SHABBAT SHALOM, GESHER SHALOM!


 
May 19th, 2017
 
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Shabbat Times: 
Candle Lighting
Bar Mitzvah Service
Mincha 
7:54pm
9:00am
7:45pm
 
 
  Forecast: 71/Partly Sunny  

IN THIS ISSUE...
Our Minyan Needs Your Help! 
Click here  to find out how you can help. 
KIDDUSH 

Today's Kiddush is sponsored by the Kindler family  
in honor of Elai's Bar Mitzvah
 
 
 
Mazal Tov! 
Birthdays & Anniversaries 
May 20th - May 26th 
Eyal Gabay
Kenneth Hattem
Charlotte Winter
Seligman Rosenberg
Rose Targovnik
David Chesen
Olivia Hausman
Jeffrey Kaplan
Andrea Millner
Mitchell Shedlarz
Myriam Miguel-Kaplan
Alvin Cohen
Alfred Strauss
 
Richard & Suzanne Fasman
Mark & Lucille Laufer
Barry & Barbara Sussman
Michael Glantz & Heidi Skolnik
 

 
   UPCOMING EVENTS

5/22
From Baghdad to Brooklyn : A one woman show starring Michelle Azar 8:15 pm
5/23
SIR Lecture Series featuring
Rabbi Joyce Newmark 12:30 pm
5/24
Rabbi's Class 10:30 am
5/25
Bible Study 11:30 am

 
Tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m.
Mazal Tov to Elai Kindler and his family on his bar mitzvah ceremony!
Minha as it 7:45 p.m.
We will be reading a New York Times op Ed by a South African who is experienced apartheid, and categorically rejects any comparison between Israel and South Africa.

 
 



Today is the 38th Day of the Omer...
Tens of Thousands of Pilgrims Mark La"G Ba'Omer in Meron                                            
The Island of Djerba also has a La"G BaOmer connection:
Tunisia to Seek World Heritage Status for Djerba Island, Site of Jewish Pilgrimage                                      
 



 
This is an historic year in the Jewish world. For me the event that resonates is the 50th anniversary of the Six Day War (As the war progressed I went from being a very worried to a very euphoric teenager!), but here are some other dates to bear in mind, as we approach Yom Yerushalyaim, the 50 th anniversary of the Reunification of Jerusalem, next Wednesday:
This "Year of Zionist Anniversaries" also includes:
  • 120 years since Theodor Herzl convened the First Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland in August 1897; 
  • 100 years since the Balfour Declaration was issued in November 1917 by the British Foreign Secretary; 
  • 70 years since adoption of the United Nations Partition Resolution in November 1947; and, culminates with celebrating the... 
  • 70th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel in May 1948.
A recurring phrase from Psalms haunts me... (it's familiar to us all from the Shir HaMa'a'lot psalm that precedes Birkat haMazon-Grace after Meals on Shabbat and Yom Tov: b'Shuv Adonai et Tziyon Hayeenu k'Chol'mim-"When Adonai returned to Zion we were as dreamers." (Psalms 126:1). Let's dream on, and reflect as we recall events and 50 years ago...
 
This stuff is fascinating!! It's a bit long, but well-worth the read:
Newly Unsealed, Secret Transcripts of the Six-Day War, Part I 
Jerusalem conquered almost by accident; Israel's National Religious Party, forerunner to the settler movement, lobbied for military de-escalation at every turn; and nobody in Israel's security cabinet seems to have seen the country's most momentous war coming.                                                      
                                                                              
 
In Western Europe, Israel Went from Darling to Divisive in 50 Years 
The Palestinian issue and Muslim immigration ended the honeymoon that followed the Six-Day War     
Here is a terrific 6-minute video with great material on how the '56 Sinai War sowed the seeds for 1967.

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Intelligence-or the Lack Thereof
Trying to Make Sense of the U.S.-Russia-Israel News 
Intelligence leaks in Washington; Israel as a source of top-level U.S. intel; and Trump's visit to the Western Wall, which the president's aide reportedly said is 'part of the West Bank'                                        
The U.S.-Israel Intelligence Relationship                        
Can Trump Screw Up the World's Best Intelligence Relationship?





 
Nobody Does This Better than AIPAC!
This summer, AIPAC's charitable foundation, the American Israel Education Foundation (AIEF), will bring hundreds of American leaders to Israel. Democratic and Republican members of Congress, political consultants, student activists, rabbis, and leaders from the Christian, African American, Hispanic, progressive and veterans communities will all participate in educational seminars that enable them to experience Israel firsthand .
From meetings with political leaders and community activists, to conversations with journalists and innovators, participants will hear a range of Israeli narratives and perspectives that ultimately highlight the shared values between Israel and the United States.
There is simply no better way to understand Israel than to be there yourself. And through your support, we are able to afford leaders across the country with those life-changing experiences.
Please watch this 1-minute video:


 
Celebrate Israel Parade-Sunday, June 4

 
 





 
BDS
A Summary of BDS Economic Failures... among them:                                                                                                                   Investing in BDS-Banned Companies Makes Sense and Profits!     
Testimony in Nevada in Support of Their Anti-BDS Legislation
               
Good News from the AJC (American Jewish Committee)!                                                                                  
We're proud to announce that AJC's
Governors United Against BDS initiative has attained the backing of all 50 U.S. governors and the mayor of Washington, D.C.! Republican and Democratic governors from coast to coast are now united in their support for Israel and their public rejection of the anti-Israel boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) campaign.
BDS is an Abject Failure on US Campuses, But Fake News Says Otherwise:   Why UC Santa Barbara Should Not Divest from Israel.  A recent article titled "Why UCSB Should Support Divestment" began by falsely stating: "Recently universities across the nation have begun to divest from Israel." Nothing could be further from the truth. No university in America has divested from Israel. In reality, academic and economic cooperation between U.S. universities and Israel is closer than ever.                                                              



 


 
Israeli Entertainment
Israel Funds Refugee Children's Soccer League in Nigeria                                                                                                   The Israeli ambassador canceled the Yom haAtzmaut celebration, and with the money saved, he established a league with 225 children who escaped the Boko Haram terrorist organization 
Tel Aviv's Sarona Market 
JNF's very own podcast, sharing stories of interesting people doing fascinating work all over Israel. Hear about the Kenyan student who is learning hi-tech farming skills in the Negev Desert that he will bring back to his family. Learn about the world's most renowned spice provider. Listen to a student on the front lines of the BDS fight.                                
Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" Performed by Peter Hollens and Jackie Evancho       

The subtitles don't do the Hebrew/Yiddish/English justice, but
Ad Promoting HDTV in Israel Voted the Funniest (or Most Offensive) Ever



 
Israel News 
Ties with Ancient Greeks Prove Historical Legitimacy of Jewish State                                                
April Sets All-Time Record in Tourism to Israel 
(And 4 of our members were among them! Marilyn Saposh and the 3 'generals")                                         
The famous fortress is about pageantry, and specifically the pageantry of the underdog                                  
 


 
 
If you will be in Rome Before July 23...               



 
 

June is the best time to be in Jerusalem! Be sure to put the
June 23rd study day on your itinerary and study with Conservative/Masorti women from around the world!
The Schechter Institutes, Midreshet Schechter and Women's League of Masorti Judaism, with the assistance of the Masorti movement, are proud to present the 18th Annual National Masorti Women's Study Day.

"Chai" Years Exploring Attitudes Towards Women and Other "Others"
Friday, June 23rd
, 2017 8:30AM
at The Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies
4 Avraham Granot St. Jerusalem
Several times a year, 300-400 women unite for a day of study, prayer and social interaction and education programs. Rabbis and lay educators volunteer their time to provide engaging learning opportunities for all who wish increase their understanding of Jewish history, thought and observance. Sessions are offered in four languages: Hebrew, English, Spanish and Russian. Participants range in age from 12-91 and attend from as far north as Adamit on the Lebanese border to Kibbutz Ketura in the South. Join us!

Minimum Donation: 60 NIS, with additional donation, 80 to 100 NIS, new olim 35 NIS. Group transportation available.
 
For more information and registration: http://www.masorti.org.il/LIMUDNASHIM 

 
 



 



 











Teaching in Israel. We're excited to announce the Masa Israel Teaching Fellows program in Jerusalem and Haifa starting this fall. If you know any 21 to 30 year-old Jewish college graduates
looking to make a difference, grow professionally as teachers and see Israel, let them know about this amazing opportunity! These are paid positions that include housing, flights, Hebrew lessons and trips around Israel.    
BRINGING ISRAEL TO U.S. JEWISH COMMUNITIES
1,300 Jewish Agency summer emissaries. That's how many young Israelis we are sending to Jewish camps across North America this summer. They'll make memories and connections to Israel that last a lifetime.   
Birthright Registration is Open! Sign up Today

1. Sign Up now at nnj2israel.com
2. Make sure to choose the correct date and age range for your Tlalim-Israel Outdoors trip organizer in the Primary Application.
3. When asked to select a trip in the Primary Application, choose one of theNorthern NJ Community trips
4. Don't forget to submit your deposit!
5. Once you submit your deposit, within 24 hours Israel Outdoors will email you a link to the Secondary Application. Log in and choose one or both of the Northern NJ Community trips:  
May 20 - May 30
NYC / Northern New Jersey Community / Ages 18 - 22 / [TL-36-376]
June 18 - June 28
NYC / Northern New Jersey Community / Ages 22 - 26 / [TL-36-405]
 
6. Wait for a "Trip Offer Email" from Israel Outdoors. Once you receive it, accept the spot!
Click here for more information. 















 



 
 




Torah Portion 
TORAH Page 738        HAFTARAH Page 769
B'HAR
 
The opening segment of our Torah portion deals with certain aspects of agricultural law that only apply to the land of Israel. The Sabbatical Year ( Sh'mittah ) regulations stipulate that every seventh year the farmer may not till the earth, and upon the completion of seven seven-year cycles, the fiftieth year, or Jubilee, is to be proclaimed. In the Jubilee year all land must revert to its original tribal ownership, and all Hebrew slaves are to be freed. If ancestral land was sold because of financial hardship, the owner or another relative could buy back the property prior to the Jubilee. Only houses in walled cities were exempt from the Jubilee rules: they could be sold in perpetuity.
In keeping with one of the purposes of the Jubilee Year (economic protection of the impoverished), the Torah sets forth additional laws governing treatment of the poor: loans were to be made without charging interest; an Israelite slave (one who was sold or sold himself/herself into servitude due to indebtedness) was to be treated as hired help throughout his/her term of bondage. The sidra ends with the admonition not to fashion idols, to observe the Shabbat and to revere the Sanctuary.
 
B'HUKKOTAI
This sidra brings us to the conclusion of the Book of Leviticus. The prominent feature of our portion is the tocheicha - a sevenfold series of warnings or reproofs, which are chanted in a subdued voice. After outlining the rewards for the observance of God's Torah (peace, prosperity, and agricultural overabundance), the consequences for disobedience (disease, famine, siege, conquest and exile) follow.
The rules regarding the valuation and redemption of voluntary pledges are found in this parasha. An individual could vow to donate the value of an animal, a plot of land, an edifice, himself/herself or another family member to the upkeep and maintenance of the Sanctuary. The procedure for doing so and for determining the value of the property or person are set forth.