 |
|
|
Our Minyan Needs Your Help!
|
KIDDUSH
Phyllis & Milton Breit have made a contribution to this week's kiddush in honor of Milton's 90th birthday.
|
Mazal Tov!
Birthdays & Anniversaries
February 18th -24th
Harrison Millner
Jackson Millner
Alan Fromkin
Justine Laufer
Richard Rosenberg
Laurie Singer
Lily Ciardiello
Elsie Zeilberger
 Sunday February 18th
Minyan 9:00 am
No Hebrew School
Monday February 19th
Office Closed
Minyan 9:00 am
Tuesday February 21st
Visiting Scholar Janet DiNardo White 1:00 pm
Thursday Feb 23rd
Rabbi's Class 10:30 am
|
|
|
Friday Feb 24th
Bible Study 11:30 am
|
|
|
|
|
| |
This Shabbat
I am in Florida this week visiting our snowbirds. Lots of driving, long days, limited Internet. As a consequence, this week's
Shab Sha! will be significantly shorter.
I am also away this weekend, so my thanks to Cantor Zim, Jeff Adler, Alan Stern, Alan Herschenfeld, and everyone else who makes it possible for me to go away without worrying that everything will be covered. In particular, I would like to thank Dr. Harry Richman, who will be delivering the introductions to both of Torah and the Haftarah tomorrow morning, and to Stephanie Stern-Protz, who will be delivering the D'var Torah in my absence.
On
Shabbat afternoon, during the break between Mincha and Ma'ariv, we will be reading an article by AJC (American Jewish Committee) executive vice president David Harris on the importance of bipartisanship. The only two national organizations but I know of that are strictly bipartisan are AIPAC and the AJC (even the ADL, under its new leadership, showing cracks in its bipartisanship). The same cannot be said for either ZOA or JStreet. David Harris has a brilliant mind and it's worthwhile for you to come and learning what he has to say.
It's Presidents' Day weekend; there is one change in our service schedule: Monday morning's minyan will be at 9:00 AM. Holiday weekends are always challenging for us when it comes to the minyan; please be cognizant of our minyan times and make an extra special effort to show your support by showing up!
It will be greatly appreciated.
|
|
|
|
It's been a pretty big news week domestically, where the major resignation, concerns about leaks, more turmoil about surreptitious contact with Russian intelligence, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu visiting Washington DC. I have largely missed it all!
However, I did manage find and read, what I believe is a wonderful editorialby the now former US ambassador to Israel, Dan Shapiro:
President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met 17 times during the course of their eight years in office together. Dan Shapiro was the only person on the US side to attend each meeting.
|
|
 |
|
|
And this article is so illuminating, that I am reprinting it in its entirety. (It helps to explain why AIPAC and the AJC invest so much in leading groups of influential non-Jews to Israel):
A year working as a journalist in Israel and the Palestinian territories made Hunter Stuart rethink his positions on the conflict.
IN THE summer of 2015, just three days after I moved to Israel for a year-and-a-half stint freelance reporting in the region, I wrote down my feelings about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A friend of mine in New York had mentioned that it would be interesting to see if living in Israel would change the way I felt. My friend probably suspected that things would look differently from the front-row seat, so to speak.....Click here to read more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Palistinian
Salam Fayyad is a
wonderful, well-respected gentleman who, when he was in a position of power in the PA tried to establish credible institutions and prepare for Palestinian Statehood. He would have been an excellent choice for UN special Envoy to Libya. So, ...
The President lobbed it out there: possibly a 1-State Solution, and Palestinian Chief Negotiator, Saeb Erekat had a cow. Why? (Privately, the Israelis may also be having a cow).
|
|
|
|
New Israeli-initiated Arabic website created to inform Palestinian population of information hidden from them by their leadership in Gaza and Ramallah; first on the agenda-why Mahmoud Eshtewi, senior Hamas official was executed last year by Hamas Defense Minister Yahya Sinwar.
|
|
|
|
Antisemitism & BDS
Despite a rash of anti-Semitic acts, a survey says that...
How is this for Irony-and hypocrisy??
|
|
|
|
Israeli Technology & Business
Hailed as "
'biggest advancement in breast cancer surgery in a generation':
MarginProbe, which checks tumor's edges while lumpectomy patient is still on operating table, is already in use in over 100 US hospitals
|
|
|
|
While I was in Florida I had a top-secret meeting with a man who has a Jewish daughter a Jewish son-in-law, and 3 Jewish grandchildren. This is the only photograph that I was permitted to take:
|
|
|
|
AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington, DC
March 26, 27, 28
I have purchased a block of registrations and it would be my pleasure to have you join me! So please contact me...
And if you can't see your way to the Conference in DC,
how about making your way to:
Congregation Bnai Yeshurun
641 West Englewood Avenue
Teaneck, New Jersey 07666
|
|
|
|
Traditional. Egalitarian. Modern...Masorti
|
|
Join Masorti's Mission to HELP in Israel
F
ebruary 19th, 2017 - February 27th, 2017
|
|
|
|
H
ear from rabbis and congregants who sustain our kehillot
E
xplore Masorti programs; see how they make a difference
L
earn about the challenges to religious pluralism
P
ray with Women of the Wall on Rosh Hodesh Adar
|
|
Exciting and urgent news! The Masorti Foundation is organizing a mission to Israel in support of our Masorti Movement rabbis, lay leaders and congregants.
We will stand with our Masorti brothers and sisters in Israel to protect our core values: religious freedom, pluralism and the right to observe Masorti traditions honored all around the world. These values are being challenged today by those who will not tolerate--and will seek to discriminate against--all forms of observance other than orthodox.
The purpose of the mission is recruit and develop champions to be ambassadors for Masorti in their communities so together, we can make change and help create the Israel we want for our children, our grandchildren and ourselves. We know this is short notice and you will need to decide quickly if you want to go or if you want to recruit someone from your community, but we believe that the time is now for us to go.
Please join us. Stand with us!
|
Protect Masorti Rights
Masorti stands for tradition. It also stands for inclusion, religious freedom and modernity. Our rights in Israel are being challenged. Raise your voice in Israel. For Israel. Stand
with
Israel...in
Israel.
|
|
|
Meet Knesset Members
On our mission, you will meet with Knesset members, with Executive Director, YIzhar Hess, with the director of Jewish Pluralislm Watch, with mayors, rabbis and lay leaders. Get behind the scenes. Deepen your understanding. And help Masorti take action to assert our rights.
|
|
Visit Kehillah Moriah
This oldest Masorti/Conservative kehillah in Israel was badly damaged by the fires in November. But with your help, the kehilla is rebuilding and restoring. Meet with congregants and the rabbi and learn first hand how important it is to stand with Masorti.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ganze Megillah: Avner Moriah
In celebration of Purim, The Laurie M. Tisch Gallery is pleased to exhibit the stunning, large-scale illuminated Scroll of Esther created by the well-known Israeli painter Avner Moriah. This Scroll of Esther tells the ancient story by mixing Persian, Indian, and Islamic art miniature style paintings with Italian Renaissance styling and contemporary humor, politics and sensibilities.
Ganze Megillah (Yiddish for "The Whole Story") will feature 18 framed illuminated manuscript on parchment, along with process drawings and video of the artists.
|
|
Creative Action Network
Creative Action Network and the Anti-Defamation League are teaming up to invite artists to illustrate refugee stories from across time and geography. Maybe your family fled pogroms in Eastern Europe, from Nazism, from political oppression in Iran or the Soviet Union. Maybe you know someone who fled Uganda or other countries that persecute members of the LGBT community, maybe you are concerned about how many today have to flee extreme violence and persecution. No matter where refugees came from or their reason for fleeing, each story is unique--but connected. We hope to build a collection of pieces that rise above the noise and hateful rhetoric by humanizing the refugee experience.
Crowdsourced, creative campaigns that enlist artist and designers to create work around different ideas and causes. All designs that meet the requirements in their respective creative briefs will be published and made available for sale as prints and other merchandise. Artists retain ownership of their work but grant us permission to promote, license and sell it in exchange for 40% of the proceeds.
|
|
|
|
TORAH Page 432 HAFTARAH Page 452
Tziporah, Moses' wife, their two sons and Moses' father-in-law, Jethro, join the Israelites in Refidim. Jethro, the Midianite Priest, acknowledges God's power and offers sacrifices to Him. It is Jethro who suggests to Moses that a judicial system be set up in which less complicated matters are handled by other judges and Moses will adjudicate only the most difficult cases.
The Children of Israel arrive at the foot of Mount Sinai and prepare to receive God's revelation. Amidst thunder, lightning and shofar blasts, all those present experience God's presence when the Ten Commandments are made known.
The people are overawed and overwhelmed by what they have witnessed; they cannot bear more. So revelation continues with Moses serving as the intermediary, and additional laws dealing with various aspects of ritual worship conclude this week's sidra.
|
|
|
|
