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Ohel Shalom Torah Center Newsletter
Parashat Titzaveh- Shabbat Zachor 5777

Contact Us

 Ohel Shalom 

 

Check out our new and improved website at

ohelshalomchicago.org 


To determine if the Eruv is operational either click on the phone number link below, or call
 1-773-74-ERUV-2 (743-7882) after 2pm every Friday afternoon or every Erev Yom Tov.

 
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In This Issue
This Week at Ohel Shalom
Purim Schedule
Kollel Weekly Recap
Amazon Smile
Geshem
Eruv Check- In
Kollel Korner
Davening Times
 
Shabbat
Candle lighting 
5:32 pm
Mincha 5:42 pm
Shacharit 8:15 am
 Mincha 2:30 pm 
Shabbat Ends
6:43 pm

Regular Weekdays

Shacharit
Sunday 
7:45

Monday, Thursday
6:15 am

Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday
6:30 am 
 
Mincha/Arvit
Sunday -Thursday
6:42 pm
 
Late Arvit following Kollel 
Sunday-Thursday
10:00 pm

Regular Shiurim  

Kollel 
 
 Open Seder  
Sunday-Thursday
 8-10pm


 
Rabbi Olstein
Parasha Shiur
Wed 8:30pm (Hebrew)
Thurs 8:00pm (English)
   
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Rabbi Yosef Asayag
Monetary Issues in Halacha
 Shabbat Afternoon
45 min. Before Mincha (Hebrew) 
Ateret Chaya 
Simcha Hall 

 
~~~~
 
Men and Women
 

Ner Foundation 
Rabbi Raccah 
Topic:  
Parashat HaShavu'a
Wednesdays at 8:30pm   
     
Personalities in the Bible
Motza'ai Shabbat at 
7:30 pm
(winter)

MEAL  

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES  

Seuda Shlishit

$100

 

Kiddush

$250

 

Breakfast Fund

Day- $15 

Week- $75 

Month- $250 

Year - $2400  

 

Fish Fund

$20 month 

 

Hamin Fund

Monthly contribution 

 

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES  

Chair Sponsors

(127 sold - 133 left)

$20 each  

 

New Set of Artscroll Talmud Yerushalmi  

$35.00 for Talmud Yerushalmi

ONLY ONE LEFT

FOR NOW

 

Siddurim Shaarim Ba'Tifilla

($15.00 each) 

 

Chumash w/simanim  

($20 each) 


20 New Talitot  

(4 sponsored - 16 left)

$75.00 each 

 

This Week at Ohel Shalom
 
Mazal Tov! BiSiman Tov! 
 
Mazal Tov to our friends Israel and Levana Freund on the engagement of their daughter Hadar to Aaron Miller of Glencoe. Mazal Tov also to Mr. and Mrs. Paul Miller. May they merit BE"H to build a Bayit Ne'eman BiYisrael! 
 
Shabbat Mincha and 
Seudah Shilisheet

This Shabbat Mincha will be at 2.30 PM. PLEASE NOTE THE TIME CHANGE. Also there will BE"H be a second reading of Parashat Zachor at 2:15, before Mincha. In addition, there will NOT be a Seudah Shilisheet this Shabbat.  

 
Seudah Shilisheet Sponsorship
 
The Kehillah would like to thank Mrs. Carmella Bega and Mrs. Miriam Namordi for sponsoring Seudah Shilisheet last week in memory of their father, Yechezkel ben Katun . May his Neshama merit an Aliyah.
 

Purim Cards to Help Support the Geshem Fund

With Purim around the corner, consider honoring a friend with a Mitzvah instead of some more Chametz. You can come pick up some elegant Purim cards, which will support the Geshem fund. Cards can be purchased at $18 for 10 cards or $2 each. Checks should be made out to the Geshem Fund with "Purim cards" written in the memo. If you are interested in these beautifully designed cards, please contact Ayelet in the office. 
 
Purim!!!

Purim is just around the corner! We need volunteers for various jobs. Please contact Elliott or the office if you can help.

In addition, we will BE"H be having a carnival for the children during our Purim Seudah. Please contact Rosanne Younes to take a time slot to help run the booths. You can text her at 224-578-1414 or email her at RosanneYounes@sbcglobal.net

See below for more Purim information.
 

Geshem Fund Appeal

Each week's newsletter contains a small section about the Geshem Fund - the Kehilla's Chesed Fund. This fund is administered by the Rabbi alone, and provides aid to members of our Kehilla who are facing financial challenges. Over the last few weeks, the requests for aid have increased dramatically, both in the number of requests as well as the sums needed. Some of these requests have been for tenfold what has been given in the past. This unexpected spike has put a strain on the Geshem Fund. The Geshem Fund holds no fundraising events, so funds are raised by the Rabbi alone. Please help us help others! Donations can be given to the Rabbi, any of the Kehilla officers or to the office. If you make the check out to Ohel Shalom, be sure to note Geshem Fund in the Memo line so that the funds will be properly allocated. Thank you!


Daylight Savings Time 


 
Get ready to Spring Forward! Daylight Savings Time begins THIS Sunday, March 12th at 1 AM (Purim Day). Also it's time to check and change your smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector batteries! Be safe!
   
 
Purim!!!
 
If you would like to help plan the seudah, please contact Elliott Alvayor.

If you would like to take a time slot to help run the carnival games, please contact Rosanne Younes by sending a text to her at 224-578-1414 or via email at RosanneYounes@sbcglobal.net.



PURIM TIMES




For a printable version of this flyer 


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PURIM SEUDAH AND CARNIVAL




For a printable version of this flyer click here 


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With Pesach following shortly after Purim, consider honoring a friend with a Mitzvah instead of some more Chametz. You can come pick up some elegant Purim cards, which will support the Geshem Fund. Cards can be purchased at $18 for 10 cards or $2 each. Checks should be made out to the Geshem Fund with "Purim cards" written in the memo. If you are interested in these beautifully designed cards, please contact Ayelet in the office. 
 
  
 
For a printable version of this flyer   click here 


This Week with the Sephardic Community Kollel

The Sephardic Community Kollel meets Sunday - Thursday nights from 8 - 10pm with a late Arvit at 10pm.


Here are some pictures from this week's learning



Mr Pomerantz studying the halachot of עד דלא ידע in prep of the Purim holiday 





For more pictures check out our Kollel Newsletter!



Amazon Smile

Do you purchase items from Amazon? If so, you are in a perfect position to provide the Kehilla with much needed financial support with zero cost or additional effort from you, beyond following a few easy steps just one time.

Amazon has a philanthropic branch called Amazon Smile. All you need to do is sign up (no cost) and select our Kehilla as your charity of choice and Amazon will give the Kehilla 0.5% of all your eligible purchases! There are millions of eligible items.



Please take advantage of this opportunity
and sign up immediately.

Click here to get started.

The Geshem Fund

It has been very busy for the Geshem Fund. Significant sums of money have been distributed to dozens of people to help with rent, utilities, food and many other purposes. This has depleted the fund. Please help us help those in need.

Please open your hearts and your wallets and make checks out to the order of GESHEM FUND and give to Rabbi Raccah or put in the mailbox of the office or the shul and Ayelet will give it to Rabbi Raccah.  As you thank Hashem for all that He has blessed you with, remember the less fortunate who are struggling and in desperate need of assistance. Thank you.
Eruv Check-In
 
Is the Chicago Eruv up and operational for Shabbat? If you utilize the Eruv, it is your responsibility to check each week before Shabbat if it is up. There are now some new and easy ways to do this.

The Chicago Eruv has set up a website with this information, as well as other pertinent halachot and information about the eruv. The web address is http://chicagoeruv.tripod.com/

You can call the hotline on Erev Shabbat after 2pm and listen to the recorded message or sign up to receive a weekly e-mail update on the status of the eruv.

Click here to sign up to have the eruv weekly email update sent directly to you! 
 
To Determine if the Eruv is Operational either click on the phone number link here, or call 1-773-74-ERUV-2 (743-7882) after 2pm every Friday afternoon or every Erev Yom Tov.

 
Kollel Korner of the Sephardic Community Kollel
 
Sephardic Community Kollel
 
Come learn with the Sephardic Community Kollel from 8:00pm to 10:00pm, Sunday through Thursday. Please contact the Kollel Coordinator, Rabbi Yosef Olstein to arrange a learning partner or to receive information about the Kollel and its programs. Rabbi Olstein can be reached at 773-338-8046 or by email at Sephardic Community Kollel

  
Donations to the Kollel
  
Donations to the Kollel can also be made via credit card. Please call the shul at 773-465-5274 or email the Kollel for details.
 
Sponsor Learning in the Kollel
 
Our Rabbis tell us of the great power and merit associated with supporting Torah learning. To that end, consider sponsoring a night, a week or a month of learning in the Kollel. Examples of sponsorship purposes include: in memory of a deceased loved one for their Azkarah, to merit a Rifuah Shilamah, or to honor a loved one or friend. In addition to the great merit of supporting Torah in our community, your sponsorship will be marked with printed pages noting the intent of your support that are placed in stands on the tables in the Beit HaMidrash for the duration of your sponsorship period. 
 
Here are the costs for the various sponsorships:
 
A night of learning -  $52
A week of learning -  $100
A month of learning - $400
  
  
The Kollel appreciates the following sponsors of learning: 



A week of learning has been sponsored for March 7-14 by Mrs. Shulamis Schwartz in memory of her mother, Tova Gittel bat Shmuel. May her Neshama merit an Aliyah.

A day of learning has been sponsored for March 13 by Mrs. Margo Goldstein in memory of her mother, Shulamit Salama bat HaRav Yichya Yosef Tam. May her Neshama merit an Aliya.
 
A month of learning has been sponsored anonymously for the month of  March. The Kollel thanks the patrons for their generosity. 
     
 
 
Halacha of the Week  
 
 

 The Mitzvah of Joy and Torah Learning on Purim Day

There is a Mitzvah eat heartily during the Purim Feast. One should preferably eat bread during this meal.

The Rambam (Chapter 2 of Hilchot Megillah, Halacha 15) writes: "What is the extent of one's obligation during this feast? One should eat meat and prepare a delicious meal to the best of one's ability. One should drink wine and become intoxicated until one dozes off in one's drunkenness." The Meiri (Megillah 7b) writes: "On Purim, one is obligated to increase one's joy, eating, and drinking etc. Nevertheless, we are not commanded to drink so much and become so drunk to the extent that we will cause ourselves self-degradation through our happiness, for we were never commanded in a joy of frivolity and foolishness; rather, we were commanded to observe a joy of enjoyment through which we can reach the love of Hashem and praising Him for the miracles He has performed for us."

Based on this, even if one feels that it would be uncharacteristic of him to start speaking words of Torah and singing songs of holiness, nevertheless, one should certainly do so at least during this feast on Purim day which has the potential of being a meal laden with joy of the Mitzvot and love for Hashem or turning into, G-d-forbid, an empty meal surrounded by foolishness and silliness. By asserting one's self in this manner, one will merit being respected by all those who see him and one will thereby transform one's household into one of love of Torah and fear of Heaven.

It is proper that every single individual sit down and learn for one hour before the Purim Feast, either some Midrashim or commentaries surrounding Megillat Esther, to each his own. Indeed, the verse states, "The Jews had light and joy" and our Sages expound in Masechet Megillah (16b) that "light" refers to Torah. This is especially true since during the times of the miracle of Purim, the Jewish nation joyously accepted upon themselves all of the laws of the Torah, as the Gemara in Masechet Shabbat (88a) states that they accepted the Torah once again in the days of Achashverosh.

Maran Rabbeinu Ovadia Yosef zt"l writes (in his Chazon Ovadia-Purim, page 181) that since everyone is busy with the Purim feast and the other Mitzvot of the day, it is imperative to learn Torah on this day, for Torah learning is what causes the world to continue to exist, as the verse states, "Were it not for my covenant (i.e. Torah learning) day and night, I would not have established the laws of heaven and earth." The great Poskim have already brought up this point.

A story is recounted that the great Rebbe, Harav Menachem Mendel of Kotzk once told his disciples that it once occurred on a certain Purim that the entire world was busy with the various Mitzvot of the day and precisely at that moment, the Gaon of Biala sat down to learn Torah; in his merit, the entire world continued to exist. This caused a great stir in Heaven, for without him, there would have been an hour where the world was devoid of Torah learning. He was therefore rewarded by Heaven with a son who possessed a lofty soul, none other than the Gaon of Sochatchov, the saintly author of the "Avnei Nezer," who illuminated the eyes of the Jewish nation with his Torah (and would eventually become the son-in-law of the Kotzker Rebbe).

Thus, one must be certain leave at least one spare hour on Purim day for Torah learning and one will indeed be handsomely rewarded by Heaven. It is preferable to do so immediately upon returning home from Shacharit prayers at which time one should learn whatever one wishes for as long as possible. This can also be done while one is still in the synagogue. One should see to it not to be idle from Torah on this great and holy day.


Machshava of the Week
by Rabbi David Shamsi

The Hebrew word for "demons" is "shedim".   In Hebrew, each word has a numeric value that can provide insight into its meaning.  Interestingly enough, the numerical value (gematria) for "shedim" is 354. This is equivalent to the number of days in lunar year.  Perhaps, the lesson is that each day has its own "demon" that we need to face.  Even if we succeeded yesterday, we cannot rest on our laurels.  May we all merit using every day to bring us one step closer to our goals.

 
EVENTS CALENDAR

If you have a Simcha occurring within the next few months that you would like to have added to the calendar, please call the off ice at 773-465-5274 or email the office with the link provided in the sidebar at the top of the email.  

March 11-12 - Purim
 
COMMUNITY EVENTS
 

Shaimos in Oorah Auction

Please be aware that shaimos was mistakenly included in the Oorah Auction Purim book. You may have received the book already or will be receiving it shortly.
The sefer torah picture on page 6 included pesukim and the shem Hashem. PLEASE DO NOT THROW IT OUT!

You can tear out the page or just the picture in the corner and put it in your sheimos box. You can also drop it off at the Oorah office or mail it to:
Oorah att Sheimos
1805 Swarthmore Ave
Lakewood NJ, 08701

We'd appreciate your publicizing this information to others it may be relevant to. We apologize for the mistake and for any inconvenience.

Rabbi Chaim Reichman
Director of TorahMates
 
Oorah Inc
1805 Swarthmore Ave
Lakewood New Jersey 08701
United States 



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For a printable version of this flyer click here 

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Many families struggle, but this family is collapsing beneath a combined weight of daily stressors and astronomical medical expenses. Drained of money, drained of hope, the parents forge ahead. Both are hard-working employees, and with tight budgeting, they can nearly cover their elevated basic expenses - but any extra need can become a catastrophe.

All of their children are diagnosed with ADHD, with a multitude of requirements. In addition to ADHD, one sweet child has also been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome (ASD), a form of autism. This child needs numerous services, including a full-time shadow in school. Scheduled doctor visits, therapists and support group appointments for the family come to about ten appointments a regular week, with frequent trips back and forth to various offices. This is besides for other periodic and vital appointments.
Facing these difficulties and a grueling schedule, both parents are overwhelmed to the point of mental illness and heart failure. About thirty bottles of medication are dispensed to this family on a monthly basis.

Due to these myriad medical needs, it is crucial for the family to have a superior insurance plan to cover all the services, both in the mental and medical health fields. The state in which they live provides very few services for special need children. Insurance costs are exorbitant, while the deductibles and premiums just keep increasing every year.

This year, in order to save money long term, the family had to switch insurance plans in December. Their deductible of $7800 started in December, for a second 2016 deductible, and another $7800 needed to be paid in January for the 2017 deductible. The HSA funds that were meant to cover one deductible went to several root canals the family had last year, leaving only $3000 left to pay for the deductible. Due to all of the constant psychological and medical needs, this means that after all claims are submitted, the deductible will be close to fully met in December. This year it will cost the family nearly $14,000, of which $11,000 has yet to be raised.

However, there are so many other essential expenses that must be met. The child diagnosed with ASD needs to attend a special needs camp in the summer. Besides for giving some respite to the family, the experience gives him much-needed support. The cost of this camp, including traveling expenses and tips, equals $9,000. The same child needs braces in order to have healthy, presentable teeth. Another child in the family will also need braces, but with braces being about $5,000 per child, this seems like an impossible feat.

In addition, the precious child with ASD is becoming bar mitzvah this year. The parents would like this to be a memorable event, for they are not sure whether the boy will be able to get married. This might be the only simcha of his own that this boy ever experiences. Yet there is no money to cover even the cheapest bar mitzvah, let alone a decent wardrobe.

Tuitions are owed to the school because the parents cannot afford to pay.

The overall financial stress, as well as the multitude of crucial family needs, has sent the father to the hospital five times in the last six months. He has spent thirty days in the hospital over the past half a year, unable to cope with the stress, which is affecting him both physically and mentally.
 
 
 
 
PLEASE open your hearts and pockets and help this family in their crisis. In the merit of helping them regain financial and emotional stability, Hashem should ensure that you never have to beg money from other people.
Thank you very much.
Tizku L'mitzvos. 
 
 
 
This campaign is endorsed by
Rabbi Efraim Friedman Rav of Mekor HaChaim
Rabbi Efraim Twerski Rav of Khal Chassidim


Donations can also be made via phone or check:

Congregation Khal Chasidim
c/o Rabbi Efriam Twerski - Chesed campaign
6634 N. Mozart St.
Chicago IL 60645
773-761-9883
Congregation Khal Chasidim is a 501(c)3 organization.