational directory.  From here on, any member who provides us with an e-mail address will automatically be included on the list, just as we would automatically send snail mail to all members who provide us with a land address.  Naturally, anyone wishing to be deleted from this list simply has to click on reply and write "unsubscribe."  In keeping with the pledge that we have made in the past, we will not inundate you with e-mail, sending this weekly Shabbat-O-Gram, plus occasional important announcements (including funeral notices) as necessary, and we will keep your e-mail address private.  Now that we have the capacity to reach more than half of our membership online, it will add to the feeling of open, two-way communication that the Internet can provide, as we strive to become, by every measure, a synagogue without walls.  If you know of congregants who are not yet receiving this, including college students, young adults or teens who might wish to be included on our special lists for those groups, please let me know.

JUST THE FACTS

Candle lighting Friday: 4:48 PM (8 minutes later than last week. Fret not; spring is on the way!)
Kabbalat Shabbat service: 8:00, in the chapel
Shabbat Morning: 9:30, in the LOBBY (dress can be casual, as we do with our lobby services) -- this is a change from our original calendar, by popular demand, and it is a "Family Service," one of our monthly services led almost entirely by congregants.  It will be followed by a scrumptious lunch, prepared exclusively by congregants.  The lunch is free, of course, but if you would like to sponsor it to mark a simcha, or just like that, contact Roberta at execdir@tbe.org.
Children's Services: 10:30 (in the Chapel and Kindergarten room).  Last week's special parent-child service led by Laura Berman was very enthusiastically received.  We will be doing more of those, with the schedule to be announced soon.
Daily Minyan: Sunday at 9, weekday mornings at 7:30, in the chapel

This Week's Torah Portion: Va-Era
The "Learn Torah With" commentary on this portion can be found at
http://www.torahaura.com/Bible/here__/LTW_5761/LTW_5761_Va-Era/ltw_5761_va-era.html

BDT: BRIEF D'VAR TORAH: Speaking Truth to Power...and Hope to the Powerless
Last week I introduced you to the "Table Talk" series, an excellent way to bring Torah discussion to your Shabbat dinner table.  It's located at http://uahc.org/shabbat/#table. Here is one question raised there in regard to this week's portion:

Several years ago, Eli Wiesel spoke to then President Reagan concerning Reagan's planned visit to the Bitberg Cemetery in Germany which included graves of Nazi airmen. Wiesel discouraging Reagan's visit said, "I must speak Truth to Power." Moses was speaking truth to power when he spoke with Pharaoh. How do you speak truth to power when it comes to parents? To teachers? To other people in authority? What might be the cost of telling the truth?

This question is even more relevant, given Wiesel's heart-felt and courageous op-ed in the New York Times this week about Jerusalem, found online at http://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/24/opinion/24WIES.html.

Wiesel, the Nobel Peace Laureate, has spent the better part of half a century being the conscience of the Jewish people.  His comments to Reagan carried immense moral weight, as did his defense of innocent Moslems in Bosnia at the time when the Holocaust Museum was dedicated.  His comments this week, though directed more at us than others, are equally powerful.  Moses had a doubly difficult job in encountering Pharaoh.  He had to convince Pharaoh that he (and God) meant business, and then he had to convince his own people to believe.  And to do this, all God gave Moses was a couple of two-bit joke store gimmicks; you know, the old rod-turns-to-snake-trick.  In the end, neither Pharoah nor the Israelites were easily convinced. 

Now Wiesel faces a task as daunting as Moses faced.  He's already succeeded in speaking truth to power, but he now needs to speak the calming words of faith to this own people, powerless as we are to change the bitter reality of perpetual strife in Israel.  His charge: to give realistic hope to the hopeless.  First, that means speaking the truth, the bitter truth, that it looks like Oslo has run its course.  In fact, Oslo did much of what it was supposed to do: it exposed the true intentions of Arafat before it was too late.  But the red line that the Palestinians now insist that we cross is Jerusalem, and Wiesel reminded all of us, including those who would give almost anything for peace, just why Jerusalem is our heart and soul.  Some of his historic references (specifically to 1948) are now hotly debated among historians, but no one can question his love for Zion and love for peace, and that that combination has sustained all of Israel through decades of war and rejection.

It is not enough to speak the truth to the powerful.  Wiesel's brilliant piece also gives us hope, reminding us that, for the Jewish people, a quarter century is just the blink of an eye.  And maybe, if peace is built incrementally, a quarter century from now we'll be able at long last to find a way to share even the holiest of holy places.  Maybe then, but not now.  Maybe an interim agreement now that will help to separate the populations now, but not there.  Not Jerusalem.  Not yet.  Maybe not ever. 

To understand the depths of Wiesel''s feelings, you have to have walked the streets of the holy city.  Israel is aching for tourism, and I would implore you to consider going on one of the solidarity tours being offered by the United Jewish Communities, among other groups, or on your own.  All reports I hear from people who have been there recently are that the country is as beautiful as ever, but that the people definitely need a morale boost that tourism could bring.  My own schedule has made it difficult for me to go this year, but our Birthright Israel Teen Tour is still a "go" for this summer (see below), and some quickly arranged solidarity trip of adults might be possible here if there is interest.

Here's another hopeful sign: If ever we felt that some things can never change, all we have to do is look eastward for some solace.  No, not to Jerusalem, but to, of all places, the Kremlin.  Yes, the fortress of Stalin and Lenin has made its kitchen kosher in preparation for the visit of the Israeli President, just a quarter century after Sharansky and the other Prisoners of Zion (whom Wiesel once called "the Jews of Silence") began to speak truth to power at the very same Kremlin.  If that can happen, well, ANYTHING can happen, even peace between Israel and her neighbors.  A Kosher Kremlin?  Who would've thunk it?  Add another "Shehechianu moment" to the list!

IMPORTANT DATES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Israel Teen Tour
On Thursday, Feb 1, from 7:00-8:30 PM, there will be an informational meeting for our Israel 2001 Teen Tour.  Parents and teens will be hearing from Dr. Joe Freedman, director, Ramah Programs in Israel.  He'll address the questions that are on everyone's mind regarding security and discuss itinerary changes that have been implemented in light of recent events.  Once again our federation has been selected as a Birthright Israel pilot community, meaning that extensive scholarships of approx. $1,500 will be available to participants.  It is quite possible that these scholarships will not be available in the future.  Given this, and in light of the phenomenal success of last year's tour, it is vital that we give this tour every chance of succeeding if it possibly can.  So, if you have any interest at all, this Thursday is the time to come, to listen and to ask.

Sisterhood Shabbat is being held on Feb. 10, with a special emphasis women's issues, the crossing of the Red Sea and Tu B'Shevat.  Come and see a dramatic presentation, "The Great Gender Shift."

Atid (grades K,2) Havdalah and movie night, this Saturday, Jan. 27 at 6:30 (rescheduled from last week)
Board, Ritual Committee Strategic Planning Retreat, Sunday, Jan. 28,  9:30 AM (at Mark Lapine's office)
Tot Shabbat, Feb. 2, at 7:15 PM
Grade Four Shabbaton, Feb. 2-3
Children's Concert (Rick Recht), Feb. 4
Kesher (grades 3-5) Goes Vertical: Feb 4
Special Shabbat Service for Young Couples, led by our student cantor, Laura Berman: Feb 9, at 8:00 PM

DO A DRASH
Want to learn how to interpret the Torah? Always want to know who Rashi really was?  Even if you never wish actually to stand up in front of people and pontificate, you can still learn how to "Do a Drash" at a special one hour seminar I'll be leading on Sunday, Feb. 11 at 10 AM.  If the group wishes, we might expand the class into a more substantial workshop on later dates -- but first things first.  Let the school office know if you are interested.

They told me to add Saturday March 3 to this "save the date" list.  Don't know why.  Must be because the Teen Service will be that morning.

BETH EL CARES ISRAEL WRITING PROJECT
Pick up Beth El Cares note cards in the office and write a note of support and friendship to an Israeli soldier.  Bring it back here and we will send it over to Israel. where the cards will be distributed among the embattled troops.  Adults and children can participate, in English or Hebrew, or, for young children, a simple picture will be just fine.  Special thanks to Rabbi Holman's fourth grade class at the Bi-Cultural Day School for their participation in this project.

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS
A week ago, I mentioned that following the Shabbaton, some people had suggested that we gather a small group of people who might be interested in discussing our struggles in building meaningful Jewish lives for ourselves and our families.  I received about a dozen enthusiastic responses immediately, primarily from couples with babies or slightly older children, and we are now planning a get-together in the near future for those families.  There was some (but not yet enough) interest expressed by singles and empty-nesters.  I'd love to help plan more of these, for all groupings, including possibly ones for interfaith couples, singles of various age groups, and anyone else.  If you would like to be part of such a gathering, let me know.   

ADL SPEAKER ON ANTISEMITISM
...In fact, we already have such a discussion group and it has been active for over 30 years. This Sunday at 7:30 in our library, the Beth El Discussion Group will be hosting Joel Kay, an attorney for the Anti-Defamation League, whose topic will be, "The Global Anti-Semitic Scene."  All are most welcome to attend.

REQUIRED READING ON THE WEB (If you find something exciting of a Jewish interest (including relevant non-Jewish sites), send them along!

1) FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE

Remember "Friday Night Live" with Craig Taubman?  We hosted it exactly a year ago, and here's a recent article from the Forward on what FNL is accomplishing back in L.A. now: 
http://www.forward.com/issues/2001/01.01.19/news4.html
The spirit of FNL lives on here, in that we'll be hosting a special, contemporary-style service especially for young couples on Friday, Feb. 9 at 8:00.  It will take place in the lobby (our regular service will be held in the chapel as usual).  This service will be led by our student cantor, Laura Berman.  If it proves successful, undoubtedly we'll be expanding the program to offer it to other groups, including singles.

2) DEAR PRESIDENT BUSH...
Check out Sh'ma, an excellent journal of Jewish discussion, for this month's dialogue, at http://www.shma.com
I especially liked the letter to President Bush penned by Susan Weidman Schneider of Lillith Magazine.  From Sh'ma you can click right to one of its sister publications...

3) SOCIALACTION.COM
...at http://socialaction.com/torahteach.html.  There you'll find some excellent, action-oriented Torah commentaries.  This effort is being coordinated by Rabbi Sue Fendrick, who was our guest at an in-house Shabbaton we held here two years ago.  (Does that make the last one an "out-house" Shabbaton?)... 

4) JEWZ
...And while you're at it check out the brand new online hub of Jewish activity, http://www.jewz.com/, which is also part of the Jewish Family and Life network of Web sites.  It is just about to launch but already you'll find lots there for families, kids, teens, young adults in their 20's and 30's, interfaith families, you name it.  Definitely worth a look.

5) JBOOKS
One more of this JFL network of great Jewish sites is this new one, featuring the latest in books of interest to Jewish readers.  It's at http://www.jbooks.com/ and this issue features a review of our own Alvin Rosenfeld's recent book, "Hyper-Parenting" (which was also featured in this week's Newsweek).  This site was launched in November. 

6) JEWISH WEEK
If you are interested seeing in my latest column in the Jewish Week, it's at http://www.thejewishweek.com/top/editletcontent.php3?artid=1008.  Some of you may remember the context of the piece from my Kol Nidre sermon.  While you are there, something else of interest is just a click away, at http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/newscontent.php3?sec=Books

7) BETH EL IS FEATURED
Thanks to Sherry Shamir's publicity efforts for the recent Cantor's Concert, we have been chosen as a featured community this week at the statewide home page at http://www.ctnow.com. Go there, click on "communities," and look for us!

FINALLY: GIANTS OR RAVENS?  QUOTH THE MAVEN: HERE'S THE JEWISH VIEW...
There are different ways to approach this.  Which city has more Jews?  Baltimore or New York?  Or is it Baltimore or Hackensack? One thing for sure, Baltimore and New York couldm well be the most densely populated Jewish communities in the country (Of course, Bostonian Jews are far less dense).  But, even assuming population matters, would God wish to have the city with more Jews celebrate -- or suffer? 

So let's look to the sources for guidance.  Ravens and Giants play important roles in our history.  In the Torah, the raven (o'rev) is mentioned among the unkosher birds in Leviticus 11:15 (so the Giants can't eat 'em for dinner), and Noah sent out a raven from the ark to scout for dry land. It "went to and fro until the waters dried from the earth."  Sounds like a solid air attack. The raven did all the dirty work, and the dove, which went out only after the waters had subsided, got all the credit.  Did you know that meal spikes were placed on the roof of the Temple in Jerusalem to prevent ravens, undoubtedly attracted to the remains of the sacrificial offerings, from sitting there and disturbing services with their raucous cries.  If the Giants wear metal spikes on Sunday, that could be a good omen for them.  Isaiah (34:11) saw the raven as a sign presaging bad tidings, but ravens actually fed Elijah when he hid in a brook (Kings 17:2-6). 

Giants are called both Nefilim and Anakim in the Torah.  The Nefilim were mythic humanoids that filled the earth before the flood, much like the Titans of Greek mythology (a Giant-Titan Super Bowl would have been a doozy), while the Anakim petrified the Israelite spies who went to scout out the land in the book of Numbers.  There is one other giant of note in the Bible.  His name was Goliath and the less said about him, the better for Giants fans.  But it isn't just Goliath who bit the dust, folks.  When Rashi tried to explain the term Nifilim, he related it to the Hebrew word "nafal," "to fall."  The Nefilim, then, are the "fallen ones," men of renown who led society toward the depravity that resulted in the flood, which brought us Noah, which brought us that unsung hero of the whole thing, none other than the raven.

You can see where this is heading. It says here -- which in Hebrew is "poe," as in Edgar Allan -- that I'm afraid, from the Jewish perspective, that it looks as if it will be "Once upon a midnight dreary" for the Giants, who will na-fall to the Ravens.  Now, what about the points?  Of course I do not advocate betting, but since the Nefilim are mentioned in Genesis 6, and the raven is mentioned two chapters later, I look for a 2-point difference.  How will it happen?  Listen to Poe: "While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping."  So, late into the night, if there is poe-etic justice in the universe, the Ravens will win on a last-second toe-tapping field goal of 47 yards and then dedicate their victory to Scott Norwood.  Who is he?  Well, ask any Giants fan.

So, to reiterate, Quoth the Maven, "Ravens by 2."

I will make one prediction that is an iron-clad sure-thing.  The game's MVP, from either team, will say he's going to Disney World, then will assure us that Jesus was rooting for his team to win all along.

A Super Shabbat Shalom
JH
---------------------------

This Shabbat-O-Gram goes out weekly to about 425 congregants and others, plus to a college student list of about 60.  Please feel free to forward it to your friends, and if you know of any congregant, college student or anyone else who might wish to be included, please have them e-mail me at my temple address, rabbi@tbe.org.
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The Same Page (Jewish Week)

The Jewish Week, January 23 2001

I have an alter ego, a person whom I’ve never met whose life has been the mirror image of mine. I’m a rabbi/ journalist who’s just written my first book, about rediscovering family and seeking spirituality in cyberspace. He’s a journalist who also recently wrote his first book, about the rediscovery of family and seeking his own spiritual roots. Our first names are Joshua. I’m Hammerman and he’s Hammer. He writes for Newsweek. I used to dream of doing just that. Now, through an astonishing series of discoveries, I’ve found that, in so many other ways, we’re on the same page.

I’d been casually following my double’s life for a few years, ever since I first glimpsed his byline. When I saw it, I blinked in amazement, thinking it at first a misprint, then as an eerie reflection of my own double life. You see, twenty years ago, desperately needing to escape the mind-spinning esoterica of rabbinical school, I ditched the ivory tower a few nights a week and headed downtown to N.Y.U’s journalism program. By day I immersed myself in hair-splitting dialectic about the proper preparation of Matzah, and by night I covered the murder trial of Jean Harris and suicides at Rikers Island. I was living in two time zones, caught between the world as it is and the world as it ought to be. I loved it and dreamed both of becoming an influential religious leader and a globetrotting correspondent for Newsweek, sort of a Hunter Thompson meets Gandhi.

Then reality intervened. I completed both programs and had to decide: Would I be covering fires in Podunk (in the hopes of ending up back in New York), or training Bar Mitzvahs in Peekskill (in the hopes of ending up back in New York)? The rabbinate was the more comfortable option. My father, a cantor, had succeeded in the religion biz and had raised me to follow suit, although the choice ultimately was mine. To an extent, then, like any good Gore, Bush, or Griffey, my path was environmentally preordained.

It was one thing to see Hammer’s byline and laugh off the irony of his living out my journalistic dream. But about a year ago, when friends began to congratulate me on a book I hadn’t written, I decided to pick up a copy of Hammer’s memoir, began to read, and things got serious. I discovered that not only do we share nearly identical names, we have lived nearly identical lives. His autobiography held a mirror up to my own story, distorted slightly, but even then in analogous ways. We were born and became Bar Mitzvah months apart, went to Ivy League schools (Hammer to Princeton, Hammerman to Brown), and then entered the family business – his father was a journalist. In the early ‘80s we lived in Jerusalem at exactly the same time, frequented the same Old City hummos joints and encountered the same annoying Jewish evangelist at the Western Wall.

Hammer’s book chronicles his developing relationship with a very secular and rebellious brother, who became far more observant while in Israel and later moved to Muncie, N.Y. My sister followed a similar path, though she ended up on the West Bank. At the time we were all in Jerusalem, however, our siblings lived in the same quaint neighborhood, the tiny enclave of Nachlaot. I could well have bumped into my other self at the corner pita stand.

When I finished the book I thought about contacting Hammer to share some of these amazing coincidences. After a couple of half-hearted attempts to track him down, I gave up. What, after all, could I have said? “Hello, you’ve lived my life,” just didn’t seem appropriate.

Then, when my book came out several weeks ago, I proudly clicked onto Amazon.com to revel in my immortality. The book was there, but the author was listed as…Joshua Hammer. I emailed my publisher frantically and then started checking other book outlets on the Web. Barnes and Noble? Joshua Hammer. Borders? Joshua Hammer. For several days, the cyber-gods apparently had determined that the author of my book would be my alter ego. The mess was eventually cleared up; but then, three weeks later, it was Hammer Time again back at Amazon – this time with a twist: my name was there too, listed alongside. Hammer and Hammerman: the two Joshuas, on the same page at last.

I wondered how this might impact sales. What a novelty! Two authors, one name. If the co-author listed had been Stephen King, I might have let the matter rest. But this was getting ridiculous. I was beginning to wonder who I really am, when, as I was writing down these thoughts – and I kid you not – my refreshingly precocious 9-year old, Ethan, walked into the room, looked over my shoulder and asked, “Who is Joshua Hammer? Is he the same as you?”

Yes, I thought. He is the same as me. He journeyed where I might have gone, had not my upbringing conspired to steer me toward a different place. Yet, somehow, we ended up on the same street in Jerusalem and on the same Web page on Amazon, side by side, co-authors of a story not yet fully written.

With all that we’ve shared, Joshua Hammer has probably never heard of me (until someone sends him this article, I suppose). I’d love to meet him, but maybe it’s enough to know that our lives already have touched. I’m beginning to understand that we Joshuas are not the only ones living on Hammer Time. Inevitably, there are no degrees of separation. Ultimately, all parallel universes converge.

Shabbat-O-Gram, January 11, 2001

This Shabbat-O-Gram goes out weekly to about 250 congregants and others, plus, on occasion, to a college student list of about 50. If you know of any congregant, college student or anyone else who does not get this mailing and might be interested, please have them e-mail me at my temple address, rabbi@tbe.org.

Shabbat Shalom!  A special welcome back to campus for our students on the college list, including a few new ones that I've dug up since last semester ended. 

By popular demand (actually, one person requested it, but what the hay), we begin with...

JUST THE FACTS

Candle lighting Friday: 4:32 PM
Kabbalat Shabbat service (here): 8:00
Shabbat Morning (here): 9:30
Children's Services: 10:30 (there will be one consolidated children's service only this week, led by Bert Madwed in the chapel)
We celebrate the Bar Mitzvah of Jonathan Koretz.  Mazal Tov to Jonathan and his family!
Torah Portion: VA - YECHI

The Learn Torah With D'var Torah can be found at
http://www.torahaura.com/Bible/here__/LTW_5761/ltw_5761_Va-Yehi/ltw_5761_va-yehi.html
This commentary on the portion by Dr. Neil Gillman of JTS is a moving tribute to his mentor, Abraham Joshua Heschel, whose yahrzeit is commemorated this week.  By extension, any tribute for Heschel also evokes the memory of his friend, Dr. Martin Luther King, whose birthday we also mark this weekend.

Shabbat ends on Saturday night at 5:32 PM

LOBBY SERVICES

Our experiment with less-formal Shabbat morning services in the lobby has proven to be a big hit, so much so that the ritual committee this week decided to schedule a few more during the winter.  Also, when we are in the main sanctuary (on a non-Bar/Bat Mitzvah week), we'll now be roping off the sections near the windows to promote more "togetherness" in the central sections.

SHABBATON

Nearly 150 of us, a virtual sellout, will be spending part of the weekend on our first congregational off-site Shabbaton.  Check-in begins at 3:30 PM on Friday at Holiday Hills.  To whet our appetites for the speaker, Dr Jack Wertheimer, here is a review sent by a rabbinic colleague of Jack's appearance at his synagogue just last weekend:
"He was incredible.  Our event attendance started out at “incredibly good” at his keynote presentation, and just got better and better over the weekend.  People are already asking to bring him back.  The presentations all were top-drawer quality; we addressed the realities of the Conservative Synagogue, the conflict between Jewish and American values, and the latest information relating to intermarriage.  In short, there was not a single lightweight presentation to be had. Not only did Jack wave the flag, people stood and saluted."
Of course, our attendance will not vary from beginning to end -- but there are still a few openings available for last-minute reservations.  If you were looking for something to nudge a fellow family member over the fence, show 'em this review. 

D'VAR TORAH (courtesy of Rabbi Brad Artson)

Today’s Torah
By: Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson
from the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies

Jews have always been a community drawn together by virtue of Torah. No matter where you may be, we welcome you to the Ziegler community through Today’s Torah e-mail.

Shabbat Parashat Vayechi
January 13, 2000 - 18 Tevet 5761
For the Love of a Patriarch

Put yourself in Jacob’s place.  Laying on his death bed, he is filled with apprehensions about the special way of understanding God and the world that his grandfather, Abraham, established.  It wasn’t so long ago, he must have mused, that everyone worshipped a multiplicity of deities, that people sacrificed children to their gods, that they gashed themselves with knives as part of a religious fervor, that cultic prostitution was an integral part of worship.

Abraham’s insight changed all that.  By recognizing that the diversity of nature is only apparent, that beneath that variety is an underlying unity, Abraham was able to recognize that all things are linked to that one source of life, and that Source, God, demands justice, morality and compassion.  He and Sarah were able to transmit that heritage to only one of their sons, to Isaac.  Isaac and Rebecca were able to pass this vital truth on to only one of their sons, to Jacob, who was also known as Israel.

And now, nearing the end of his life, the weary patriarch must have feared for the future of this precious insight.  His twelve sons were an unlikely source of religious heroes.  Marred by their propensity toward violence, their explosive tempers and their jealousy, they had given Israel abundant cause for alarm throughout their young adulthood.  Could he trust them to hold fast to the central legacy of Judaism, one God who is passionate about ethics, who infuses moral fervor with ritual profundity?

Just before he is about to die, Jacob summons his children to gather around his bed.  He tells his sons, “Come together, that I may tell you what is to befall you in days to come.”  Then, rather than beginning his list of predictions, he interposes the comment, “Assemble and hearken, O sons of Jacob; ve-shim’u el Yisrael avichem (Hearken to Israel, your father).”

The Rabbis were struck by the unexpected disruption.  Why didn’t Israel simply continue with his predictions for each son?  They also noticed that the language of this digression sounded very much like one of Judaism’s most famous declarations, “Sh’ma Yisrael.”  That had to be more than coincidence.

Midrash Devarim Rabbah makes explicit why Israel digresses, and why this verse echoes the lines of the Sh’ma.  From where did the Jewish People merit to recite the Sh’ma?  From the death of Jacob, who called all the tribes and said to them, “Perhaps after I perish from the world, you will worship other deities?”  The sons responded to their father, “Hear, O Israel, Adonai is our God, Adonai alone.”

The Rabbis used the fact that the third patriarch, Jacob, was also called Israel.  Thus, the Sh’ma could be understood as addressed not to the Jewish People, but to Jacob himself.  The use of similar language between the Sh’ma and what Jacob says to his sons confirms that reading.  So the midrash develops a dialogue between the Patriarch and his descendants.

Fearful that they maintain a superficial loyalty to Judaism out of deference to their father, he asks them whether they will turn from Judaism once he has died.  In unison, the sons respond, “Listen, Dad, Adonai, the God our great-grandfather recognized as the exclusive sovereign of the world, is our only God.  We’ll stick with it, not for your sake, but for our own and for God’s.”
In response to his sons’ fidelity and conviction, Jacob exclaims, “Baruch Shem Kevodo l’olam va-ed (praised be God’s glorious sovereignty throughout all time).”  The Sh’ma, then, becomes a living drama in which the latest generations of Jews promises those who have come before us that our loyalty is undimmed by years, that our faithfulness to the covenant of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob, Rachel and Leah still motivates our deeds and informs our identity.

How many Jews remember keeping a kosher home to care for an observant grandparent or parent!  And how many have allowed those precious practices to evaporate, the  inheritance of millennia past vanishing in the short space of a single lifetime?  Isn’t it time to stand with the children of Jacob, swearing our renewed loyalty to the Jewish calendar, the sacred deeds and practices of our ancient heritage, to renew our loyalty to the God of Israel?

Can we, in honesty, conjure the memories of Bubbes and Zeydes, of childhood Rabbis and the great scholars, martyrs and leaders of our people throughout history and tell them that their God is still our God, that their legacy is apparent in the food we eat, the rituals we observe, and the deeds of lovingkindness that we practice?  Can we give Jacob the same assurance and comfort that his sons were able to provide?

Shabbat Shalom.


Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson is the Dean of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at the University of Judaism, a rabbinical school for the heart, mind and soul.

REQUIRED READING: If I forget thee, O Jerusalem...

Our own Jan Gaines wrote a terrific and passionate op-ed in the Stamford Advocate this week which unfortunately is not available at the Advocate's online site.  Seek it out!

From David Hartman in the Jewish Week, a noted dove, this dispassionate evaluation of peace prospects:
http://www.thejewishweek.com/top/editletcontent.php3?artid=994

From the Boston Globe, this history lesson:
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/008/oped/When_Jerusalem_was_divided+.shtml

And a letter sent by Conservative leader in Jerusalem known to many of us (he spoke to a couple of our Israel tour groups several years back), Rabbi Paul Freedman, on the huge rally that took place in Jerusalem this week.  My only regret about the rally, aside from not being there, is that the organizers did not bring in all of Israeli society.  Although the event was not overtly partisan, the omission of the entire left wing of the Israeli political spectrum from any official representation, as well as a large segment of Diaspora Jewry, lent the false impression that Jerusalem is sacred only to the right wing.  What could have been a unifying and reaffirming expression of love was tainted in that way.  Nonetheless, the fact that such a massive rally was peaceful stands in dramatic contrast to the cries coming from the throngs in Gaza and Ramallah.

Dear friend:

It is quite unprecedented for me to write to you in such a short space of time , but last night’s gathering in Jerusalem by the Jaffa Gate , was such an extraordinary experience that I just have to communicate with you while the glow is still here.
It was not a demonstration .It was , quire simply , an expression of the will of the Jewish people. Young and old , Sabras and new immigrants , Jews from abroad , religious and secular , people who had no interest in politics and those from the left and the right . No politicians , unless you count Ehud Olmert  , the Mayor of this wonderful ancient , thriving city , who spoke better last night that we ever heard him before.

According to the police at the event last night , there were between 350,000 and 400,000 people there. The crowd stretched all the way from Jaffa Gate to King George Street , and we were able to see the speakers since Nina and I arrived at 4:15 P.NM>? and stayed till the end .

It was quite clear.: the love of the Jewish people for Jerusalem and its holy sites has not only not diminished: it has increased. Speaker after speaker , those whose great  grandparents had come from Yemen in the early days of the last century , those who had come from the Former Soviet Union, those from the United States , all gave the same message: If I forget Thee , Oh Jerusalem…
And within the crowd , people who had traveled all over the country to be there , everyone sharing their life experiences and in true Israeli fashion their strong opinions , all united for once.

There was absolutely no violence. The event was superbly organized from start to the ending with HaTikvah , which all 400 , 000 sang with full hearts. What really brought tears to my eyes , in the end , was the sight of four young Israeli high school girls , their arms around each others , their shining eyes raised to the ancient walls , singing their hearts out. And every one of us knew , that all the Jews , all over the world who could not be there last night , were there in spirit. May it so continue , and may the Almighty bless His people, and all people everywhere, with His peace.
From Yerushalayim
Paul Freedman

For the latest on Israel, check out the Kol Yisrael English news, updated twice daily, at
http://www.israelradio.org/english.html

AND FINALLY, SOME "GOOD AND WELFARE" Hot off the presses....

Mazel Tov to Hazzan & Sandy Rabinowitz on the birth of a grandson,Samuel Edward (Ilan Dovid), born today to Alissa & Ed Locke.  This Brit Milah will be on Thursday in Virginia.

AND IN MEMORY OF DRS HESCHEL AND KING: A Pre-Shabbaton Meditation
From the collection of Heschel's essays, "Moral Grandeur and Spiritual Audacity" (p.55):

"To live as a Jew means to feel the soul of everything, in others and in our own existence.  And this soul requires spiritual elevation.  Everything that has within it the spirit of life longs for repair.  (We are) like candles waiting to be lit... The soul in us will not find satisfaction merely in physical fulfillment.  In each of us flckers the longing for Shabbatness, for beauty, for serenity.  Anyone who chains and represses these longings and allows the powers of the soul to disperse to no good end not only contaminates the self, but contributes to the world's destruction....

The purpose of Judaism is to destroy the instinct toward madness which lurks at the gate of the human soul, (and) to cause something of this world of divine nobility to dwell in this world....Judaism teaches that beauty which is acquired at the cost of justice in an abomination."

Amen, and Shabbat Shalom
JH

God's Portal (Jewish Week)

 

Shabbat-O-Gram, Jan 5, 2001

 Shabbat Shalom

This Shabbat-O-Gram goes out weekly to about 250 congregants and others, plus, on occasion, to a college student list of about 50.  If you know of any congregant, or anyone else, who does not get this mailing and might be interested, please have them e-mail me at  my temple address, rabbi@tbe.org (my home address will be phased out shortly).  For congregants who wish to be "in the know" about what's going on here, it is vital that they be on our list.

A MINOR FAST -- A MAJOR LESSON

Today is the 10th of Tevet, a minor fast day in the Jewish calendar.  In 587BCE, the Babylonians began their siege of Jerusalem on this day.  Given the current situation, it pays to look back at why Jerusalem fell back then and whether it was inevitable. 

At that time, Babylonia was by far the greatest power in that region and Jeremiah the prophet was convinced that they could not be defeated.  Judah was already a vassal state and was craving a return to independence.  Many of the King's military advisors felt that Judah could prevail over Babylonia in battle and urged Zedekiah to challenge the great empire.  Jeremiah called these advisors "false prophets" and dramatized his call for strategic conciliation by walking through the streets of Jerusalem chained in an ox-goad, symbolizing the yoke of Babylon.  Jeremiah's warnings were not heeded, a disastrous confrontation ensued, King Zedekiah fled, was eventually captured and made to see his sons slaughtered before being blinded and led in chains to Babylonian exile.

Not a pretty picture and one that gives us pause for reflection.  Are there lessons to be learned for our situation?  Back then, the militants expected God to come to Judah's salvation, as had happened (in their eyes) a century earlier when the Assyrians were knocking at the door, only to be turned back by a plague that struck their camp.  The Jews could not conceive of their Temple being destroyed, their Jerusalem in ruins.  And us?  As dire as things are becoming, it is equally impossible for us to imagine Israel's downfall, especially in light of the seemingly miraculous victories of 1948 and 1967.  So two lessons are apparent: 1) Don't count on miracles and 2) Yes, it could happen.  Israel is not invincible.

But is the route to salvation conciliation, even at the steep price offered by the current proposals?  I'm no Jeremiah, but it's tough to discount the fact that not once but twice in our history, the path of the zealot proved to be the wrong one, while the path of the pragmatic capitulator turned out to be right.  Jeremiah advocated giving in to the great power in his day, and Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakkai did exactly the same thing in his.  Because he did not challenge the sovereignty of the Romans in the year 70, Yochanan was given permission by Vespasian to open an academy at Yavne. From that academy emerged a new, rabbinic, Temple-free Judaism that allowed our people to survive 2000 years of exile.  While Jerusalem burned, Yochanan fiddled in Yavne -- and for that we are grateful.

This is not to say that Israel should capitulate to the Palestinians on all counts.  But we all must recognize that, powerful as Israel is,  its only hope of survival is in its special relationship with the US, which needs to be sustained virtually at all costs.  What I fear most about Ariel Sharon is that he, like Zedekiah, seems to believe that Israel can go it alone.  Maybe Sharon is a changed man in his senior years.  Given the current polls, after next month's election he will most likely have the chance to show us.

-----------------------------------------

JUST THE FACTS

Candle lighting tonight: 4:25 PM
Tot Shabbat 7:15.; Main Kabbalat Shabbat service: 8:00
IN THE EVENT OF SNOW, WE WILL NOT BE CANCELLING EITHER SERVICE.  PLEASE LISTEN TO THE RADIO AND USE YOUR OWN JUDGMENT IN DECIDING WHETHER TO COME.
Shabbat Morning: Psukey d'Zimra meditations: 9:15
Shacharit: 9:30
Children's Services: 10:30

Torah Portion: VA - YIGASH 
We'll have a discussion on gender-role issues that apply to this portion.  Good preparatory material can be found in this week's Learn Torah With, at
http://www.torahaura.com/Bible/here__/LTW_5761/LTW_5761_Va-Yigash/ltw_5761_va-yigash.html
We'll be hearing about an obscure women of legend and lore, Serah bat Asher, and we'll ask the eternal question, "Did Joseph and Jacob eat quiche?"

SHABBAT MORNING SERVICES WILL BE HELD IN THE LOBBY AND IT IS ONCE AGAIN "SWEATER DAY," WITH CASUAL BUT SHABBAT-APPROPRIATE ATTIRE ENCOURAGED. 

(Believe it or not, we had four people show up for services during last Saturday's blizzard; still we decided to add another lobby service to the schedule this week, since many could not get here last week)

SATURDAY NIGHT: Sisterhood Family Pasta Night, with Bingo and Havdalah (what a combination: we end Shabbat and immediately start gambling! I love it!), 6:30.  It looks like well over 100 people will be attending this fun annual event. 

SUNDAY
Senior's luncheon, 1:00 PM
Kesher (grades 3-5) trip to the New Haven Knights hockey game, 3:30PM. 

SHABBATON AND MAKING MEMORIES: SOME PERSONAL REFLECTIONS
We're set to go next weekend to Holiday Hills.  There are still about 5-6 spaces left!   If you are interested in joining us, or if you have signed up but didn't receive your registration packet, please let Barb know immediately (eddir@tbe.org or 322-6901 X305).  The more I think about this event, the more I am looking forward to it. 

There are basically three types of programs in synagogue life: 1) programs that fail, and I define failure as a program that evokes primarily negative feelings among those who attend, or that generates little response to begin with; 2) Programs that have good attendance and are well-received but have little lasting impact; and 3) Programs with legs, ones that are remembered far into the future.  This Shabbaton will be that rarest of occurrences, the third type of program.  Ask yourself how many synagogue events you can recall from ten years ago?  Odds are that this Shabbaton will be on that list ten years from now.  It will be recalled by our children long after they've forgotten any particular lesson learned in Hebrew School this year.  And it will be recalled by adults long after the topic of my High Holidays sermons has been relegated to the sub-conscious (it was the Shehechianu, by the way).  We are in the business of making memories; that's why our program emphasizes these informal, fun, out-of-classroom Shabbatonim for our kids, and now, at last, for the rest of us. 

And how do I know that a Shabbaton is such a high-impact event?  Because I went on them as a teen, have led them for many groups since, and I remember them all.  Does this mean that someone who attends our retreat next weekend will be a rabbi some day because of it?  Who knows, but that's not the point.  It does mean that everyone who comes will see being Jewish, and being part of our Beth El community, in an entirely new light.        And for all of us, kids and adults alike, it means that a decade from now, one very powerful memory will make us smile whenever we think about it.  With one stroke we'll have won a major victory in the quest for Jewish continuity, without even realizing it.  We'll just remember how fun it was and how good it felt to go away with 150 fellow congregants, and how by the end, we became an extended family.

So what were we waiting for?  There actually have been adult and family Shabbatons here before.  I led a few back when I was Assistant Rabbi and we've had two in-house Shabbatonim more recently.  But frankly, we weren't ready to go away together until now.  Now we are, and the proof is in the numbers, both of those attending (about 3 times the number of our most recent in-house Shabbaton), and those involved in the planning.  There are too many to thank here, but special thanks go to chairperson Eileen Rosner, who simply gets things done, to our president, Mark Lapine who has supported and believed in this project from the start (and will be sending his wife Jennifer as his personal envoy since he'll be out of town and unable to attend), to Penny and Michael Horowitz, sponsors of our guest lecturer, and Caryl and Peter Poser, sponsors of our guest song leader.  We'll be celebrating Caryl's birthday at Holiday Hills.  I also received several substantial donations that enabled us to reduce the cost significantly for all attending.  Thanks to all our donors.  And the biggest thanks must go to Barb Moskow, who has seen this through from beginning to end, combining a broad vision with meticulous attention to detail.

The only question that remains from here is not what will happen B.S. (before the Shabbaton), but how time will be measured A.S.(after it).  For one thing, when will we have the next one?  And, since it is a given that most of the 150 who go this time will want to go back, how will we be able to accommodate all the rest of us, all of us equally anxious to create long-term positive Jewish memories for ourselves, our children and our grandchildren? 

WEB SITES OF THE WEEK (Courtesy of Rabbi Dov Peretz Elkins)
Learn about Kabbalah:
http://www.digital-brilliance.com/kab/nok/intro.txtsantmat@z...Kabbalah : http://kabbalah-web.org/engkab/mhtkabeng.htmsantmat@z...Kabbalah : http://www.digital-brilliance.com/kab/index.htmsantmat@z...Kabbalah: Jewish Mysticism :
http://www.well-being.com/BRESLOV/


Hebrew College - Campus in Cyberspace - Spring 2001
This fall, Hebrew College launched its Master of Arts in Jewish Studies via distance learning the first MA in Jewish studies degree available online.
We invite you to join a learning community that features a full offering of master’s-level courses, ongoing interaction with other students, one-to-one mentoring by faculty (not teaching assistants), and expert technical assistance.  We believe that this program including learning via the Internet, e-mail, interactive video, summer on-site programs, and other forums represents a new chapter in Jewish studies and education.  Find out more about this exciting new way to earn a master’s degree, advance professionally, and deepen your knowledge of Jewish texts and Hebrew language.
Hebrew College has been providing outstanding undergraduate and graduate training in Jewish studies and education since 1921 from its campus in Brookline, Massachusetts.  Now, through its trailblazing distance learning degree program, the College’s premier educational programs taught by its world-renowned faculty are open to anyone, anywhere.
For information about Hebrew College’s Online Master of Arts in Jewish Studies, please visit http://hebrewcollege.edu/online/degree.
For information about Spring 2001 Semester courses, please visit
http://hebrewcollege.edu/online.

MI-SHE-BERAKH:
If you wish to have a name, in English or Hebrew, added to the list for our healing prayer on Shabbat morning, please e-mail it to me  by mid-day on Thursday. Or just attend Shabbat morning and announce the name when I ask for it after the Torah reading.  We would be delighted to help along the healing process in any manner possible -- and this prayer helps.

BETH EL CARES ABOUT ISRAEL

Beth El Cares has begun a letter writing campaign to the soldiers in Israel to let them know we care and are thinking of them. You can write whatever is in your heart.

Cards are available in the synagogue office, or you can use your own stationery or cards. If you have children, they, too can participate. If they are old enough, they can write a card, or if they are too young to write, they can draw a picture.

Because the Israeli government cannot give out names, you can address your letter or card to “Dear Friend” or whatever salutation you choose.

Please bring your cards and letters back to the synagogue office where they will be sent collectively to Israel.
I look forward to your participation.

Sandy Golove
Chairperson, Beth El Cares Israel Writing Project 322-0295 (evenings)

Because of the situation in Israel leading rabbinical authorities have suggested saying this prayer every day:
Aheinu kol beit Yisrael ha-n’tunim b’tzarah, HaMakom y’rahem alayhem v-yotzi’em mitzarah lir’vahah u-me’afela l’ora, vnomar Amen.
May the Almighty grant mercy and strength to our family the Household of Israel who struggle for peace, and bring them out of trouble into safety, out of darkness into light.
The Chief Rabbinate of Israel has requested that all Jews around the world recite chapter 142 of Tehillim (the Book of Psalms) daily for Jews held captive in Iran:
Asher ben Shaltnat, Nasser ben Poren, Yaakov ben Mohatram, Farhad ben Hamdam, Shahroch ben Shahnaz, Paramaz ben Aseret, Farzad ben Aseret, Arash ben Zolkah, Negat ben Nosrat, Daniel ben Suryah, Omid ben Suryah, Ramon Farzam, Ramon Namati.

TO UNSUBSCRIBE -  Send reply to this message and in Subject line write: UNSUBSCRIBE

Shabbat Shalom! 

JH

On the Same Page (Jewish Week)

 On the Same Page

The Jewish Week 1/01
By Joshua Hammerman

I have an alter ego, a person whom I ve never met whose life has been the mirror image of mine. I m a rabbi/ journalist who s just written my first book, about rediscovering family and seeking spirituality in cyberspace. He s a journalist who also recently wrote his first book, about the rediscovery of family and seeking his own spiritual roots. Our first names are Joshua. I m Hammerman and he s Hammer. He writes for Newsweek. I used to dream of doing just that. Now, through an astonishing series of discoveries, I ve found that, in so many other ways, we re on the same page.

I d been casually following my double s life for a few years, ever since I first glimpsed his byline. When I saw it, I blinked in amazement, thinking it at first a misprint, then as an eerie reflection of my own double life. You see, twenty years ago, desperately needing to escape the mind-spinning esoterica of rabbinical school, I ditched the ivory tower a few nights a week and headed downtown to N.Y.U s journalism program. By day I immersed myself in hair-splitting dialectic about the proper preparation of Matzah, and by night I covered the murder trial of Jean Harris and suicides at Rikers Island. I was living in two time zones, caught between the world as it is and the world as it ought to be. I loved it and dreamed both of becoming an influential religious leader and a globetrotting correspondent for Newsweek, sort of a Hunter Thompson meets Gandhi.

Then reality intervened. I completed both programs and had to decide: Would I be covering fires in Podunk (in the hopes of ending up back in New York), or training Bar Mitzvahs in Peekskill (in the hopes of ending up back in New York)? The rabbinate was the more comfortable option. My father, a cantor, had succeeded in the religion biz and had raised me to follow suit, although the choice ultimately was mine. To an extent, then, like any good Gore, Bush, or Griffey, my path was environmentally preordained.

It was one thing to see Hammer s byline and laugh off the irony of his living out my journalistic dream. But about a year ago, when friends began to congratulate me on a book I hadn t written, I decided to pick up a copy of Hammer s memoir, began to read, and things got serious. I discovered that not only do we share nearly identical names, we have lived nearly identical lives. His autobiography held a mirror up to my own story, distorted slightly, but even then in analogous ways. We were born in the same year, became Bar Mitzvah in early 1970, went to Ivy League schools (Hammer to Princeton, Hammerman to Brown), and then entered the family business his father was a journalist. In the early 80s we lived in Jerusalem at exactly the same time, frequented the same Old City hummos joints and encountered the same annoying Jewish evangelist at the Western Wall.

Hammer s book chronicles his developing relationship with a very secular and rebellious brother, who became far more observant while in Israel and later moved to Muncie, N.Y. My sister followed a similar path, though she ended up on the West Bank. At the time we were all in Jerusalem, however, our siblings lived in the same quaint neighborhood, the tiny enclave of Nachlaot. I could well have bumped into my other self at the corner pita stand.

When I finished the book I thought about contacting Hammer to share some of these amazing coincidences. After a couple of half-hearted attempts to track him down, I gave up. What, after all, could I have said? "Hello, you ve lived my life," just didn t seem appropriate.

Then, when my book came out several weeks ago, I proudly clicked onto Amazon.com to revel in my immortality. The book was there, but the author was listed as&Joshua Hammer. I emailed my publisher frantically and then started checking other book outlets on the Web. Barnes and Noble? Joshua Hammer. Borders? Joshua Hammer. For several days, the cyber-gods apparently had determined that the author of my book would be my alter ego. The mess was eventually cleared up; but then, three weeks later, it was Hammer Time again back at Amazon this time with a twist: my name was there too, listed alongside. Hammer and Hammerman: the two Joshuas, on the same page at last.

I wondered how this might impact sales. What a novelty! Two authors, one name. If the co-author listed had been Stephen King, I might have let the matter rest. But this was getting ridiculous. I was beginning to wonder who I really am, when, as I was writing down these thoughts and I kid you not my refreshingly precocious 9-year old, Ethan, walked into the room, looked over my shoulder and asked, "Who is Joshua Hammer? Is he the same as you?"

Yes, I thought. He is the same as me. He journeyed where I might have gone, had not my upbringing conspired to steer me toward a different place. Yet, somehow, we ended up on the same street in Jerusalem and on the same Web page on Amazon, side by side, co-authors of a story not yet fully written.

With all that we ve shared, Joshua Hammer has probably never heard of me (until someone sends him this article, I suppose). I d love to meet him, but maybe it s enough to know that our lives already have touched. I m beginning to understand that we Joshuas are not the only ones living on Hammer Time. Inevitably, there are no degrees of separation. Ultimately, all parallel universes converge

Shabbat-O-Gram for Dec. 29, 2000

Shabbat Shalom

MIRACLES OF HANUKKAH?

As I write this, it appears that the blasts today in Tel Aviv have resulted in relatively few injuries, something that is being seen as a bit of a "Hanukkah miracle" over there.  Otherwise, we seem to be running short of miracles this year.  Even our electric menorah in the chapel has blown a couple of bulbs -- maybe we should go back to olive oil.  The miracle of peace now seems more elusive than ever in Israel, leaving us all the more disillusioned and confused in the wake of this week's dizzying events.  I've been studying all the information I can gather on the Web as to exactly what the Clinton bridging plan entails and I still can't get a handle on it.  At the center of it all lies the old city of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount.  How ironic to be considering giving up the very place whose capture and rededication we are in the midst of celebrating during Hanukkah.  Ironies abound, of course.  Jews bemoan the fact that Jerusalem was "originally" ours and that the Temple plateau was razed and the Dome of the Rock put there only after it had been taken by force by the Moslems.  Yet that very spot was also taken by force by David (it's the Jebusites that really have a gripe here) 3000 years ago.  In fact, Jerusalem has never really belonged to anyone but God.  I've never been in favor of internationalization of the city, but some form of shared sovereignty has a certain appeal to it, as long as all people have the freedom to worship there in peace.  I don't know how the Clinton plan might work this out, but if it provides the framework for doing just that, it could just be the catalyst for another Hanukkah miracle, not the Maccabean kind involving conquest and revenge, but that espoused later on by the rabbis, one where the oil made from the leaves of the olive branch, that universal symbol of peace, might enable the flame of peace and harmony to burn brightly from Mount Moriah.

BDT (BRIEF D'VAR TORAH): "CUE GUY LOMBARDO"
In this week's portion, Mikketz, Joseph rises from the depths of prison to become Vice Pharaoh, thus becoming the archetypical Diaspora Jew.  He takes on a new name, an Egyptian wife and new style of dress, losing contact with his family.  His silence regarding his father, according to Ramban, is a grave sin, though Abravanel excuses it on grounds of political considerations.  An Egyptian proverb states, "A foreigner who drinks the waters of the Nile forgets his native land."  Memo to the reader: I've been on the Nile.  You DON'T want to drink the water!

By the end of the portion, however, Joseph's tune is changing.  He is testing his brothers to see if they have gained compassion for their brother Benjamin and their father, but it truly is a test of Joseph himself.  In Gen. 42:21-24, the first signs of remorse by the brothers regarding what they did to Joseph are followed almost immediately by Joseph's first tears.  And in chapter 43:27, Joseph asks how their aging father is, a remarkable turning point.  Then he sees Benjamin and is overcome by emotion.

Sometimes all it takes is a brief encounter with an old friend or relative to trigger a rush of old memories and a profound emotional response.  That's what happens to us on the High Holidays, or even on New Years Eve for many (although I never did quite understand that song about all those old acquaintances being forgot).  It's also what happened collectively to the Jewish people in 1967, when we were reunited with our ancient Temple Mount and the Kotel.  We began to feel things we hadn't felt since the days of the Maccabees. It affected all of us, including those in the Diaspora.  When Joseph felt those renewed ties to his tribal family, he brought them over to settle with him. He never returned to the land of his birth until his bones were brought back centuries later, after the Exodus. When American Jews renewed old acquaintances with Israel in 1948, most, like Joseph, elected to stay in Exile.  Now with those family ties weakening again, we have to redouble our effort to reconnect to our people and to Israel in whatever ways we can.  Even if we choose to remain here, we've got to give our descendants reason to want to carry our remains (i.e. our ideals and values) over there, in some manner, when they return.  And we have to ensure that, for them, those old acquaintances will never "be forgot."

MORE DIVREI TORAH:
All the Internet Torah that's fit to print will be sent on an addendum to this e-mailing.

SHABBAT FACTS:
Candles: 4:20
Kabbalat Shabbat Services: 8:00
Shabbat Morning: Family Service in lobby (Sweater Day), followed by lunch: 9:30 AM
There is just one scheduled children's service this Shabbat, as Burt's service will not be held.
Weather permitting, Nurit's service will be held.
Which brings us to...

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY:
We never officially cancel Shabbat services, so it doesn't pay to be listening to the radio for such notice -- nor is it a good idea to be calling our office (or home) for that information. There's no information to be had.  It's as simple as this: the password is "Sechel."  If it's snowing heavily in the morning, children's services will almost certainly not be held, we quite likely won't have a minyan of adults and our parking lot will likely be inaccessible to most vehicles.  But if the snow has stopped, our snow removers have been very conscientious about getting here fairly quickly and ploughing us out.  If you can't get here because of the weather, simply print out (before or after Shabbat) some of the Torah materials I send or are otherwise obtainable on the Web, open up the portion and study.  Shabbat is both weather-proof and transportable. A quiet snowed-in Shabbat in the house might could end up being quite the spiritual experience Shabbat was meant to be.  It sure beats sliding on the highway and shoveling snow. 

If we do get snowed in you manage to have one of those special Shabbat experiences, I'd love to hear about it!

MINYAN MUDDLE -- 8 ON THE 7TH:
And on the 7th day of Hanukkah, we had 8 at our morning minyan.  The S.O.S. I sent out on Tuesday worked -- for exactly one day.  We had 12 yesterday (Wednesday).  Clearly the "on call" solution I proposed two weeks ago also will not work.  It only helps when we have 9 and can reach someone no later than 7:40.  Susan Eitelberg has volunteered to help us seek out more permanent solutions to this age-old problem.  For now, it might be best for those who plan to be here in the morning for Yahrzeits to let me know if you wish to have it announced via e-mail so that people will make plans to come.  I can begin that process right now, because I happen to have yahrzeit tomorrow (Friday) morning.  It would be nice to have a minyan.

GET WELL WISHES:
To Hazzan Rabinowitz and Frank Rosner, both of whom have been under the weather this week.

MISHEBERACH:
If you wish to have a name, in English or Hebrew, added to the list for our healing prayer on Shabbat morning, please e-mail it to me by mid-day on Friday.  We would be delighted to help along the healing process in any manner possible -- and this prayer helps.

MAZAL TOV:
To Larry and Sue Holzman on the engagement of their son Jonathan, to Judy Tenzer
and to Lisa and Joel Zartisky, who had a baby girl at Stamford Hospital just yesterday.

SISTERHOOD FAMILY FUN AND PASTA NIGHT:
Pasta and Bingo: an unbeatable combination.  This dinner has been a highly successful event over the past few years, with lots family fun.  On Sat. Jan. 6, at 6:30.  To reserve, contact Ellen Gordon: 968-8029 -- and sign up SOON!

SISTERHOOD CHORUS:
In preparation for Sisterhood Shabbat (Feb. 10).  First rehearsal: Jan. 3, 8-9 PM

JEWISH WEB WEEK:
Don't forget to go to www.jww.org for all things Jewish, including the following Jewish Web Week chats:
* Thursday, December 28 at 7pm EST join in a live chat sponsored by Shma.com with Tom Smerling, Vice President of the Israel Policy Forum on the situation in the Middle East.
* Thursday, December 28 at 10:30pm EST join Dr. Egon Mayer, founder of the Jewish Outreach Institute for a chat on "Interfaith Hanukkah in America and the Who, How, Where, and Why of Intermarriage for the Year 2001"  Dr. Mayer will be Beth El's Scholar in Residence this coming June.

SHABBATON:
Last call for reservations.  There is still room, but barely, for the January 12-14 Congregational Shabbaton.  The theme is "Being Jewish in America," and we'll be going to beautiful Holiday Hills in Pawling, New York, a veritable Winter Wonderland, but very accessible via main roads.  Contact Barb or Eileen Rosner ASAP if you are thinking of coming.  It might be best to speak with one of them first before sending in the forms, just to be sure we haven't closed out registration.

A FINAL THOUGHT ABOUT HANUKKAH:
As we approach the last night, here's a final thought on Hanukkah and the dreidel, from Rabbi Lori Forman of UJA-Federation:

The rabbis teach that each letter represents one of the four kingdoms that dominated and exiled the Jewish people from the Land of Israel: Babylonia, Persia, Greece, and Rome. As we spin the dreidel, there’s a still-point amid the turning circle. All four sides, which symbolize these oppressive powers, blur into nothingness as the dreidel spins. The Jews’ survival against much more powerful forces also is a miracle.

In gematria (Hebrew numerology), the letters in dreidel add up to 358, the equivalent to those in the word “messiah.” So, as each kingdom that has oppressed the Jews falls, we pray that the messiah and ultimate redemption will come to our people. Tonight, as Chanukah ends, reflect on how you can spread its light by bringing redemption to your small corner of the world.

AMEN
JH

Shabbat-O-Gram, Dec 7, 2000

 Shabbat Shalom

This is the weekend of the 30th Cantor's Concert, a moment of history for our congregation.  As, we think back to the incredible quality and diversity of what we have seen here over the years, I'm sure all of us will have our favorites.  As we compile this list, I suggest that we save room for the Zamir Chorale very close to the top.  I have followed them since I was a child and had the pleasure of hearing them just a year ago.  If you haven't yet decided to join us, I believe there will be tickets remaining at the door.  But get here early!  We all owe Hazzan Rabinowitz our deepest thanks for all that he does here, in particular, on this occasion, for introducing us to the wide spectrum of Jewish music.

We'll be visiting B'nai Jeshurun on Shabbat morning.  About 25 of us will be there, as of now.  There is still room on the bus, which will be leaving from the temple at 8:15 AM sharp, returning around 1:30.  Call to reserve a spot, or, if the spirit moves you that morning, just show up.  Or meet us there.  Anything you need to know about B.J. can be found at their Web site, www.bj.org. 

SOME INTERSTING READING

Educator Cherie Kohler Fox's eight ways to celebrate Hanukkah meaningfully:
http://www.jewishfamily.com/jc_a.php?text=http://www.jewishfamily.com/jc/holidays/hanukkah/meaningful_hannukah.txt

An article explaining how Israel's election laws are making for unusual bedfellows.  You think it's confusing here??
http://jta.virtualjerusalem.com/index.exe?0012046

Last Shabbat a roudy group protested outside of Joe Lieberman's home in New Haven?  Did the right wing protesters resort to anti-semitic sloganeering?  See for yourself in the New Haven Register, at http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=1138747&BRD=1281&PAG=461&dept_id=7592&rfi=8

for the original report, and http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=1147699&BRD=1281&PAG=461&dept_id=7592&rfi=8
for George Jepsen's response.  More disturbing than the rally itself, perhaps, are the reader's opinions that follow the stories.


Beth El Cares Starts A New Season!

All aboard!  We’re rolling forward at a good clip and we need YOU to hop on the Beth El Cares bandwagon.  We’re planning a number of programs and coordinating Mitzvah Projects with the Religious School.  With a little of your time we’ll be able to accomplish a lot.  See what we’re planning and take your pick of activities…no contribution of time or effort is too small…then, please call the committee chairs to find out how you can help us to help others.

THANK YOU!

Family Winter Coat Drive:  We’re collecting coats and sweaters for the needy.  The goods will be donated to our friends at Person-to Person, who are doing a spectacular job of distributing food and clothes in our region.  A special Sunday morning tour of the Person-to Person headquarters in Darien will be informative and rewarding.  Drop off your donations at the synagogue from December 3-14.  We need volunteers to donate, collect and sort the goods.  A great tzedakah project for all!
Call Shelly Wunderlich at 968-1195

The Show Must Go On (Jewish Week)

 

The Show Must Go On by Joshua Hammerman Originally Appeared in The Jewish Week 2/9/00 I was 18 at the time, a neophyte iconoclast, bursting with hormonal angst and long, shaggy hair. It was the mid ‘70s, and with the War and Woodstock fading memories, the only thing I could rebel against was, of course, religion. So I went up to the bima of my home synagogue on that fateful Shabbat morning and delivered the sermon (to this day called by many, "THAT Sermon") at our annual teen-led service. I discussed with great sympathy Aaron’s rebellious sons, who were killed in a flash while performing an unusual sacrifice, an "aish zara (strange fire)." Then I went on to offer my own brand of strange fire, critiquing the repetitive, predictable and overly theatrical offering being made by my elders on that pulpit week after week. I called it a show. For some reason, the rabbi took offense. It was a show, and the service I lead today is too -- only now I realize that that's not necessarily a bad thing. I've learned that the question should not be, "Is it a show?" but "Is it a good show?" Is this offering pleasing to the Lord? Is it real? In rabbinical school I was advised that services can't possibly compete with Lincoln Center and Broadway, so best not to try. OK, I thought, so we’re not supposed to aim for that part of people’s souls that cry when they hear Aida or laugh at the banter of Neil Simon. We can’t compete, so let’s just be mediocre, weighed down by rote, suffocated by committee, callused by custom. I was led to believe that the only way to get people to return to services regularly is either by scheduling special events, (meals, guest speakers, honorees, special cantatas, special sermon themes), or by appealing to guilt. I never bought into that. It's the service that matters, and my goal has always been to build my message from the power of the service itself, not to educate, but to connect; not to teach, but to inspire. I aim for the emotional jugular, all the time. And if that means adding a dramatic pause here and a well-timed joke there, if it means utilizing some of the tools of the actor and playwright, so be it. Each week, I expose more of my inner self than all the guests on Oprah, not to shock, but to share, to engender vulnerability. There's nothing wrong with drama, as long as it doesn't sink into melodrama. It can be real and still be a show. What people bemoan as clergy-centered "performance Judaism" has little to do with it being a performance and lots to do with it being a bad performance. How does one differentiate good from bad? The answer has little to do with how polished or aesthetically balanced the performance is; it's based more on how intense and authentically human are the emotions evoked by it. Almost always, the people decide. They vote with their tears, their singing voices and their feet. Recently, my synagogue was privileged to host the New York area debut of "Friday Night Live." Originated by the musician Craig Taubman and Rabbi David Wolpe, this monthly service attracts upwards of 2,000, primarily young singles, at Sinai Temple in Los Angeles. It was inspired in part by B’nai Jeshurun in New York, and although the two styles are quite different, through the use of beautiful, contemporary and sing-able music, the results are remarkably similar. On a frigid Friday last month, Craig Taubman and his band galvanized a packed sanctuary of seekers. I imagined how my father, a hazzan of the previous generation, would have reacted, as Taubman walked among the congregants with his guitar, interspersing humorous anecdotes and warm commentary between the prayers. I decided that, traditional though my dad was, he would have smiled -- the same way he beamed with pride on the day I offered my "strange fire" sermon a quarter century ago. Taubman presented each melody not as a solo, but as an invitation; and all of us, from expert to novice, total strangers, swaying, repeating, closing eyes and holding hands, sang with a power that I have rarely seen in a synagogue. Was it a show? Yes. But no one exited that service feeling emotionally cheated or manipulated. No one would rather have been at Lincoln Center. We connected at the deepest level. And when I spoke briefly that night on the need for young, wayward Jews to return home to Judaism, I felt at one with my message. A few days later, I got a note from one young woman with a Jewish father and a Catholic mother, who that night attended a Shabbat service for the first time. "It was WONDERFUL," she wrote, "filled with God’s spirit. I felt right at home. I’M SO EXCITED!!!" In reaching out to Jews on the fringe, we touched at least one who had strayed far beyond it. Her letter alone was enough to convince me that this show must go on. Craig Taubman will be "performing" Friday Night Live at the upcoming Rabbinical Assembly Convention. I urge my Conservative colleagues to listen closely to their own voices singing along. Orthodox Jews will recognize this revolution in the popularity of the Carlbach style of service, which like Taubman's and B.J.'s, is also now being exported to distant places. And Reform Jews need to heed Eric Yoffie's recent cry for liturgical reform. There is a Darwinian aspect to this that we must understand. That which brings life to our worship will survive, and that which doesn't will not. The Germanic-Eastern European music that energized synagogue life for two centuries did its job well, but its day is done, except as it is being synthesized into contemporary forms. The psalms themselves are imploring us, "Shiru L'Adonai, Shir Hadash," "Sing unto Adonai a new song." The caravan has already moved on to other ways of making our ancient, sacred prayers come alive. Service attendance will continue to decline until we all understand that it's either good show -- or no-show.

Shabbat-O-Gram, December 1, 2000

Shabbat Shalom. 

As I write this, the Supreme Court is hearing arguments and might decide who our next President will be.  Meanwhile, Israel's government has fallen and new elections are being planned.  If the Supremes are really looking for a Solomonic solution, I've got one.  This might be the perfect time to say that Gore and Bush both win, only one of them gets to be President here and the other gets to be the Prime Minister of Israel.  Think of all the problems this would solve.  Everyone would be happy.  Israelis love American imports -- and Joe Lieberman, especially, would go over well.  Arafat and his friends would have hard time dealing with this new reality, especially when the new PM appoints none other than Bill Clinton as Foreign Minister.  Meanwhile, I think Ariel Sharon would be just peachy as Prime Minister of Florida.  Here's a guy who will attract both the Jewish retirees of the Gold Coast and the gun-toting rednecks up north.  He'll be more popular there than Disney World.  Hmm... this idea has real possibilities.  It certainly can't be more bizarre than what we're dealing with now.

On to other matters...

PORTION: TOLDOT: "The Generations of Isaac."

Brief D'var Torah (BDT):

Toldot means "generations," referring to Isaac's line, leading to the births of Jacob and Esau.  Isaac, Jacob's father and Abraham's son, plays a relatively minor, transitional role in the epic of the ancestors, sandwiched between his illustrious co-patriarchs.  Most of the deeds connected to Isaac actually were done by other people, and what he did seems almost to be a repetition of his father's life.  He even re digs Abraham's wells, and reexperiences his father's encounters with Avimelech and Pharaoh.  Adin Steinzaltz comments that Isaac's task was actually a difficult one.  It's not easy to be a successor.  As he states, "All beginnings are difficult, but continuation can be more difficult."  The State of Israel had no shortage of Abrahams and Sarahs, but following the death of Prime Minister Rabin, the last of the old guard of founders, it has been unable to find an Isaac or Rebecca to fit the bill.  And we need them or the whole experiment could be in jeopardy.  As unromantic as is the task of the successor, to hold steady and consolidate, Abraham needed Isaac to establish his name forever, and to prepare the way for Jacob and his progeny.


STANDING WITH ISRAEL

The following important message was written by Rabbi Jack Riemer.  This is a very difficult time for Israel, and we need to look for ways we can help -- even small gestures have great meaning.  Beth El Cares is now  working on a project where we'll be able to extend Hanukkah wishes via mail and e-mail to Israeli soldiers.  Here is another way that we can help:

Dear friends,

Like me, I am sure that you watch the news that comes from the
Middle East every day with ever increasing anxiety. We watch from a
distance as our people in Israel are trapped in a war that seems to
have no end. And it is all the more frustrating and all the more
painful because this summer we seemed SO CLOSE to a peace
agreement. The Israeli Prime Minister offered more concessions at
Camp David than any previous leader of Israel ever even dreamed of
making. And then Arafat turned the proposal down and the Arabs
went to the streets instead, hoping that by throwing rocks and putting
children in harm's way, they could win more than they could at the
negotiating table. And ever since, there has been attack and
reprisal, counter attack and counter reprisal, and lives have been lost
and the dream of a new middle east has come crashing down.
I am not going to say anything in this column about politics or
diplomacy, or about short term or long term goals for Israel. There
are enough diplomats both here and there who are working on these
questions and this is not my area of expertise. And besides, by the
time this column appears, who knows how the situation may have
changed? And so, I want to write instead about one small facet of
the situation which is within our power to do something about, one
small microcosm of the situation which we do have the power to do
something about.

I want to tell you about the three children in the Cohen family who
were on that bus, heading home from school at Kfar Darom recently.
Their names and ages are Orit, age twelve, Tehilla, age eight and a
half, and Yisrael, age seven. They had a younger who, fortunately
had a cold and stayed home from school that day. The. bus was
blown up, two children were killed and nine were seriously injured.
Among the injured were all the Cohen children. One had to have her
leg amputated, the other two lost parts of their legs. As one of the
Israeli army medics who tended to them put it: "We were trained in
how to help heal wounded soldiers; no one ever taught us how to
deal with little kids parts of whose legs have been blown off."

Let me ask you to join me in helping these kids by sending a
donation of whatever size you decide to the bank account below. If
If you want to send a note of encouragement to these kids too-that
would be nice. And if you want to share this request with others
whom you think may want to help, by all means.

We can't do much from here to help the people of Israel militarily.

We can do a little, not much but a little, to help Israel get a fair break
from the media, and to insure that the American government stays
firm in its support. But we CAN do something that will help a broken
hearted family raise the funds that they need for the medical
expenses of their three children. And that is no small thing to do.
You can send your checks to Bank Account Number 07l0l0, Bank
Mizrachi 20, Branch 426, Beersheva, Merkaz Asakim. Mark the
check: for the Cohen Children. And you may write to the family if you
wish, care of Rabbi Lippy Friedman, head of Yeshivat Bnai Akiva,
POB 4537, Beersheva, Israel, 84144 (IL).

There is an old Jewish blessing with which you are supposed to sign
letters like these. It is 'tizku limitsvot" which means: "by virtue of
doing this good deed may God bless you with many more
opportunities to do good".

This is my wish for you who respond to this request.
With gratitude in advance for any help that you can give to this
family, and to our brethren in Israel, who need to know that we are
with them, I am

Sincerely yours,

Rabbi Jack Riemer

P.S. I have to include this story which I just heard from my friend,
Rabbi Bernhard Presler. He is on his way to a wedding of a nephew
which is to take place this week in Gush Kativ, which is located in
Aza. The other day one of the young people in Gush Kativ was killed
by an Arab terrorist. Gush Kativ is a small village, where everyone
knows everyone and where everyone cares about everyone. And so
everyone in the village was going to not attend the wedding and to
spend the time with the family which is sitting shivah instead. The
Rabbi of the community issued a ruling that the family that is sitting
shivah must lock its doors and admit no one. Further, they must not
observe shivah on that day, but postpone shiva for one day, so that
the community can go to the wedding instead. I find that a very bold
halachic decision and a very moving story. The Rabbi correctly
understood the tension the village was feeling between the mitsvah
of honoring the bride and groom and the mitsvah of helping
mourners, and he made the wise ruling. And this story makes real
for us the pain and the determination to continue living despite all
obstacles that characterize the people of Israel today. May we share
in their determination!


-------------------------------------------------------
FRIDAY NIGHT SERVICES AND DINNER:

Friday night at 6:15, Nurit will lead a Tot Shabbat service for families.  Dinner will be at 7  Our regular Kabbalat Shabbat service will be held at 8.  If you would like to sign up for dinner, please let Bonnie know in the education office immediately.  We have over 100 people coming thus far, and our Shabbat dinners have been exceedingly successful this year.

SHABBAT MORNING AND MINCHA:

Shabbat morning, we begin with Psukey d'zimra at 9:15, then the morning service at 9:30.  The sermonette/discussion will center around the eternal efforts of Jacob and Esau to campaign for their father's blessing and the mantle of leadership, and what lessons we might extrapolate from the Torah for our current never-ending Presidential campaign.  At Mincha, beginning at 3:45 PM, Allison Bernheimer will become Bat Mitzvah.  Mazal Tov to Allison and her family!

---------------------------------------------------------

B'NAI JESHURUN VISIT ON DEC. 9

That very important journey has been rescheduled for next Shabbat morning, Dec. 9.  A bus will leave from here at 8:15 AM, returning in the early afternoon.  Congregation B'nai Jeshurun in Manhattan is truly at the cutting edge of the movement, and our board, ritual committee as well as all interested congregants are vigorously encouraged to join us.  Transportation is free.  If you would like to come, bus reservations are being taken on a first come first serve basis.  There will definitely be a bus.  Contact Roberta Aronovitch at execdir@tbe.org. 

CANTOR'S CONCERT DEC. 10

Get your reservations in for the Cantors Annual Concert (and the delicious dinner to follow), scheduled for December 10.  The world famous Zamir Chorale of Boston will be here.  Don't miss it!  This event is for the entire family, and tickets are going fast.

THE SHABBATON

Our January Shabbaton is fast approaching, and the reservations are pouring in (over 90 at last count).  Space is limited!  We need to hear from you very soon!  The group signed up thus far is remarkably diverse, reflecting all our generations, from the youngest children to the most seasoned empty-nester.  We'll do lots of eating, playing, singing, spirited praying, learning and discussing.  Our guest song leader will be Cantor Debbie Kotchko.  Our guest lecturer, Jack Wertheimer, Provost of the Jewish Theological Seminary, is one of the foremost experts on American Jewish life, and the theme of the weekend will be "Being Jewish in America."  On Friday night he'll discuss the topic, "Jews on the Move - the Transformation of American Jewry,” on Shabbat morning, "Walking the Tightrope -- the Tensions Between Jewish and American Values," and later that day, the summation session will be entitled, “De-Mystifying Jewish Continuity.”  

AIDS QUILT

The AIDS quilt is here this weekend, at UConn Stamford.  New panels were dedicated on Wednesday night in a beautiful ceremony, memorializing local residents who have died of AIDS recently.  Our seventh graders will be visiting the quilt on Sunday morning.  Contact Debbie Goldberg at the Council of Churches and Synagogues (348-2800), if you would like to help read the names on Sunday morning.

HANUKKAH FOR ADULTS

On Wed. December 6, the Board of Rabbis will be sponsoring a community-wide event, "Chanukah for Adults."  Find out what this sizzling holiday is all about.  Chanukah will never be the same. Or is it Hanukkah?  Or Chanooookah?  At Agudath Sholom, 7:30-9:00 PM.

HANUKKAH LINKS FROM JTS

1. The seminary's all-new Hanukkah pages ( http://learn.jtsa.edu/hanukkah ):
The pages include resources for families and thoughtful adults for the
upcoming “Chag Urim,” including: articles by JTS faculty, activities for
kids, recipes, and book recommendations.  In the spirit of the holiday,
they will add more material each week.

2. JTS's book of the month club discussions :

This coming month, over 400 Jews around the world will share in a
discussion of  “A Different Light,” the twin-volume compendium of
Hannukah resources.  It includes everything from engaging activities for families with small children to
thought-provoking articles from important modern Jewish writers.

For more information, you can point your web browser to
http://learn.jtsa.edu/topics/bomonth

--------------------------------------------
ADULT ED and other SUNDAY MORNING PROGRAMMING

Rabbi H. on WNBC Sunday Morning Today in New York -- 6:00 AM (God willing!)     
Sunday seekers with Eric Hoffman -- 9:00 AM
Shabbat Sking Along Class with the Hazzan -- 9:30 AM
Learn to read Hebrew -- 10:00 AM
Seniors Group Chanukah Lunch -- 1:00 PM

BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL:

As of now, we are most definitely planning to send a group of teens to Israel next summer, on the heels of our fabulous teen tour of last summer.  We are aware that people have legitimate concerns about security there now, and we wish to address those and other issues at a Beth El Teen Tour organizational meeting, Sunday, Dec. 10, at 10 AM.  If you have any interest at all, please make every effort to attend.

That's all for this week.
Shabbat Shalom!
JH