SHABBAT SHALOM, GESHER SHALOM!


 
September 16, 2017
 
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Shabbat Times: 
Candle Lighting
Morning Service
Mincha 
6:45pm
9:30am
12:30pm
 
 
  Forecast: 81/ Partly Cloudy

IN THIS ISSUE...
Our Minyan Needs Your Help! 
Click here  to find out how you can help. 
KIDDUSH 
Join us for Kiddush on Shabbat. This is the perfect opportunity for us to experience community and get to know each other better.

Birthdays & Anniversaries
Mazal Tov!
Leonard Kraut
Stephanie Stern-Protz
Mary Rettig
Renee Gruenspecht
Sandra Ebinger
Zachary Garncarz
Miranda Stern
Robert Perlis
Andrea Elrom
Newton Scherl
Shahin Zamanian Rad
Lori Wasserman
 

 
   UPCOMING EVENTS

Saturday 9/16
Morning Service 9:30 am
Minha 12:30 pm
Changing of the Torah Covers 1:00 pm
Ma'ariv & Havdalah     8:15 pm
Crimes and Misdemeanors, Part 2 - 8:30 pm
Collation - 9:15 pm
Selichot Service - 9:45 pm
Wednesday 9/20
Evening Service 6:30 pm
Thursday 9/21
Rosh Hashanah Day 1
Morning Service 8:30 am
Contemporary Service 10:00 am
Rabbi's Sermon 11:00 am
Tashlich 6:00 pm
Minha (following Tashlich) 6:30 pm
Ma'ariv 7:30pm
Friday 9/22
Rosh Hashanah Day 2
Morning Service 8:30 am
Contemporary Service 10:00 am       
Rabbi's Sermon 11:00 am
Minha/Ma'ariv 7:00 pm  

 
Displaced by the Hurricanes?
If you are hosting friends or relatives from areas in Texas or Florida affected by Harvey and Irma, we will make seats available to them in the Main Sanctuary.
Please call the Synagogue Office.


 


 
It's non-binding, but it passed by overwhelming voice votes in both Houses of Congress...and very significantly, there were no opposing voices!
Congress Passes Measure Challenging Trump to Denounce Hate Groups                           
Trump 'looks forward' to Signing Resolution Condemning Neo-Nazis                                             
And we'll see if our Senator Booker votes for it (neither he nor Sen Gillibrand voted to approve it out of Committee):




9/11
I wonder how much of this is an attempt to whitewash Saudi Arabian support for Al Qaeda...
Documentary Exposes Iranian Involvement in 9/11
         
Taken from the George Washington Bridge (while stopped in traffic, in case you were wondering)
 
 



Tomorrow morning at 9:30 AM
Minha services will be at 12:30 PM,
after which we can use all the help we can get
to
Change Over the Torah Mantles to Their High Holiday White
and then please join us in the evening for our Selichot program:




The Hi-Ho's
(since there probably won't be an extensive Shab Sha! next week)
(I gained a new understanding of its words)                                                               
Hug a Chicken and 4 Other Twists on Traditional High Holidays Rituals                                           
Not Quite My Great-Grandmother's Apple Cake 
In Yiddish carrots are Merren, which means "more"; we eat carrots (as in Tzimmes) to symbolize that we want more life:
Over apples and honey? This Rosh Hashanah, cook with carrots to symbolize your hopes for the coming year.  
Video: A round loaf of bread is a traditional part of a menu for the Jewish New Year, but you should still braid the dough 
With star chef Adam Sobel's recipe, nobody has an excuse for dry, overcooked meat this Rosh Hashanah             
This Factory Makes Thousands of Shofarot Each Year            



Israel...
I have been disappointed too often (most recently by the Kotel Agreement) to view this decision as a turning point. While it's encouraging, we'll just have to see how this plays out, long-term...
Israeli Court Throws Out Draft Exemptions for Ultra-Orthodox                                         
And speaking of the High Court of Justice...
Championing the underprivileged but committed to national security, the centrist judge made a career out of walking a fine line                                                               
Palestinians Reveal PA Torture, Seek Justice in Israeli Courts                                                
Israel Rushes Aid Teams to Florida and Other Places                                            
Israel Prepares to Send Aid to Earthquake-Struck Mexico                                         
I'll say this for Bibi and for Danny Danon (who was supposedly sent "into exile" in his UN post), they are doing a tremendous job in forging better ties with a wide range of countries and blocs. We may not see tangible evidence of any of this in the UN General Assembly, but behind the scenes the work is invaluable.
Israel Seeks Latin American Allies                                                                                
In Bogota, Colombian President Thanks Netanyahu for Israeli Help Clearing Landmines                                                         
Netanyahu to Receive Huge Archive Documenting Argentina's Nazi Ties                                                
Philologos used to write a weekly column for The Forward which I read assiduously. Then he disappeared and I lost track of him. I am happy to have re-discovered him and to introduce you to him:
Palestine and the Jews                                                          
And as long as we're on the topic of language:
Hebrew Word Nerd Takes On the Ultimate Translation Feat: The Ikea Catalogue                                  



Elsewhere in the Middle East
"There was an understanding that if we weren't there, somebody else would influence them."                                               
This is "interesting":
Qatar Hires Public-Relations Firm at $50,000 per Month to Court American Jews                                                   
In this tribute to the Lebanon that once was-and that still exists in a few instances, the most significant thing that I learned from this article was a passing comment that there are over 1,000,000 new Sunni refugees in Lebanon! I wonder how that will impact Hizbullah's dominance down the road.
And he couldn't have found a more moderate MK then Yehudah Glick???!!!
I saw many of these items on exhibit at the National Archives after they were rescued from Saddam Hussein's Defense Ministry and tremendous U.S. resources were poured into restoring them:
U.S. to Return Jewish Artifacts to Iraq, Despite Protests                                            
Israeli Minister Ayelet Shaked: Independent Kurdistan Would Benefit Israel and the West                                          





BDS
It's Time to Update America's Important Anti-Boycott Law for Israel                                                    
The Left has an Israel Problem. Does that Mean Colleges Have an Anti-Semitism Problem?                            
J ewish life on American campuses thrives despite pro-Palestinian activism, writes JTA's editor-in-chief, Andrew Silow-Carroll                                                                                           
UK Communities Secretary Sajid Javid Attacks Israel Boycott                                                  
Uproar as Ex-Israeli Soldier Featured in Morocco Jazz Festival                                                                         
Textbook Featuring Israeli Flag Raises Ire in Egypt                                 






Arts, Culture, Pop-Culture
Colorful works underscore the tragedy of a life cut short and a family's ongoing agony                                    
Roots Revisited                                                                                                                                                                                
 Lior Amram immerses himself in the Yemenite memories and melodies of his childhood                 
Israeli Film 'Foxtrot' Takes Prize at Venice Film Festival 
 
Rokhl's Golden City: New Yiddish Rep's version of Ionesco's Rhinoceros, and a trombonist extraordinaire at KlezKanada        
'Greenhouse Academy,' Another Adaptation of a Hit Israeli TV Show, Debuts on Netflix   It's like Harry Potter meets Spy Kids meets Fauda                                               
New York's Toughest Cop Is Now a TV Star                                                 




 



The March for Racial Justice was inconsiderately and erroneously scheduled for Saturday, September 30. I know where you will be on that date: you'll be in shul because it's Yom Kippur!
  But additional events are being scheduled for the next day in New York City (and perhaps elsewhere) in order to allow the Jewish community to participate. One of the prime movers in the Sunday, October 1 demonstration is a new Jewish women's group , ZIONESS, Zionist and progressive.
Sunday, October 1 at 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM EDT
If you would like to march with us, the Zioness Movement will stand against the unjust treatment of people of color on October 1st at the sister event for the March for Racial Justice in New York City.

We've seen this month-all too well-that white supremacy stains our society. It seeks to disenfranchise, disempower, and demonize Jews, people of color, and other minorities.

While we were hurt and saddened that the primary March for Racial Justice is scheduled for September 30th on Yom Kippur, we commend the event organizers for hearing the Jewish community, apologizing, and organizing an inclusive national event the next day.

Zionism-a movement of self-determination for the Jewish people-calls us to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with others facing racism and discrimination.

As Jews, Zionists, and progressives, we will come together in New York to walk for these values.

We will be posting more details in the days ahead.
 
Kid Friendly!

Young Anti-Zionist Jews Claim to Speak For My Generation. They Don't. 
It's Time We Called Them On It.
     
Anti-Zionist Jews are trying to push mainstream progressive Jews out of leftist spaces. Let's push back.

Click here for upcoming Federation programming in our area.

Join us at Ramah here in North America or in Israel for one of these very special programs designed especially for women. All are invited to participate. No Ramah connection is necessary, so please forward this email to friends and family who might be interested!
Ruach Nashim: Women's Spirituality Weekend
April 27-29, 2018
Ramah California · Ojai, CA

Join our extraordinary program combining creativity, text study and friendship with the joyous celebration of Shabbat in an inspirational setting. Share with friends and connect spiritually through reflection, prayer and song. Indulge in relaxation and activities such as yoga, pilates, meditation or martial arts. Bring your daughter, mother, sisters and friends! You will return home refreshed and renewed in body, mind and spirit.

Jewish Women's Getaway

November 5-8, 2
017
Ramah Darom · Clayton, GA

Bring your mother, sister, grandmother or best friend, or come solo and meet other amazing women looking to build their community of Jewish friends! Surrounded by the beauty of nature, we will explore finding balance as we create, eat, drink, laugh, learn, sing and study together and learn to listen to our authentic selves. This women's-only weekend will have everything you need to relax, rejuvenate your body, and fill your spirit.

Ramah Women: Celebrating Israel at 70
March 5-13, 2018
Join Amy Skopp Cooper, Executive Director of Ramah Nyack and National Ramah Associate Director, on Ramah Israel Institute's first women's trip to Israel, an inspiring ten-day journey of exploration, dialogue, social action, hiking, art and culinary adventure.

Women of all ages are warmly invited!





























































 





























 

 
 
ISRAEL AT 70

 
$4,999 per person* - flights to Krakow and from Israel are not included - land only ($1,108  - Single Supplement)

A deposit of $500 will guarantee you a place on the trip. Space is limited.
Cost covers two nights in Krakow, two nights in Warsaw, two nights in Jerusalem, two nights in Tel Aviv, most meals, all programming expenses, tips, flight from Krakow to Tel Aviv. $1,000 minimum gift per household to the 2018 Annual Campaign of Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey. Travel extensions available for an additional cost.
*based on double occupancy and number of participants For more information or to register, contact
Jane A. Sherwood  |  JaneS@jfnnj.org   |   201-820-3962

 


This organization supports Jewish Group Homes, like the one in Leonia that is associated with our Congregation:

 



















TORAH Page 1165     HAFTARAH Page 1180
NITZAVIM
Moses declares that each Israelite - including those yet to be born - has a special responsibility for upholding the covenant between the nation and God. The consequences of individual action could be deleterious for the entire community, resulting in destruction and exile. Still, repentance was always possible, and a return to God would lead to restoration.
 
God's ways and God's requirements were neither difficult nor mysterious; they were within everyone's capacity and readily accessible. The choice was simple and obvious: life and prosperity, or death and destruction. The Torah urges us to "choose life."
 
VA-YEILEKH
Moses announces that his life is drawing to a close, and he publicly blesses Joshua, his successor, with the words "be strong and resolute."
 
A written copy of the Torah is delivered by Moses to the priests and the elders who are commanded to read it publicly on Sukkot every seventh year. This Torah was placed in the Sanctuary next to the Ark of the Covenant.
 
The future course of Israelite history is outlined: the people would lapse into idolatry and God would punish them with conquest, exile and suffering. The essence of this lesson would be contained within a song/poem that Moses would now teach the nation. Committed to memory, the song would attest to the fact that the nation had been warned, well in advance, what the consequences of deviation from the Torah would mean.