| 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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Davening Times
Shabbat
Candle lighting
7:41 pm
Mincha 7:00 pm
Shabbat starts 8:01
pm
Shacharit 8:15 am
Mincha 7:16 pm
Shabbat ends
Regular Weekdays
Shacharit
Sunday
7:45
Monday, Tuesday Rosh Chodesh Sivan Thursday
6:15 am
Wednesday, Friday
6:30 am
Mincha/Arvit
Sunday-Thursday
7:30 pm
Late Arvit following Kollel
Sunday-Thursday
10:00 pm
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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
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Men and Women
Ner Foundation
Rabbi Raccah
Topic:
Parashat HaShavu'a
Personalities in the Bible
Motza'ai Shabbat during the winter
Completed B"H for this winter season
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| 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 |
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This Week at Ohel Shalom
Mazal Tov to
Yona and Aviva Eliyahu on the Bat Mitzvah of their daughter,
Odelia this past Sunday. May she continue to grow in Torah, Mitzvot and Ma'asim Tovim!
The Kiddush this week is sponsored by
Mr. and Mrs. Ben Pomerantz in memory of Batsheva's mother,
Sarah bat Pauline. May her Neshama merit an Aliyah. The Kehillah thanks the Pomerantzs for their generosity.
New Shiur Series with Rabbi Kalman Worch
BE"H Continues Next Week
The Illinois Center for Jewish Studies and the Sephardic Community Kollel are happy to announce the next class in the new series of monthly classes for men with Rabbi Kalman Worch:
In preparation for Kabalat Hatorah the Shiur will focus on
Rebbe Akiva Eiger.
Please join us at 8:15 pm, Tuesday evening, May 15th, Rosh Chodesh Sivan, following Mincha and Arvit.
BE"H special refreshments will be served.
Yom Yerushalayim
Yom Yerushalayim will be celebrated this
Sunday. Please see the community section below for some celebrations in which you can take part!
This Shabbat we bless the month of Sivan which will begin the evening of
Monday, May 14th through Tuesday, May 15th. Chodesh Tov!
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Lag Ba'Omer Celebration Recap
Last Wednesday, the Kehilla celebrated the Hillula of Rebbi Shimon Bar Yochai. It was raining as Arvit ended and the celebration was ready to begin. Indeed the rain was torrential at points. Of course, rain is not conducive to a bonfire. Not to be deterred, the musicians set up in the Bet Midrash, ready to play. Avraham Zaguri brought 5 candles and set them afire on the Bimah to serve as a Zecher (remembrance) of the bonfire and with that the festivities began. Within minutes though, Avraham Zaguri, who had momentarily disappeared, entered the Bet Midrash to inform us all that the fire was lit. We exited to the parking lot. There was no more rain and the bonfire was fully lit! B"H it did not rain again for the entire time we were outside. Unbelievably, despite the copious drenching, the wood burnt fiercely. We sang as we circled the bonfire, until the large construction had completely collapsed. Only then did we enter the Ateret Chaya Simcha Hall for the Seudah.
Well over 100 people had come to the celebration, and most stayed for the Seudah. B"H there was a beautiful and plentiful barbecue spread prepared by dedicated individuals who prefer anonymity. Rabbi Raccah shared some words about the importance of not giving up. He utilized the events of the evening to present his thought: we need to do our part, as small as it may appear, and then Hashem can do the rest. As we had seen that evening, 5 candles were lit on the Bimah when it seemed that this was all we would have this year, and then Hashem did was needed and the rain ended. We as well, he said, shouldn't be deterred when the circumstances appear to be allied against us. We need to do our part and leave the rest to Hashem. Following his words, the live music began again, with David Ben Abu singing. All in all, it was a beautiful and uplifting event.
Many thanks need to be given to those that made this event a reality. However, they wish to remain anonymous. So to those that prepared the food, sponsored the live music and contributed towards the heavy cost of the celebration, we collectively say: Thank you and Tizku LiMitzvot!
Please enjoy some photos from the celebration:
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Birkat Ha'Ilanot
We have experienced a much colder than usual spring. Snow in April! One of the consequences of the colder temperatures was the blossoming of the trees. With the colder temperatures, the fruit trees had not blossomed and thus we couldn't recite the Birkat Ha'Ilanot. Finally last Friday, Rabbi Raccah saw that the 2 pear trees in the office front yard appeared ready to blossom. He gauged that by Sunday the blossoms would be ready and a tentative time was set for Birkat HaIlnaot. B"H the blossoms appeared on schedule and the Kehilla finally held its annual Birkat Ha'Ilanot ceremony.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Kollel Korner of the 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 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 by
Mr. Yosef Noy for May 13-20 in memory of his father,
Saadya ben Miriam. May his Neshama merit an Aliyah.
A month of learning has been sponsored anonymously for the month of May. The Kollel thanks the patrons for their generosity.
Without Fear, There is No Wisdom
As we have written, during this period of the counting of the Omer, it is customary to expound the teachings of Pirkei Avot in order to arouse the hearts of the public to follow the pathways of Mussar.
Maran zt"l's Behavior Regarding Study of Pirkei Avot
We must point out that the importance of Pirkei Avot is truly great since they are teachings of ethics imparted by the holy Tannaim. One must use these teachings to understand proper manners and correct behavior by repairing one's character traits and serving Hashem.
We have seen several times that when Maran zt"l would have to wait for several minutes or when he needed to rest on the porch due to weakness, in order for him not to interrupt his learning, G-d-forbid, he would always mutter something under his breath. When we leaned closer to hear what it was that he was saying, we heard him reciting portions of Pirkei Avot by heart with great concentration in order to strengthen his service of Hashem.
The Mishnah in Pirkei Avot (3, 21) states: "Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya says: Without wisdom, there is no fear and without fear there is no wisdom."
Maran Rabbeinu Ovadia Yosef zt"l explains the words "without wisdom there is no fear" to mean that indeed, the merit of learning Torah on its own is in order to prompt fear of Hashem, as the Sifri (Parashat Shoftim) states, "In order that he learn to fear Hashem, his G-d," which teaches us that studying Torah engenders fear of Heaven. Thus, one must be wise in order for one to attain fear of Heaven. We have seen many times that those who follow in the footsteps of Maran zt"l founded Kollels where young Torah scholars study with those Jews who are far from religion. These individuals would arrive daily to learn Gemara, Mishnah, and Halacha. As their wisdom in Torah grows, their belief in Hashem strengthens as well until they become complete Ba'alei Teshuva and return to fully-Torah-observant Judaism.
Maran zt"l adds that Mount Sinai is the symbol of the Torah, for the Torah was given upon it. On the other hand, Mount Moriah (the Temple Mount) is the symbol of fear of Hashem, for it was there that Yitzchak Avinu was bound and almost slaughtered out of complete fear of Hashem and subservience to His service.
The Tosafot in Masechet Ta'anit (16a) write something that seems quite strange, that Mount Moriah is actually Mount Sinai and it was called "Moriah" because of the fear ("Morah" in Hebrew) it produced among the nations of the world when the Torah was given, as the verse states, "The land was fearful and then tranquil." The commentators are extremely baffled by the words of this Tosafot, for Mount Sinai is in the desert and has no connection at all to Mount Moriah which is in Jerusalem.
Maran zt"l explains this matter based on the Midrash (Shocher Tov, Chapter 68) which states, "Rabbi Yose said: Where is Mount Sinai from? It is from Mount Moriah and it was removed from it like Challah from a large dough." This means that originally, Mount Sinai was connected to Mount Moriah and later, Hashem moved it to the desert where the Torah was to be given since Yitzchak Avinu was bound on it. Based on this, the words of Tosafot, who said that Mount Sinai and Mount Moriah are one and the same, are quite clear.
We can thus understand the words of the Mishnah, "If there is no fear, there is no wisdom" to mean that only through the part of Mount Moriah that was detached and then reattached to Mount Sinai did we merit receiving the Torah in order to hint that along with one's Torah, one must also retain pure fear of Heaven.
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May 13 - Yom Yerushalayim
May 20-21 - Shavuot
June 16 - Graduation Kiddush
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Community Section
Yom Yerushalayim
Israel @ 70 Family Concert & Celebration!
Join us for an afternoon packed with family fun as we celebrate Israel @ 70. The day will include a main stage concert by Israeli singing star
Gad Elbaz,
Israel themed activities and crafts, kosher food, and more! This event is generously supported by the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago (JUF) and JCC Chicago partners, Jewish Community Council (JCCWRP), Associated Talmud Torahs of Chicago (ATT) and the Consulate General of Israel in Chicago.
Sunday, May 13, 1pm-3:30pm at
Bernard Horwich JCC in W. Rogers Park.
FREE (RSVP requested, but not required)
Bike the Drive for Chai Lifeline
Orot Production for Women to benefit The Family Fund
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