Shabbat-O-Gram for March 1-3 -- Adar 18, 5762 (Shabbat Parah)

Shabbat-O-Gram for March 1-3 -- Adar 18, 5762 (Shabbat Parah)

Rabbi Joshua Hammerman, Temple Beth El, Stamford, Connecticut

 

Shabbat Shalom

The Shabbat-O-Gram is being e-mailed out in plain text, but if you wish to see it in all its html splendor, you can click to it on the Web, at http://www.tbe.org/sog/020301.htm. If you wish to unsubscribe, contact office@tbe.org.

 

We welcome Cantor Deborah Jacobson this weekend, one of two finalists scheduled to "try out" for our cantorial position. She will be involved in services and other programming on Friday evening and Sunday morning. On Friday, she will be involved in Tot Shabbat (special time of 6:15 PM), the congregational dinner that follows, and she will also lead our Kabbalat Shabbat 8:00 PM in the main sanctuary. WE WILL BE PROVIDING CHILDREN'S PROGRAMMING (WITH NURIT) DURING THE 8:00 PM SERVICE SO THAT PARENTS WHO HAVE SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN WILL BE ABLE TO ATTEND THAT SERVICE WITHOUT HAVING TO ARRANGE FOR CHILD CARE AT HOME. This will also be the case on the 15^th, when our other finalist will be visiting. We recognize that this decision will have an impact on all of us, especially those with children approaching the Bar/Bat Mitzvah years, so we want to make it as easy as possible for everyone to attend.

On Sunday, Cantor Jacobson will lead the morning minyan at 9:00 AM. Congregants will also have the chance to meet her at an open house coffee hour in the main lobby, from 11:15 to noon.

 

One more note before we begin…

News is now out about the abrupt closing of Delicate-essen, our Kosher butcher, this coming week. I wish to personally thank the Hertzberg family for their efforts on behalf of our community and wish them well in future ventures. I will miss them greatly. Make no mistake about it, this is a sad event for all us, including those who never set foot in Stamford's only Kosher market. We are now a less viable Jewish community, less complete, then we were a week ago, and therefore less able to attract serious Jews to live up here. It's sad. My children will not have that special thrill of seeing their friends' hallahs waiting for them on the shelf. They won't see the Hebrew newspapers and candy from Israel. They won't have that special pleasure of going into a store where, guaranteed, they will see someone they know.

There is no purpose to playing a "Who lost China" game here (ah, but if only a Kosher Chinese restaurant would move in… and a pizzeria too). Blame serves no purpose. What's important now is: a) that it is irrefutably true that Judaism is transmitted best through the stomach and nostrils rather than the brain; therefore b) we absolutely must have a kosher butcher here, the sooner the better; and c) I see absolutely no reason why Fairfield county Jewry, at least 40,000 strong, could not support a full-service Kosher facility. In the end, I do believe some cutting-edge entrepreneur will succeed here, because our Jewish community is growing and it is also growing more committed to the Jewish way. But we can't afford to waste a single minute.

This is not an Orthodox issue! This is a Clal Yisrael issue!! Many, many of our congregants supported the butcher, including a large number who do not keep strictly Kosher homes. We all must understand that this is important to everyone, no matter the denomination.

If you know of someone reputable who might be interested in "giving it a go" up here, the rabbis of Stamford will offer full support, and then some. Please have that person contact me directly.

 

JUST THE FACTS: Services and Such…

Friday Night: Candles: 5:27 PM

Tot Shabbat: 6:15, in the lobby (NOTE THE SPECIAL T IME)

Congregational Dinner: 7:00

Kabbalat Shabbat: 8:00 PM, in the sanctuary, led by cantorial candidate, Deborah Jacobson.

Shabbat Morning:

P'sukey d'zimra (psalms and meditations): 9:15

Shacharit (morning) service begins: 9:30. MAZAL TOV to Rachel Benjamin, who will become Bat Mitzvah this Shabbat morning.

Torah Portion: Ki Tissa and Shabbat Parah:

We include a special reading detailing an obscure Biblical purifying ritual involving a red cow (look at http://pages.nyu.edu/~asr209/parah.html for some super background material on this); coincidentally, the regular portion tells us the sordid tale of the Golden Calf. So when I dressed as Bart Simpson on Purim night, no wonder I told everyone, "Don't have a cow, man." This Shabbat we get to have TWO cows!

Read the Masorti commentary at http://www.masorti.org/mason/torah/index.asp. 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/

Children's Services: 10:30, in the chapel (grades 3 - 6) and downstairs in the Kindergarten room for younger grades. This week, the chapel service will be "hosted" by grade 5.

Shabbat Mincha-Havdalah: 5:00 PM. MAZAL TOV to Erica Eber, who will become Bat Mitzvah this Shabbat afternoon.

Morning Minyan: Daily at 7:30, Sundays at 9:00. This Sunday, the minyan will be led by cantorial candidate Deborah Jacobson

 

Spiritual Journey on the Web: "Don't Have a (Sacred) Cow, Man!"

As I mentioned above, this is truly the Week of the Cow, Shabbat Parah. Not only do we read about the ancient, mysterious purification ritual of the Heifer as our maftir reading (http://pages.nyu.edu/~asr209/parah.html), we also read about the Golden Calf incident in the Wilderness, AKA, "The Great Shandeh." Everyone emerges tainted from this thing: The people lose faith in Moses' eventual return from the mountain, Aaron gives in to their pressure, Moses smashes the tablets, and God gets rather hot under the divine collar. Everyone needs a time-out here. As Bart would say to both Moses and God here, "Don’t have a cow, man!" (that famous Simpson expression prompts interesting questions about that show's love-hate relationship with religion, at http://www.sojo.net/magazine/index.cfm/action/sojourners/issue/soj0109/article/010931.html)

But worst off is the poor cow. In our portion it gets worshipped and thereby faces the eternal indignity of being branded (so to speak) "Public False Idol Enemy #1," with its picture on ecclesiastical post office walls everywhere. In the Talmud (Sanhedrin 102a) it says, "There is not a misfortune that Israel has suffered which is not partly a retribution for the sin of the calf." Indeed, it was a sin that was repeated later in the Bible, by Jeroboam, first king of the divided nation kingdom of Israel, who set up rival cultic centers in trying to lure the people away from Jerusalem. In this week's maftir, meanwhile, a cow effectively dies for our sins. This ritual of purification of a community where a dead body is discovered may place the cow in more exalted status than the Golden Calf escapade, but either way, the cow gets it. In fact, the cow ALWAYS gets it. (Except for this weird news story, http://www.canoe.ca/CNEWSWeirdNews0107/11_cow-ap.html, where a cow actually falls on a man.).

Incidentally, as obscure as this Red Heifer ritual is, it is BIG TIME news to messianists, both Jewish and Christian. The existence of one such rare animal, as has been discovered in Israel recently, means that this ancient ritual can be fulfilled once again, meaning that the Temple can be rebuilt, which, of course means that the Apocalypse is not far behind. Scary? Read http://www.cuttingedge.org/news/n1067.html for more. There's even talk of cloning this red cow.

So what's Judaism's take on cows, anyway? Are they sacred, as in India? If you go to http://www.indiadivine.com/hinduism-cows1.htm, you'll find that for Hindus the cow is seen as symbolic of maternal protection and nurturing. In ancient Egypt, Babylon and Assyria, the bull was worshipped as a God or the throne of a God. You can find numerous references to the divine bull in ancient near-eastern texts ("ANET": see http://www.bu.edu/anep/ANET.html). Also see http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Lofts/2938/baalmyth.html. Find a Catholic take at http://ww2.netnitco.net/users/legend01/cow.htm.

But the Torah seems to be rejecting that bovine-centric culture. Try this out: http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:E5h3BKyFHnAC:www.geocities.com/CollegePark/Classroom/9912/africajudaism.html+cow+Judaism&hl=en (I could only get a cached version of this, as the site no longer appears): Here is the key paragraph:

The Hebrew religion was filled with a host of Egyptian deities. One of the most known of these was the sacred Golden Calf of the Exodus saga. This so-called "idol" was in reality the Egyptian manifestation Het-Heru, which originated from the strong cattle culture, which permeated much of Africa. Depicted as a nurturing cow with a sun disc, she was the guardian of marriage, the donor of life and protector of the dead. She was heralded as the giver of joy, love, sensuality, song, music, and dance. Het-Heru may at one time have been the most important deity to the Hebrews. With the coming of Mosaic law, she was replaced by an all powerful male deity, Yahweh. Thus the Exodus story of the Golden Calf may allude moreso to the coming patriarchal aspects of Judaism and Hebrew nationalism than idol worshipping. Het-Heru was also associated with the moon, also seen as feminine. It is interesting to note that in Egyptian Yahweh means "the growing moon."

In other words, cow-based traditions are matriarchal, and Judaism was decidedly bullish on patriarchs, so good-bye holy cows. No wonder (Joseph's) Pharaoh's seven fat cows were so mercilessly consumed by their scrawny brethren. No wonder the Cannanite bull-riding god Ba'al (http://ww2.netnitco.net/users/legend01/bull.htm) was seen as the greatest danger to Ancient Israelite faith -- and yet, so many key Biblical figures have Ba'al in their name, including the judge Gideon (AKA "Yeru-Baal.") and his entire family. No question about it, human civilization has long been infatuated, if not downright obsessed, by bulls and their docile milk-giving mates. BTW, if you are really interested in Ba'al worship, then by all means go right to the horses mouth, so to speak. You can order your very own idols at http://www.baal.com/baal/about/divine_overview.shtml. But don't be surprised if Moses throws two tablets at you. More cow mythology can be found at http://www.cybercomm.net/~grandpa/animals.html).

Despite initial suspicions, however, Judaism came to see the cow as a more positive symbol in later years. Take this story (from http://www.torah.org/advanced/haaros/5758/out2-29.html)

 

"More than the calf wants to suck, the cow wants to give milk." This expression is used in the Talmud in order to indicate how deeply the Rabbis desire to spread Torah.

Rav Simchah Wasserman said that this statement is misunderstood, in the following manner. The cow wants to give milk, because not giving milk causes pain. If this were the truth, the milking would be, essentially, the removal of a destructive element. The Rabbi, too, wants to provide instruction, because if not, he too would be in pain. Such a teaching would also be merely the removal of a destructive element.

This is not the real meaning here. The cow wants to give milk, because it wants to nurture its calf. More than the calf wants to be nurtured, the cow wants to bring up its young. The Rabbi, too, wants to give Torah, because he desires to help his students. The Rabbi wants the students to grow more than the students themselves desire to grow . (Greatness in Our Midst, by David Fox)"

Far from being anti-cow, some say Judaism actually preaches a vegetarian ethic, much like Hinduism: http://www.jewishveg.com/ja.html, for example. And even those cows that are slaughtered should be killed humanely (see http://www.chai-online.org/kashrut.htm).

So, Golden Calf or no Golden Calf, I salute our bovine brethren. Without them after all, how would we ever daven the MOO-saf service?

 

 

Quotes of the Week: On the Saudi Plan and Buffer Zones

"The fact that there would be normalization between the Arab world and Israel—this is certainly a dramatic step…deserving of consideration and serious thought…We cannot afford to reject out of hand an overture…so dramatic, a step of such importance, merely because of…imputing negative intentions to the Saudis…"—President Moshe Katsav praising the Saudi overture, which reportedly offers "normalization" of relations with the Arab states, in exchange for Israel’s withdrawal to pre-1967 borders (Ha’aretz, Feb. 27)

"It started as P.R., and it is P.R., but [the Saudi plan] met with a tremendous need to play with a new idea, because there is such a vacuum here…Israelis jumped on it because in the last one and a half years, there has been no idea, only routine day-to-day action and reaction, killing and killing. People so badly want to see a light at the end of the tunnel that even a reflection of moonlight is looked on as real light."—Yediot Aharanot commentator Nahum Barnea (New York Times, Feb. 26)

"…[W]ishful thinkers at the Council on Foreign Relations and the New York Times are all atwitter over the [Saudi] idea…Sure, if the…Arab states…were to recognize Israel, normalize trade and provide security guarantees, the long-running Middle East crisis would be well near over…But this fantasy hinges on a negotiated peace between PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat and Israel. And the chances of that happening are about zero…Remember, Arafat has already walked away from a deal that offered him no less…than what the Saudis seem to have in mind. And even if the Saudis magically got Arafat to drop his other demands…how can anyone seriously think that Arafat’s assurances this time will hold up any better than they have in the past?"—Editorial (New York Post, Feb. 27)

"…The only realistic diplomatic option for the future is a long-term interim agreement that leaves Israel with vital security zones in the West Bank…Israel is entitled to defensible borders according to UN Security Council Resolution 242; it is not expected to return to the vulnerable lines of 1967…That is not just an Israeli position, but has been the policy of American secretaries of state from Henry Kissinger to Warren Christopher. The western buffer zone…proposed by…Ariel Sharon would place serious obstacles before suicide bombers who regularly attempt to infiltrate [Israel]. Immediately adjacent to the West Bank is the…Israeli coastal plain, where 70 percent of Israelis live and 80 percent of Israel’s industrial capacity is located. The buffer zone would also protect Israel’s capital in Jerusalem…A defense line making use of the topography of the Jordan Valley…would be aimed at countering large Iraqi expeditionary armies that have engaged Israeli on the ground in three Arab-Israeli wars…."—Dore Gold, Israel’s UN ambassador from 1997-99 (N.Y.T., Feb. 27)

  

REQUIRED READING AND ACTION ITEMS

"Daniel Perl was one of us." -- http://www.israelinsider.com/views/articles/views_0280.htm

 

NEW CANAAN ADVERTISER CONTROVERSY:

I've been approached by several congregants regarding a series of virulently anti-Zionist letters that have appeared recently in the New Canaan Advertiser. Several challenge the fundamental right of Israel to exist on that land. I have spoken to the publisher about my concerns and have written a letter to the editor that will appear next week. But my main recommendation to all New Canaanites and others in our congregation who face such attacks (and that means most of us, at times like these), is to be armed with facts.

"MYTHS AND FACTS," A REVISED AND UPDATED VERSION OF THE CLASSIC GUIDE TO THE ARAB ISRAELI CONFLICT, IS NOW ONLINE AT http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/myths/.

Read it. Study it. Then you will begin to see just how slanted so many reports are, especially on NPR, CNN and the BBC. Just today (Thursday), the New York Times ran an interview with Yasser Arafat that had more softballs in it than the slow-pitch league that plays at Cummings Park. When you experience slanted reporting or distorted letters to the editor, by all means use these facts and send in your responses. We are, indeed, on the front lines.

 

CRISIS IN ARGENTINA:

Approximately 220,000 Jews live in Argentina, more than 50,000 below the poverty line -- and the number is rapidly accelerating. The current financial crisis has had a devastating impact on all institutions of Jewish life there. Included in this are many Masorti institutions. Contributions to the Argentina Masorti Social Assistance Fund can be made payable to the "World Council of Synagogues, Inc." and sent to World Council of Synagogues, 155 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010. All contributions are tax deductible.

 

EMERGENCY PRE-PASSOVER FOOD DRIVE FOR PERSON TO PERSON

This past year Temple Beth El’s High Holy Day Food Drive exceeded all previous years. Because of present economic conditions more families are coming to the Person-To-Person Food Pantry for help. This is particularly true at the end of each month.

In 2001 Person-To-Person’s pantry provided over 112,000 meals to over 906 different families. In January 2002, 517 families requested food supplies totaling 7,000 meals. Other emergency providers are also reporting increased demand and reduced supply.

During this month, in which we celebrate Passover, we remember the commandment in the Haggadah, "Let all who are hungry come and eat." Person-To-Person is not looking for matzos or gefilte fish, but is in need of cereal, pasta, rice, soups and canned fruits and vegetables.

Please do your part by bringing one or two bags of food to the Temple by Friday, March 22^nd. If you prefer, take the food bags directly to the Person-To-Person Food Pantry behind St. Luke’s Church at 1864 Post Road in Darien, CT.

Your holiday is always sweeter if it’s shared!

 

Passover Food Shopping Guides (our own guide to Passover observance will be sent out next week):

http://www.rabassembly.org/info/pesahguide/ (Rabbinical Assembly) Also…

http://www.kashrut.com/Passover/; http://www.ou.org/chagim/pesach/default.htm; http://www.kosherquest.org/html/passover.htm

 

Shalach Manot to Israel (and an incredibly moving Web site)

Purim is over but you can still fulfill the mitzvah of sending gifts of food on Purim right now. Via the www, you can send Purim baskets to families of terrorist victims in Israel. Tragically, there are 9 pages of victims names, photos, and descriptions—so it loads up fairly slowly so be patient. This project is sponsored by Jewishstreet.com and the Israel Emergency Solidarity Fund.

Please go to: http://www.jewishstreet.com/purim/victims.asp Making your donation may lift the spirits of families so distraught by their losses.

  

PURIM PIX: We've got 125 photos of smiling happy Purim celebrants of all ages now posted on our Web site. Go take a look at www.tbe.org.

 

 

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT regarding our cantorial search…

The Hazzan Search Committee of Temple Beth El invites the congregation to the opportunity to hear and meet finalist candidates who are being considered as our next Hazzan.

One candidate will conduct regular Friday night services on March 1, 2002 from 8:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m., will be present during Religious School hours on Sunday March 3, and will lead P’sukay D’Zimrah and Shacharit services on Saturday morning, March 9, 2002 from 9:15 a.m.-10:00 a.m. (note that this is being split up over two weekends).

Another candidate will conduct regular Friday night services on March 15, 2002 from 8:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m., P’sukay D’Zimrah and Shacharit services on Saturday morning, March 16, 2002 from 9:15 a.m.-10:00 a.m., and will be present during Religious School hours on March 17.

On both Fridays when candidates will be appearing (the 1^st and 15^th of March), we will have concurrent children’s programming with Nurit Avigdor during the time of the main service, at 8:00 PM. No need to get a baby sitter—just bring the kids and come here.

On both Sundays when candidates will be appearing (the 3^rd and 17^th), there will be an informal "Open House" coffee hour with the candidate, from 11:15 AM to noon, in the downstairs lobby.

Please take advantage of these and all the other opportunities to meet our finalists.

 

 With all due respect to the NFL, the REAL Super Sunday is March 3.

UJF SUPER SUNDAY, that is…

We ask congregants to:

1. send in their pledges as soon as possible

2. otherwise, please be receptive when a volunteer calls you on Super Sunday

3. volunteer to help out at the JCC on Super Sunday

 

Shloshim Service for Ilan Mirkov

SUNDAY, March 3, 2002

8:00 PM

at the JCC Senior Adult Lounge

The returning emissaries are planning this service and your support for them would be very welcome

 

 

COMING NEXT WEEK!!!

Friday Night "Chai" -- March 8 @ 8:00 PM

A jazzy, spiritually soaring service guaranteed to have you singing your heart out and dancing all night long!!

 

 

Mini-Parlor Concert -- March 10 @ 11 AM

"The Many Faces of Jewish Music"

Musical talent from within our congregation, with Hazzan Rabinowitz, Nurit Avigdor, Stephanie Osher, Marc Schneider, Dorothy Kalinsky and Ariel Shindler…

 

 

A Gift From Sisterhood

Sunday, March10th at 9:30am
'Gelfilte Fish" and "Creating New Traditions"
Be our guests for brunch and join in a discussion led by Barb Moskow.
Examine new rituals and traditions that have been created in the last few years.
Learn how new and legitimate rituals get accepted into the mainstream.
There is no charge to attend. This is Sisterhood's gift to the women of TBE.
R.S.V.P. to Denise Greenman 329-8594 or Denise147@aol.com
The brunch and discussion will end by 11am in time to attend Hazzan's concert.

 

Weaver-in-Residence Reeva Schaffer 

Next Thursday, March 7, from 5-6 PM

Check out an incredible array of beautiful tallitot and kippot

Reeva "outfitted" one of our previous adult B'nai Mitzvah classes, so you've seen her work around. For more samples, check out the Website at http://ajp.com/cgi-bin/support/goto.pl. Reeva will be here on the 7^th to see our current adult b'nai mitzvah class later that evening. From 5-6, she her work will be on display and for sale, with 20% of all receipts going to our gift shop. If you have a Bar/Bar mitzvah coming up, or if you wish to purchase a blend of artistry and tradition that you can wear, join us next Thursday.

 

For Women Only…

Celebrate Rosh Chodesh Adar

with Barb Moskow & special guest Bonny Grosz

Monday March 11th

7:30 pm-9:00 pm in the Youth Lounge

Join us for an evening filled with study, prayer, meditation, singing, thoughtful discussion, food and much more. To RSVP please call 322-6901 ext. 306

 

 

It’s Back - Save the Date!!!

Temple Beth El’s Jewish Book Fair

Bigger and Better Than Ever!!!

Sunday, March 10^th 8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Open to the Community

 

Large selection of adult, young adult and children’s books, fiction, non-fiction, coffee table books, picture books, cook books, Haggadot and much more…

 

Proceeds benefit the Temple Beth El Religious School

Call Adam Eitelberg to volunteer at (203) 353-3347

 

 

MORE UPCOMING PROGRAMS WITH RABBI ANDREA COHEN-KEINER!!

 

Friday evening March, 22^nd at 7:30 pm

TALKING AT THE BORDERS

Interfaith Families and Extended Families Walking the Line

Join Rabbi Andrea Cohen-Kiener for engaging service and a thought provoking discussion on the challenges and joys encountered by interfaith families and their extended families

TELL YOUR FRIENDS (INCLUDING THOSE WHO ARE UNAFFILIATED)!!!

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

Shabbat, March 23^rd at 10:00 a.m.

Spend Shabbat morning with Rabbi Cohen-Kiener

CONTEMPLATIVE LEARNER’S MINYAN

A spirited, spiritual service filled with stories, song and meaningful prayer

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

Shabbat afternoon, March 23^rd at 4:00p.m.

All those in a meditative mood are invited to join Rabbi Cohen-Kiener for a

MEDITATIVE MINCHA

Featuring niggunim, chant and contemplation to enjoy the day of rest

RSVP to 322-6901 extension 306

 

 

The Board of Rabbis of Stamford and Greenwich present

"Pondering Passover"

Insights into the Passover Haggadah and holiday observances

With the participation of the rabbis of Stamford and Greenwich.

Make the holiday more meaningful for you and your family.

Historical and spiritual insights.

Contemporary meaning and applications

THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 7:30 PM

TEMPLE SINAI, LAKESIDE DRIVE, STAMFORD

 

TEFILLIN SEMINAR

Conducted by Hazzan Sidney G. Rabinowitz

Sunday, March 17, 2002 at 10:00 a.m.

A must for all Bar/Bat Mitzvah candidates of all ages! There will be a wonderful video on the making of Tefillin, what makes them kosher, and what could make them un-kosher. Surgery will be performed on a pair of no-longer kosher Tefillin and allow hands-on inspection of each part. This seminar is open to all within our congregation. If you do own a pair of tefillin, please being them along.

This program will be sandwiched between the two sessions of the Bar/Bat Mitzvah class family program with Rabbi Hammerman, "Becoming Bar/Bat Mitzvah" that will also take place that morning.

  

Coming soon….

Annual Cantor's Concert, featuring the Klezmer Conservatory band of Boston:

April 21 @ 3 PM

 

 

Temple Beth El To Honor Hazzan Rabinowitz

The Committee to Honor Hazzan & Sandy is looking for former Junior Choir singers to participate in the upcoming festivities! If your son or daughter ever participated in the Beth El Junior Choir, please call Roz Perlson (323-7328), Kathy Paseltiner (356-9735) or Carol Kalter (968-1075) to give his/her name, address and phone number. Thank you.

May 4 - Dinner Dance at Temple Beth El
May 19 - Community Event to Honor Sidney and Sandy Rabinowitz

Send us any memories, history, personal observations, programs, photos or other memorabilia. Those wishing to honor the Hazzan with a gift to the temple can do so with an entry in a journal being prepared for the May 4 event. Watch your mail for details or contact Roberta Aronovitch (for information) at 203-322-6901 ext 304 or by e-mail at execdir@tbe.org

 

Junior Choir Reunion! Friday, June 14, 2002

The Committee to Honor Hazzan & Sandy is looking for former Junior Choir singers to participate in the upcoming festivities! If your son or daughter ever participated in the Beth El Junior Choir, please call Roz Perlson (323-7328), Kathy Paseltiner (356-9735) or Carol Kalter (968-1075) to give his/her name, address and phone number.

 

 

Beth El Cares

 BETH EL CARES and AMERICARES HOME FRONT NEED YOU!

SUNDAY, MAY 6, 2001 (FLEXIBLE HOURS)

Please volunteer to help us refurbish and repair the home of an elderly Stamford resident. No experience needed, though we are also looking for people with painting and home repair experience to assist the group.

TO SIGN UP OR TO GET MORE INFORMATION CALL:

Art and Sue Greenwald at (203) 329-1662 or e-mail adg521@optonline.net

JOIN THE MAY MITZVAH TEAM!

 

UPCOMING YOUTH EVENTS

KESHER (grades 3-5) GO VERTICAL! Indoor rock climbing -- Sunday, March 3 SOLD OUT

ATID (K-2) KARATE AND ICE CREAM (at Temple Beth El) -- Sunday, March 10: 1:30-3

KADIMA (6-8) Kinnus, in Bloomfield CT. -- March 1-3

 

SHABBAT SHALOM!

The Shabbat-O-Gram goes out weekly to hundreds of Beth El congregants and others. Feel free to forward it to your friends, and if you know of anyone who might wish to be included, please have them sign up at www.tbe.org. You can unsubscribe by contacting our office at office@tbe.org.

For more information on my synagogue, check out Beth El's Web site at www.tbe.org. To check out some previous spiritual cyber-journeys I have taken, see my book's site at www.thelordismyshepherd.com.

 

Shabbat-O-Gram for Shabbat Shira, January 25-26, 2002 -- Shevat 13, 5762

Shabbat-O-Gram for Shabbat Shira, January 25-26, 2002 -- Shevat 13, 5762

by Rabbi Joshua Hammerman, Temple Beth El, Stamford Connecticut

 

Shabbat Shalom

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

Well, I think we've finally gotten rid of the bugs.  Mazal Tov!  The Shabbat-O-Gram is now available to everyone both in plain text and full-color html versions.  It is being e-mailed out in plain text, but if you wish to see it in all its html splendor (and it IS a treat, if I must say so myself), you can click to it on the Web, at http://www.tbe.org/sog/020125.htm.  

If you wish to unsubscribe, you can do so automatically, by going to http://www.tbe.org/listserve/remove.htm and submitting your e-mail address there.  Again, I apologize for any glitches and ask for your patience, as well as your feedback. Ultimately, having Web-based list serve capabilities will enhance our ability to communicate in numerous ways.

SHABBATON

We had a wonderful Shabbaton last week.  The photos are up on our web site at www.tbe.org.  Many thanks to our photographers, Charles Donen and Matt Kasindorf.  (Excuse me while I indulge my kinfolk for a moment -- Hammerman family and assorted cousins, you'll find some nice photos of your growing nephews/cousins Ethan and Daniel if you click around a little).

ILAN MIRKOV

This Shabbat-O-Gram is dedicated in memory of Ilan Mirkov, our community exchange student from Afula who died tragically in an auto accident just one day after we returned from the Shabbaton.  In a very short time, Ilan became beloved by young and old alike, and by people throughout our community.  Our kids especially are devastated by this loss.  One of the highlights of the Shabbaton for me was sitting around the table on Saturday evening with Ilan and others, singing Israeli songs.  He was able to communicate to our children a real passion and love for Israel.  And who will ever forget how, in December, he spoke out at a community forum held here of that love for Israel. We will all miss Ilan.  Recent photos of Ilan are located at our web site (www.tbe.org). 

A MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR ILAN WILL BE HELD ON TUESDAY AT 7:00 AT CONGREGATION AGUDATH SHOLOM.     



JUST THE FACTS: Services and Such...

Friday Night:
Candles: 4:45 PM
Kabbalat Shabbat: 8:00 PM, in the chapel.  Led by Cantorial Intern Laura Berman

Shabbat Morning (family service, in the lobby)
P'sukey d'zimra (psalms and meditations): 9:15
Shacharit (morning) service begins: 9:30.
MAZAL TOV to Alan Tanz, who becomes Bar Mitzvah this Shabbat morning!

Torah Portion: Shabbat Shira (The Sabbath of Song, including the portion Beshallach, featuring the crossing of the Red Sea and Song of the Sea, and the Song of Deborah as our haftarah).  Read the Masorti commentary at http://www.masorti.org/mason/torah/index.asp. 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/

Children's Services: 10:30. The older service is hosted this week by grade 6.  All grades are welcome!

Shabbat Mincha-Ma'ariv-Havdalah: 4:15 PM
MAZAL TOV to Joshua Weiner, who becomes Bar Mitzvah this Shabbat afternoon!

Morning Minyan: Daily at 7:30, Sundays at 9:00.



SPIRITUAL JOURNEY ON THE WEB: TU B'SHEVAT

If you are looking for a liberal Jewish setting for online text study, you'll find it at the Kollel.   Click on    http://www.kolel.org/pages/holidays/tu_bishevat01.html  for some thoughts on Tu B'Shevat and on  http://www.kolel.org/pages/mishnah/brachot6.1.html  for Mishnaic insight on the spirituality embedded in a simple blessing over "the fruit of the tree."'

Tu B'Shevat, the New Year of Trees, occurs next Sunday night and Monday.  Some suggested links for further study: A nice introduction can be found at http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/Judaism/holiday8.html (from the "Jewish Virtual Library  -- while you're there, check out the rest of this valuable site, including the "Breaking News" section at http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/news.html#New) .  We're not doing a Tu B'Shevat seder for adults here this year, so why not do one at home?  See some background on the subject at http://www.jewishaz.com/jewishnews/000121/seder.shtml.   You can download a Seder format from http://www.wzo.org.il/encountr/seder.htm, and find a number of Tu B'Shevat links (including seders) at   http://www.jr.co.il/hotsites/j-hdaytu.htm.  For another good source of Tu B'Shevat info, go to http://uahc.org/educate/parent/0103.shtml.  There's so much out there about this holiday that it's hard to separate the forest from the trees, so to speak.

Which brings us to the whole area of eco-Judaism, often emphasized on Tu B'Shevat and a growing concern for many.  Click on http://members.loop.com/~bramble/fengshui/oy.html to find a fascinating take on "Eco-Kosher and Feng Shui."  This article compares Jewish and Eastern forms of environmentalism, focusing on the rabbinic concept of "Bal Tashchit," prohibiting the needless waste of our natural resources.  Fascinating reading.  To find out more, take a trip to the Teva Learning Center.  "Teva" means nature, and this camping program has become a sort of Jewish "Outward Bound" for many students, including, I believe, sixth graders at Bi-Cultural.  Teva is at http://www.tevacenter.org/home/welcome.asp and is coordinated by an organization called Shomrei Adama (Keepers of the Land).  Last but not least, there is the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL), found at http://www.coejl.org/.  Here's there mission statement: "The Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life engages Jewish institutions and individuals in bringing the moral passion of Jewish tradition and social action to environmental stewardship in order to preserve the integrity of creation, advance social justice, protect future generations, and strengthen the Jewish community."

This site has numerous educational links and action alerts.  This comes at a time when I fear that action alerts will increase dramatically.  How ironic, that, on this New Year of Trees, with the threats of Ozone depletion and global warming already so real, our forests and wildernesses face uncertainty from an administration that goes by the green-friendly name of "Bush."  Ironic indeed, that under Bush, the environment might just hit , to use another political name of note, its "nadir."

Tu B'Shevat is a fine time to reconnect with that Land of Israel.  Our ancestors in Europe looked forward to that taste of dates, figs and other fruits from the holy land, including (ugh) carob (aka Bokser).  As we read in http://www.jewish.com/holidays/tbv_hag2.html, "After the exile of the Jews from Israel, Tu B'Shevat became a day on which to commemorate our connection to Eretz Israel. During much of Jewish history, the only observance of this day was the practice of eating fruit associated with the land of Israel. A tradition based on Deuteronomy 8:8 holds that there are five fruits and two grains associated with it as a "land of wheat and barley, of vines, figs and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and [date] honey." Almonds were also given a prominent place in Tu B'Shevat meals since the almond trees were believed to be the first of all trees in Israel to blossom. Carob or St John's bread - was the most popular fruit to use, since it could survive the long trip from Israel to Jewish communities in Europe and North Africa."  I've been checking out "carob" web sites -- this far nothing to recommend.

We can experience the Israeli natural landscape more directly at http://www.neot-kedumim.org.il/.  Ohr Samayach has a nice catalog of articles on the love of the land of Israel, at http://www.ohr.org.il/tw/weinbach/loveland/index.htm.  And you can discover just why I treasure my subscription to Eretz Magazine, Israel's National Geographic, by exploring the links to articles and photos based at http://www.eretz.com/mags.htm. 

And the best way to show that love, naturally, to be there.  Second best?  Plant a tree: call the JNF at 800-542-TREE (8733) to participate in their special EZ TREE offer, or go to the web site at http://www.jnf.org/.  No, you won't be able to find a photo of  "your" tree there.  But you will find a picture of Jackie Kennedy planting one, at http://www.jnf.org/images/jackie_kennedy_l.jpg.  In participating in this planting, Jackie was being a modern day Honi Ha Ma'agel (Honi the Circle Drawer). Find out about him at http://www.ualberta.ca/~yreshef/tuintro.htm, and bring the kids along for this part of the journey (nice music too at this site).  "Just as those who came before us plant for us," Honi said back in the days of the Talmud (http://www.ualberta.ca/~yreshef/agada1.htm),  "so do we plant for our children." 

Only a week ago, a terrorist tried to destroy childhood innocence at a Bat Mitzvah celebration in Hadera.  Our response -- is to plant, for that Bat Mitzvah girl and all who come after.  And how could I not end this  Shabbat-O-Gram dedicated in memory of Ilan Mirkov with a special focus on the love of the Land of Israel?  Contact JNF and plant trees in memory of Ilan Mirkov (The name Ilan MEANS tree!), and in honor of that 12 year old girl, Nina Kardashova.

Happy Tu B'Shevat!


REQUIRED READING AND ACTION ITEMS

1) Looking for a portal to Jewish sites? Try http://www.hareshima.com/.  BTW, if you check Conservative synagogues, you will find that we are linked to it.  Ha-rishima, which means "the list," weaves together both Israeli and Diaspora sites, including a number of media links not found elsewhere. 

2) US Support for Israeli Actions Growing: http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=120966&displayTypeCd=1&sideCd=1&contrassID=2

3) Inside Israel by  David Clayman, "The Winter of Israel's Discontent : Update on What Israelis are Thinking, Reading, Doing and Saying."-- American Jewish Congress.  The latest edition can be found at  http://ajcongress.org/mideast/ii233.htm

4) It's not too early to be thinking about Purim - An interesting twist on the Fast of Esther can be found at http://www.brandeis.edu/~mistabra

5) Last week's Bat Mitzvah Massacre in Hadera,   http://www.jpost.com/Editions/2002/01/20/News/News.41951.html.  We already have one of our upcoming  B'not Mitzvah who will be dedicating her service to Nina Kardashova, the 12-year old whose celebration was ambushed by a terrorist (and her step-grandfather killed)

5) Send out a Tu B'Shevat postcard to your friends and family. Go to http://learn.jtsa.edu/postcard/ for some beautiful options.

6) Jewish Week article on the film featuring last week's Scholar in Residence, Rabbi Steve Greenberg, "Trembling Before God." http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/newscontent.php3?artid=5349

7) While you're at the Jewish Week site, you can click on the "opinions" section and see my latest column in this weeks issue, which, if all goes according to plan, will be posted later today.   But how many things go according to plan these days?



QUOTES OF THE WEEK

1) "And God saw everything that God had made and it was very good. And God said, "This is a beautiful world that I have given you. Take good care of it and do not ruin it."
It is said that before the world was created, the Holy One kept creating worlds and destroying them. Finally, God created this one and was satisfied. God said to Adam and Eve, "This is the last world I shall make. I place it in your hands: hold it in trust." (a Midrashic anecdote, for Tu B'Shevat)
                                                                                

2) This world, our world, is imbued with holiness . . . . We are not seeking to escape the everyday, but to hallow it. We do this by cleansing ourselves of the negative behaviors that keep us from encountering the world -- and all beings in it -- with a sense of awe, wonder, kindness, and compassion . . .  (Rabbi Rami Shapiro)


3) From Rabbi Paul Friedman, written the morning after this week's terror attack in downtown Jerusalem:

"Yesterday,the skies were open,the rains poured down on our land.
Yesterday,the sound of the gun , the cries of the wounded.
This morning ,blue skies. Two of the wounded died in the night. As we walked down Jaffa Road ,silent policemen sat in their cars.The glass is cleaned away:yesterday the police were there immediately:not in time for thirty wounded Israelis ,but in time to prevent even worse.
My wife remembers the first time in her life she saw a policeman with a gun. Growing up in London , she had never imagined such a thing. She asked me , what sort of a city is this?.It was sunny on that day also, in August , 1958,outside Rockefeller Center , in New York City ,
New York City , which today is also standing fast , against the faces of darkness.
We sit here in Cafe' Rimon ,in Jerusalem. It's 7:30 A.M. , and already there are other Israelis waiting for their morning coffee.
"Who rolls away the light before the darkness.
AND THE DARKNESS BEFORE THE LIGHT"
Ken Yhi Ratzon. May it be His will.
Before we were even out of bed , there was a fax on our machine. A group of young Jews from Los Angeles,coming to our home for Se'udah Shlishit in February. They're part of the answer,like the Missions , like the Birthright kids , like the young Oleh ,just arrived , who sat in our kitchen last week.
Like you. Lehitraot. See you soon here in israel.
An Arab mother faces the cameras. She says she is proud. Inside , she is bleeding ,is crying. Arab mother ,your son died for nothing. Be angry with those who sent him to kill. Rise up and let your voice be heard,before your other sons , too, die , in vain.
From Yerushalayim
Paul Freedman"



OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

ADULT EDUCATION with RABBI ANDREA COHEN-KIENER

"What’s All This About Jewish Mysticism?" A Three Part Introduction to Kabbalah

Sundays, January 27th and February 10th 10:00am 11:30 am
Learn the language, philosophy, personalities and traditions of Jewish mysticism and strategies for applying these teachings to your everyday life.
Class fee is $18.00 for all three sessions. Please RSVP to 322-6901 ext. 306


SUNDAY MORNINGS and WEDNESDAY EVENINGS with RABBINIC STUDENT GREG HARRIS

Midrash - Adding Color to the Bible
(Continues on Wednesdays due to popular demand)
We will study the creative genius of our rabbis as they enrich the biblical text with stories, legends, and lore. These inspired texts blend the sacred position of Torah with the real human struggle for spiritual understanding. All texts will be in Hebrew and English for all learners to join. Meets every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

Conservative Judaism What’s It All About?
Conservative Judaism: Not Reform and Not Orthodox. What are we? Being Conservative is an exciting meaningful expression of Judaism. We will gain a deeper understanding of our Movement, our approach to rituals and how we struggle to balance traditions and modernity. Come learn together the challenges and the insights of being a Conservative Jew. This course will be offered twice each Sunday, at 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.,  February 3rd, 10th. You may attend one or all weeks.
There is no charge for

The first planning session for this year’s Cantor’s Concert will be held at the Temple on Wednesday, February 6 at 7:30 pm. All Men’s Club members and Choir members are urged to assist with this year’s event. The concert, featuring the Boston Conservatory Klezmer Band, is set for the afternoon of April 21. For more details please contact Gerry Ginsburg at 322-1324.

Temple Beth El To Honor Hazzan Rabinowitz

Prior to his change in status to Hazzan Emeritus, and in recognition of the 32 years of dedicated service he has given to our community, Temple Beth El is preparing our tribute to Hazzan Sidney and Sandy Rabinowitz

To prepare for these events, the organizing committee is asking you to:
1. Note these dates on your calendar:
May 4 - Dinner Dance at Temple Beth El
May 19 - Community Event to Honor Sidney and Sandy Rabinowitz

2. Send us any memories, history, personal observations, programs, photos or other memorabilia that can help us make these events as noteworthy as they should be for a truly noteworthy man.

Those wishing to honor the Hazzan with a gift to the temple can do so with an entry in a journal being prepared for the May 4 event. Watch your mail for details or contact Roberta Aronovitch (for information) at 203-322-6901 ext 304 or by e-mail at execdir@tbe.org

Family Shabbat Dinner -- Friday, Feb. 8.  Sign up by contacting our Education office.


UPCOMING YOUTH EVENTS

Kadima (Grades 6-8) Midnight Dive-In and Sleepover: Sat-Sun Jan 26-27
At the JCC, in conjunction with the JCC and two other synagogues; featuring floating on rafts while watching a movie on a big screen TV and lots of other fun activities.
Register by January 25 to Nancy Levy, JCC Youth Director, at 322-7900 X141. NO WALK INS ACCEPTED

USY: ATTENTION USY MEMBERS!! (Grades 9-12) Stamford USY has been selected to host Mid-Winter Kinnus!! February 1-3, 2002. We are very excited to be hosting USY members from Connecticut and Western Massachusetts!! Please save the date and plan on attending for this awesome weekend - we need you there!! This event is open to Jewish teens in grades 9 through 12. If you are interested in helping plan or are able to host people at your home, please call Marcie at 322-6901, ext. 324 or e-mail youth@tbe.org.

COMING NEXT WEEK -- MY JUDAICALLY BASED, IRON CLAD SUPER BOWL PREDICTIONS! (Notice I didn't say "Steel Clad")

Shabbat Shalom (and Go, Pats!)
JH


The Shabbat-O-Gram goes out weekly to hundreds of Beth El congregants and others. Feel free to forward it to your friends, and if you know of anyone who might wish to be included, please have them sign up at www.tbe.org. If you wish to unsubscribe, you can do so automatically, by going to http://www.tbe.org/listserve/remove.htm and submitting your e-mail address there.

For more information on my synagogue, check out Beth El's Web site at www.tbe.org. To check out some previous spiritual cyber-journeys I have taken, see my book's site at www.thelordismyshepherd.com.

911 and 613 (Jewish Week)

9/11 and 613

(01/25/2002)

9-11 And 613

joshua hammerman

We’ve heard so much about how America has changed following September’s terrorist attacks that it’s almost reached the level of cliche. Yet the evidence continues to show this on numerous fronts, including a seismic shift in the role of religion in our lives. According to a Pew Research Center survey released last month, 78 percent of Americans now say religion’s influence in American life is growing — up from 37 percent eight months ago and the highest mark on this measure in surveys dating back four decades. Curiously, the Pew survey does not indicate a strong increase in attendance at religious services, nor have a large number of those not actively religious before 9-11 suddenly flocked to faith. But people are praying more, privately and publicly, and a small but significant minority (16 percent) does say they are attending services more now than before. Of course, any rabbi could have told you the same thing. Anecdotally, we’ve all seen at least a temporary jump in service attendance. But more significantly, we clergy have seen a jump in our own significance. The Pew statistics are on the money. It’s not simply a matter of how many walk through the door each week, it’s that the ones who are walking through are drinking up every word. Never in my lifetime has it meant more to be a religious leader, and Jerry Falwell notwithstanding, most clergy have been up to the task. That’s why it has amazed me to hear that a surprisingly large group of rabbis chose not to speak about the terror attacks last High Holy Days. Sure, it wasn’t easy to rewrite sermons at the last minute while simultaneously dealing with the immediate human fallout of the disaster, but such a response demonstrates a profound misunderstanding of what our congregants so desperately needed when they walked into services on Rosh HaShanah. Our job, and Judaism’s, is to take the temporal, with all its warts, add two tablespoons of Torah and try to discover in the mix some semblance of eternal meaning. I must confess that not only did I tie in the Sept. 11 tragedy to each of my High Holy Days sermons, I haven’t stopped since. While many are showing a desire to put the tragedy behind them, as I plough through each of the portions of the Torah cycle, I can’t help but read them all through the prism of the WTC churban. I’m not doing it by design but rather by my own lingering need to make sense of what has happened, as well as my lingering desire not to allow the world to forget about it. I use the term churban advisedly, for it is the Hebrew word most often employed in regard to the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago. While the WTC structure might have served a very different purpose from that of the Second Temple, the impact of these two cataclysms is analogous. The tears of Jerusalem’s survivors are chronicled throughout the Talmud. In fact, one could easily make the claim that the entire Talmud itself is a response to that disaster. In Brachot 32 we read that when the Temple was destroyed, all the Gates of Heaven were closed except for one: the Gate of Tears. The Western Wall therefore became known as the Wailing Wall, in recognition of all the tears Jews have shed there. Our own Wailing Wall-style memorial to destruction is now under construction, beginning with the new platforms erected near the Manhattan wreckage. During one recent news report from Ground Zero, I even saw a child inscribe a small note to leave at the scene. We read in Sanhedrin 104b of a neighbor of Rabban Gamliel who upon the death of her child wept so hard during the night that when Gamliel heard her wailing, he was reminded of the destruction of the Temple. Gamliel wept in sympathy, “so much that his eyelids seemed to disappear.” We learn elsewhere (Lamentations Rabbah 1:16) that when the Temple was destroyed, large numbers in Israel became ascetics, unable to eat meat or drink wine. Apparently the shock waves registered far beyond the earthly realm as well. We read in several places (including Avoda Zara 3b) that since the Temple was destroyed, “there is no laughter for Holy One, nor does the firmament appear in its full clarity.” Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel adds, “Ever since the Temple was destroyed, there is no day without a curse.” It is impossible to overestimate the impact of that catastrophe on the Jews of that time — and consequently on the Judaism they handed down to us. The rabbis understood that such profound grief could not be minimized or denied. Rather, it had to be channeled into constructive, life-affirming activity. So they validated the mourning process by ritualizing it, for instance by mandating the breaking of a glass at weddings, and then they created a way of life that enabled them to transcend that sorrow, to turn tears into triumph. Just as the sages were able to reinterpret Torah in light of that destruction, thereby gaining new inspiration from it, so is it necessary for us to do the same now. Rather than reaching for the Prozac, we need to confront our pain the old fashioned way: by wrestling with God. The Talmud speaks of one consequence of the Temple’s destruction being that a wall of iron was interposed between Israel and the Holy One. The only way to breach that wall is to fill with new meaning the space that exists between Torah and Terror, and for our tears to stretch heavenward. Perhaps they might meet God’s tears somewhere in between.

Shabbat-O-Grams for 2002

 

• Dec 20, 2002
• Dec 13, 2002
• Dec 6, 2002
• Nov 22, 2002
• Nov 15, 2002
• Nov 8, 2002
• Nov 1, 2002
• Oct 25, 2002
• Oct 18, 2002
• Oct 12, 2002
• Oct 5, 2002
• Sep 27, 2002
• Sep 20, 2002
• Sep 13, 2002
• Sep 6, 2002
• Aug 31, 2002
• Aug 24, 2002
• Aug 17, 2002
• Aug 10, 2002
• Aug 3, 2002
• Jun 22, 2002
• Jun 15, 2002
• Jun 8, 2002
• Jun 1, 2002
• May 17, 2002
• May 10, 2002
• May 3, 2002
• Apr 27, 2002
• Apr 20, 2002
• Apr 12, 2002
• Mar 22, 2002
• Mar 15, 2002
• Mar 8, 2002
• Mar 1, 2002
• Feb 23, 2002
• Feb 16, 2002
• Feb 9, 2002
• Feb 2, 2002
• Jan 25, 2002

Hugging Through Glass (Jewish Week)

 

Hugging Through Glass

joshua hammerman

When the Israeli novelist David Grossman first visited America, he commented, “Americans are very polite, but trying to relate to them is like kissing through glass.” Now, following a year of unprecedented suffering in Israel and a day of unimaginable horror here, the relationship between Israelis and American Jews has changed in remarkable ways. The Sabra’s legendary coarse exterior has peeled away, revealing vulnerability rarely seen before by outsiders, and the hard crusty New Yorker has softened in kind. I was in Israel a few weeks ago on a solidarity trip from my community and was dumbfounded by how grateful Israelis were to see me. Every time an Israeli began to thank our group so humbly and profusely I was tempted to shout out, “Wait a minute, you’re supposed to be chastising us for not living here, and we’re supposed to be complaining about your rudeness. Have I landed in Tel Aviv or Mister Rodgers neighborhood?” An epidemic of niceness has broken out. Have you ever been on a tour where no one in the group complained about anything? That’s what happened, despite the usual assortment of glitches. It’s amazing how even an empty hotel couldn’t provide enough towels in some of the rooms; but even more incredible that it didn’t matter. Our purpose in going to Israel was not to be comfortable. It was, in fact, just the opposite: We were there to feel their pain and for them to feel ours. In the Yehuda Amichai poem “Tourists,” the author chastises camera-toting visitors for using him as a target marker for a Roman ruin. The poem concludes: “I said to myself: redemption will come only if their guide tells them, ‘You see that arch from the Roman period? It’s not important: but next to it, left and down a bit, there sits a man who’s bought fruits and vegetables for his family.’ ” Well, redemption may be at hand. There are precious few tourists on the streets of Jerusalem right now, but those who are there are sitting with the vegetable shopper in Gilo and virtually ignoring that Roman arch. All the old grudges have been set aside; the condescension has melted away. I’ve never felt more enriched by a visit to Israel, yet I used up barely a single roll of film. There was far less posing and a lot more hugging. Everything has changed and we haven’t gained our bearings yet. Because of that, Israelis and Americans are still talking past each other, however genteelly. Israelis are resigned to the near disappearance of tourism, but they are bitter that a number of American students, including those from various rabbinical programs, have chosen to forego their overseas studies in Israel. What they don’t understand is that for Americans, the issue is no longer merely whether it is safe to visit Israel but whether it is fair to leave one’s own family for a semester when the situation here is also perilous. I felt that same tug in leaving my family behind in the throes of the anthrax scare, even though I was in Israel for less than a week. Israelis don’t understand that Americans are nesting right now; we’re not even going to Disney World for a week, much less to Mount Scopus for a year. Most Israelis I spoke to also doubt America’s resolve to carry out the war on terror to its rightful conclusion, indicating, again, that they have no idea just how deep our wound runs. They have adjusted to living under constant pressure and vigilance and have become almost numbed to atrocity. Conversely, they have never experienced so terrible a blow to the very symbols of their society’s existence. How otherwise could they doubt our resolve, knowing that millions of Americans gaze tearfully at downtown Manhattan each day? This national nightmare is far from fading away. And how could they begin to imagine our shock when the most recent comparable “ground zero” experience over there took place some 2,000 years ago, when the Second Temple was destroyed? Masada has not fallen again, but the World Trade Center has. They can’t possibly understand, and it shows. Only days after the Sept. 11 attacks, Israeli TV insensitively showed the film “Independence Day,” and in early November a screening of “Deep Impact” followed that. Both films feature fictitious decimations of New York and Washington. That’s like showing reruns of “Hogan’s Heroes” on Yom HaShoah — in 1945. They don’t understand us, and we don’t even come close to understanding them. Our kids still go to malls and movies with little concern. We have little doubt the bus will make it home from school. New York is looking to recover tourists, but in Israel many great hotels have closed completely. Guides are moonlighting as couriers. This might be the greatest economic crisis in Israel’s history, but the monetary loss of the entire tourism industry is only secondary to the psychological impact of feeling utterly abandoned. Now more than ever, American Jews need to visit Israel. With everyone feeling so vulnerable, a group hug is in order. The more we hug as fellow Jews, the more Israel and America will come together as nations. It used to be that we needed to visit Israel to show them we care. Now we need to visit there all the more, to show our fellow Americans why. n Rabbi Joshua Hammerman, spiritual leader of Temple Beth El in Stamford, Conn., can be reached at rabbi@tbe.org. His new book, “thelordismyshepherd.com: Seeking God in Cyberspace” can be previewed on-line at www.thelordismyshepherd.com.

Shabbat-O-gram Dec 2001

 I apologize for the duplication, if there is one.  Because it is clear that many did not receive this yesterday, I'm resending it in a slightly altered manner.   Please let me know if you did not receive the first one but DID receive this one.  Thanks for your cooperation. 

jh


Shabbat Shalom. 

JUST THE FACTS

L'hitraot to our 6th graders, who go out on their class Shabbaton this weekend!

Friday Night:
Candles: 4:10 PM
Kabbalat Shabbat: 8:00 PM, in the chapel.  

Shabbat Morning:
THIS SHABBAT IS WORLD AIDS DAY -- AIDS RIBBONS WILL BE AVAILABLE IN THE LOBBY -- PLEASE TAKE ONE AS YOU ENTER
P'sukey d'zimra (psalms and meditations): 9:15
Shacharit (morning) service begins: 9:30
Teen Service and lunch.  We've got 82 teens participating in this service -- not including our 7th graders who will also be involved.  "Ken ein hora!"
Torah Portion: Va-Yishlach

MAZAL TOV to Joel and Karen Liffmann on the naming of Tyler Rose.  "Ken ein hora X2!"

D'var Torah recommendation:  Guided meditations for the Torah portions, Holidays and healing can now be found at Rabbi Judith Abrams' excellent web site, Maqom www.maqom.com and click on the link Guided Meditations).  Each meditation is accompanied by material that links the meditation to the parashah through Drash, Gematria and so forth so the material can be taught as well as used as meditation.If people would like CDs of these meditations already recorded, they need merely to let Judith Abrams know, by writing to her at maqom@compassnet.com, and give her their  "snailmail" address.

Children's Services: 10:30, with Nurit Avigdor (through grade 2) and Bert Madwed (grades 3 and up). This week, our 4th grade will be "hosting" the older service.  Religious school and Bi-Cultural students of all grades are naturally most welcome, as are parents.

Morning Minyan: Daily at 7:30, Sundays at 9:00. 


SPIRITUAL JOURNEY ON THE WEB: Numb and Numb-er

In this week's portion of Va-yishlach, Jacob has his famous joust with a mysterious midnight stranger at the ford of the Jabbok River ( see where on the map at http://www.execulink.com/~wblank/20010717.htm ) While sustaining injuries, he survives the battle and is subsequently renamed "Israel," "the one who has striven with God."  Jacob's famous tussle (worthy of being picked up by the WWF or ESPN Classic) was, in the minds of many commentators, a reflection of his inner turmoil as he prepared to meet his brother Esau, mano a mano, for the first time since he had escaped to Haran two decades before.  Would Esau maintain his old grudge and decimate Jacob's camp, or would he kiss and make up?  Jacob couldn't possibly know for sure, so he divided his camp into two, much as some families now will fly to a destination on two separate planes -- just in case.  

In its commentary on Jacob's long night of struggle, Etz Hayim, the new Conservative Humash, suggests that Jacob is struggling with demons both external and internal.  Externally there is the specter of real fear and danger (embodied in Esau) and internally it is the specter of how he has never coped with fear and danger.   Jacob, you see, has a history of cutting and running.  He ran from Esau, and more recently he ran from Laban, his father in law.  So the question over which Jacob must struggle that long night, and the question that happens to be confronting each of us today, is this:  Are we ready to look evil in the eye without blinking?  Are we able to see it in all its horror, without running away?  Can we face it without resorting to any of a number of defense mechanisms, not the least of which is denial?  (For another perspective, see Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin's excellent d'var Torah on Jacob's coming face to face with the evil within, at  http://uahc.org/rjmag/599js.html.)

If you go to where the Jabbok meets the Jordan today, head upstream along the Jordan valley to Beit Sha'an and then turn inland, you will not have to go far to stumble across the modern Israeli city of Afula.  I visited Afula, our sister-city, on the recent solidarity trip.  Seven weeks ago, and now this week again, the center of town was desecrated by an act of ultimate evil, a murderous terrorist attack.  Our group stood on the very spot where blood has all too often been shed.   The American envoys trying to jump-start the peace process got a whirly bird's eye view of the attack only minutes after it occurred.  Yet the world hardly blinked.  Or, more accurately, it did blink.  Unlike Jacob, it faced evil here and did not prevail.  We have developed a dangerous tolerance for the intolerable. (To read more of how Afula has suffered over the past decade, and how the world has ignored it, see http://www.israelnewsagency.com/afula10.4.html and http://www.adl.org/presrele/Teror_92/2711_92.asp.  To read about Afula's history, biblical and modern, and it's connection to Stamford in Partnership 2000, see http://www.ohr.org.il/tw/weinbach/loveland/lland065.htm, and http://www.partner.org.il/afula/)

The unimaginable and horrific have become routine, and that is scary.  See Rogel Alpher's commentary in Ha'aretz for some background on how even the Israeli media nonchalanted this outrage in Afula. it's at  http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=100014&displayTypeCd=1&sideCd=1&contrassID=2.  Alpher makes reference to Hannah Arendt's essay on the "banality of evil."  Read about it at http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/biography/arendt.html and http://www.bu.edu/wcp/Papers/Cont/ContAssy.htm.  As limited as the coverage of the Aful bombing was over there, here it was hardly mentioned.  On Tuesday morning, it was a tag line at the conclusion of a report from Jerusalem on NPR; and it merited only p.12 in Wednesday's New York Times. 

A certain degree of denial is understandable, especially in Afula.  How could they function without it?  Some facts from the American Psychological Association on trauma and stress help us to understand this, at  http://helping.apa.org/daily/traumaticstress.html; also check  www.christina.k12.de.us/tragedy/Coping_With_Tragedy_HMS.pdf and http://www.yale.edu/21C/resource/resources_for_dealing_with_loss_.htm

The fact that Israelis have come to accept a degree of terrorism has its advantages.  One way to defeat terror, in fact, is to not be terrorized by it.  Witness the following testimony to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee by Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Shaul Mofaz this week:

"When [P.A. Chairman Yasser Arafat] saw that Israeli casualties were low, around last February, he gave specific instructions [to Fatah’s Tanzim militia] to attack, and in the last few months has even told them to work inside the Green Line…When the intifada broke out, the Palestinians estimated that we would not be able to withstand the heavy price that we would be forced to pay, and that would force us to make concessions. They have been surprised…"

Despite the real fear and dejection that Israelis are feeling, they have indeed proven far more resistant to terrorizing than Arafat imagined; similarly, America was considered weak-kneed by bin Laden and a decade ago by Saddam Hussein.  They were all wrong. 

But we can't afford to become numb to the terror.  The way to stand up to it without blinking is not through macho denial, but through defiant and continuous outrage.  If the world becomes numb to shootings in Afula, it makes it far more likely that Saddam Hussein will attach something far more dangerous to the next Scud missile he decides to send over.  And there will be Scuds, guaranteed, if Iraq is next on the American list.  Why?  Because in the Gulf War Scuds were tolerated.  So why not now?  Read http://www.washington-report.org/backissues/0395/9503022.htm to see that Israel was indeed prepared to strike back in massive force back in 1991, but never pulled the trigger.  A dangerous precedent was set.

Ariel Sharon picked the wrong event of 1938 when he gave his now infamous "We-are-not-Czechoslovakia" speech in October.  It's not Munich that needs to be remembered, it's the St. Louis, that boatload of Jewish refugees turned away from American shores, only to return to Europe and certain doom. The ship was later called "The Voyage of the Damned," referring not only to those refugees, but all the Jews of Europe.  For it was from this incident that Hitler learned that no one would lift a finger to save the Jews.  Whenever we fail to stare evil in the eye, we allow for its proliferation.  Read more about the St. Louis at http://www.cdn-friends-icej.ca/antiholo/voyage.html, http://www-personal.umich.edu/~froomkin/texts/m3.html, and
http://history1900s.about.com/cs/ssstlouis/

We need to be like Jacob, courageous enough to do three things: recognize evil, fight it unrelentingly, and to always be outraged by it.  The alternative is to become numb and numb-er.  Jacob reaped the benefits of his courage, BTW.  Esau did, in the end, kiss and make up, though in one of the most deliciously ambiguous verses of the entire Torah, we're never sure if that's what he truly intended to do.  He fell on Jacob's neck "and he kissed him" (Gen. 33:3).  There are dots over that phrase, only adding to the mystery.  Perhaps Esau intended to attack his brother, but then got a close up look at Jacob's unblinking, piercing eyes, and meekly fell into Jacob's arms.   As a wresting match, it didn't make for must-see TV, sort of like the XFL.  But the main event had already taken place the night before, at the ford of the Jabbok, before the break of dawn.


QUOTES OF THE WEEK

"Terrorists impose darkness on the climate of the intellect because they try to force their backward ideas on public opinion under the veil of religious correctness. They construe religious thought to suit their political objectives to reach power…[and disfigure] religious tolerance with insane acts. There can be no worse distortion of religion than that. If world Zionism spent billions of dollars to tarnish the image of Islam, it will not accomplish what the terrorists have done with their actions and words."—Nabil Luka Bibawi, Egyptian professor of criminal law, writing in Egypt’s Al Ahram, signalling that the Arab press in the Middle East is now attempting to discredit Osama bin Laden. (Int. Her. Trib., Nov. 24-25)

I just LOVE this one:
LAST TWO JEWS IN AFGHANISTAN DO NOT GET ALONG—(Kabul) Isaac Levy and Zebolan Simonto, the only Jews residing in Afghanistan, maintain two old synagogues and do not speak except to exchange curses across a courtyard. Both say they spent time in jail because of something the other had done. Each accuses the other of theft and of falsely telling the Taliban that the other was an Israeli spy. Levy—a rabbi and former businessman--claims that Simonto falsely denounced him to the Taliban as a spy and that he spent 57 days in prison; Simonto, a store-owner, says Levy accused him of trying to convert Muslims to Christianity and told the Taliban he brought prostitutes home. (N.Y. Post, Nov. 27)


REQUIRED READING

1) Regarding Hanukkah, from United Jewish Communities:
Everything is Sacred: http://www.ujc.org/content_display.html?ArticleID=23972
Rosh Hodesh Kislev: http://www.ujc.org/content_display.html?ArticleID=23644

2) From Newsweek:
The Ones Who Turn Up Along the Way, by Rabbi Jennifer Krause
ttp://www.msnbc.com/news/659372.asp

3) ADL has just published a new report about anti-Semitism in the Arab media.  September 11 and Arab Media: The Anti-Jewish and Anti-American Blame Game, offers dozens of excerpts from newspapers located throughout the Middle East and elsewhere and cites various examples from television and editorial cartoons.  The report is available on the League’s Web site at www.adl.org. 
For an example of what Arabs are reading, check out http://www.jerusalem-times.net/article/detail.asp?id=332.

4) More on Harry Potter (I saw the film last week and loved it) and the spiritual diemension of fantasy, from Religion and Ethics Newsweekly: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week512/cover.html

5) THE IRAN GAME
by SEYMOUR M. HRSH
How will Tehran’s nuclear ambitions affect our budding partnership?
http://www.newyorker.com/FACT/



ANNOUNCEMENTS

Temple Beth El To Honor Hazzan Rabinowitz

Prior to his change in status to Hazzan Emeritus, and in recognition of the 32 years of dedicated service he has given to our community, Temple Beth El is preparing our tribute to Hazzan Sidney and Sandy Rabinowitz

To prepare for these events, the organizing committee is asking you to:
1. Note these dates on your calendar:
May 4 - Dinner Dance at Temple Beth El
May 19 - Community Event to Honor Sidney and Sandy Rabinowitz

2. Send us any memories, history, personal observations, programs, photos or other memorabilia that can help us make these events as noteworthy as they should be for a truly noteworthy man.

Those wishing to honor the Hazzan with a gift to the temple can do so with an entry in a journal being prepared for the May 4 event.  Watch your mail for details or contact Roberta Aronovitch (for information) at 203-322-6901 ext 304 or by e-mail at execdir@tbe.org


MORE ANNOUNCEMENTS

Don't Miss:
Mini Parlor Concert:  "The Many Faces of Jewish Music," featuring Cantorial intern Laura Berman along with Hazzan Rabinowitz.  December 2, from 11 AM to noon.  A delightful concert of solos and duets.  You'll hear Hebrew, Yiddish, English, folk and classical selections.  This is the Hazzan's Hanukkah gift to you.  No tickets required.

RALLY FOR AMERICA AND ISRAEL AGAINST TERRORISM: Sunday, December 2 at Noon.  47th St. and 2nd Avenue.

Beth El Senior's Group Hanukkah Luncheon:  Sunday, Dec.2 at 1:00 PM.  Reservations are still possible!  Contact our office at 322-6901 X300.  Nearly 400 latkes were made here last night!  Who knows what else they'll have.

WORLD AIDS DAY INTERFAITH SERVICE OF REMEMBRANCE-AWARENESS-HOPE AND HEALING: Sunday, December 2, at 7:00 PM, at the First United Methodist Church, 42 Cross Rd. (near Lord and Taylor).  Join me and other representatives of Stamford's interfaith community.

Midrash: Adding Color to the Bible -- Adult ed series with Rabbinical Student Greg Harris.  Wednesday at 7:30.  And Mazal Tov to Greg, who will be delivering his senior sermon at JTS on Shabbat morning, Dec. 8!

Congregational Shabbaton reservations are coming in, fast and furious (over 100, at last count -- and we can only house 150)!  Don't be left out in the cold this MLK Weekend! Sign up now!  Special thanks to Gary and Judi Gladstein, as well as an anonymous donor, for their generous donations enabling us to defray expenses and subsidize costs, and to Penny and Michael Horowitz for sponsoring the guest speaker and prayer leader, Rabbi Steven Greenberg of CLAL (the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership), in memory of Bessie Silver.

The members of the 2002 Bat Mitzvah class have decided to work together with Beth El Cares to secure an Automatic External Defibrillator(AED).
There is a need for an AED in public facilities . On April 15, 2000 11 year old Danielle Brendner stopped breathing. He heart just stopped beating. In the months that followed her parents Sharon and Avi discovered that their daughter was the victim of a silent killer called Long QT Syndrome. It is possible that Danielles life could have been saved if she has been defibrillated.

Every year 225,00 Americans suffer fatal cardiac arrests as a result of various cardiac disorders. The most effective treatment for a person in cardiac arrest is an electrical shock to the heart through the use of an AED.

THE COST OF THE DEFIBRILLATOR IS $3000. If you are willing to make a contribution towards its purchase for the Temple, we would appreciate your support.
Please make the your tax deductible contribution payable to Temple Beth El. On your check please note: Beth 'El Cares /Defibrillator.
If there are any question please call: Barbara Smith 325-8598 or Sue Greenwald 325 1662
Thank you in advance for your support for this potentially life saving project

"Learn to Read Torah" with Hazzan Rabinowitz.  9:45 - 10:25 in the organ loft, on Sunday. Call him at 322-6901 X309 to register.

Sisterhood Shabbat will take place on Dec. 15. Any members of Sisterhood who are interested in participating but have not yet informed us should call Linda Simon at 324-2246 or Karen Hainbach at 322-8842 as soon as possible. In the spirit of Hanukkah, we invite all members of Sisterhood and other congregants to bring along an unopened, unwrapped children's gift to be donated to the Beth El Cares Birthday Closet. You may deliver it to the Religious School office or leave it in the collection box in the lobby. Hope to see you all on Dec. 15!

URGENT!!!!!  Mercaz and the Zionist Elections: MERCAZ USA is the Zionist Organization of the Conservative Movement, the voice of Conservative Jewry within the World Zionist Organization, the Jewish Agency for Israel, the American Zionist Movement and the Jewish National Fund to support religious pluralism in Israel and strengthen the connection between Israel and the Diaspora.  Go to http://www.mercazusa.org/ to see how you can sign up to vote for the upcoming Zionist Congress elections.  The deadline is fast approaching,  Do it now! I've registered.  Have you???   You can register online NOW for the World Zionist Organization Elections at https://vote.election.com/azm-registration/  It only takes a couple of minutes (and $4).


UPCOMING YOUTH EVENTS

ATID:  ATID (Grades K-2) will be having a Hanukkah Gift Making Day & Lunch this Sunday, December 2nd from 1:00-3:30 pm.  Pizza & Salad.  Cost is $10.00.  There's still time to sign-up so call today! RSVP to Marcie at 322-6901, ext. 324.
Parents: Chaperones are needed, please sign-up.

KESHER:  Kesher (Grades 3-5) will be having a Hanukkah Havdalah & Movie Party on Saturday, December 15th.  We will be in the Youth Lounge from 6:00-8:30 pm.  Cost is $5.00.  Snacks & make your own sundaes!  Please bring a wrapped grab bag gift that would be appropriate for a boy or girl. ($10 limit).   RSVP to Marcie at 322-6901, ext. 324 by December 9th.  Parents: Chaperones are needed, please sign-up.

KADIMA:  Kadima (Grades 6-8) will be going to Circle Lanes for a Hanukkah Bowling Party on Sunday, December 16th from 1:00-4:30 pm.  We will meet in the Youth Lounge.  Cost is $15.00, includes transportation by bus, 2 games, shoes, and snacks.   Please bring a wrapped grab bag gift that would be appropriate for a boy or girl. ($10 limit).  You may bring extra money to purchase items at the snack bar.  RSVP to Marcie at 322-6901, ext. 324 by December 9th.
Parents: Chaperones are needed, please sign-up.

USY:  ATTENTION USY MEMBERS!! (Grades 9-12) Stamford USY has been selected to host Mid-Winter Kinnus!!  February 1-3, 2002.  We are very excited to be hosting USY members from Connecticut and Western Massachusetts!!  Please save the date and plan on attending for this awesome weekend - we need you there!!  This event is open to Jewish teens in grades 9 through 12.  If you are interested in helping plan or are able to host people at your home, please call Marcie at 322-6901, ext. 324 or e-mail youth@tbe.org. 


AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST...SOME HANUKKAH-RELATED ANNOUNCEMENTS

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Hanukkah
I've compiled a booklet filled with information about Hanukkah, including history, texts, meditations, and all the hows and whys.  This booklet is available on the information table in our main lobby.  Feel free to take one when you are in the building.  Don't worry!  We'll make more!  Contact our office at 322-6901 X300, if you wish to have one mailed to you.  The Hazzan's Hanukkah song booklet is also available.

Let’s celebrate Hanukkah together to light the community menorah!
Monday, December 10, 2001 at 5:00 PM sharp in front of the JCC, 1035 Newfield Avenue
Calling all families!!! Join JCC KidsPlace kids to lead us in singing the blessings and favorite Chanukkah songs.
After the candlelighting, follow the aroma of latkes to the TRADITIONS ON WHEELS cart in the main hall of the JCC. Dress warmly, we will be outside.  Flashlights are recommended.   Sponsored by the UJF of Greater Stamford, New Canaan and Darien and the JCC.

"The Only Thing We Have to Fear..."
Fear and Courage from the Jewish Perspective: a panel discussion, led by the Board of Rabbis and featuring participants in the recent Solidarity tour of Israel.   in light of events here and in Israel, and in honor of Hanukkah...
Where?  HERE (TBE)  When?  Tuesday, December 11 at 8:00.

Hanukkah Shopping:  Of course, check out our Sisterhood's well-stocked Gift Shop for all your Hanukkah needs.  Additionally, you can buy a book at the Bi-Cultural book fair this weekend.  Beyond that, you can also do a mitzvah by shopping in Israel -- right from your own desktop.  Israel's current recession is far deeper than our own.  The Connecticut Jewish Ledger provided a list of Israeli sites to try.  Among them are:
http://www.israelshop1.com/ Israeli flags, jewelry, unusual items
http://www.aleidafna.co.il/ flowers and gifts from Israel
http://www.israelcraft.com/ beautiful tallises
http://www.israelbooks.com fabulous selection
http://www.rotem.net/misc.html beautiful ritual items and more
http://www.israeldirect.co.il/
http://www.israeliwishes.com/ food, books, and lots more.  Out of Za'atar?  Begging for Bamba?  Click right here.
www.shorashim.net direct from the Jewish Quarter of the Old City
http://heaven-land.virtualave.net/ mystical stuff, candles, jewelry, from Kfar Saba.  get ready for a cosmic journey, and that's just the introduction.

And for the latest hit TV programs from Israel sent directly to your home on DVD, complete with English subtitles, you've GOT to try Drishat Shalom.  I got mine this week and have really enjoyed the inaugural edition.  I plan to be demonstrating Drishat Shalom here in the near future.  But for now, go to the Web site at http://www.drishatshalom.com.

And speaking of gifts....Don't forget to bring an extra unopened gift to our Birthday closet.  Toys will be distributed to needy children on their birthdays by local agencies.



This Shabbat-O-Gram goes out weekly to hundreds of Beth El congregants and others. Feel free to forward it to your friends, and if you know of anyone who might wish to be included, please have them e-mail me at rabbi@tbe.org. To be taken off this e-mail list, simply click on "reply" and write "please unsubscribe" in the message box.

For more information on the synagogue, check out Beth El's Web site at www.tbe.org. To check out some previous spiritual cyber-journeys I have taken, see my book's site at www.thelordismyshepherd.com.