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Torah Reading
SHOF'TIM
With Moses' days coming to an end, his focus turns to a number of issues and institutions, which will be necessary for the maintenance of law and order, once the Israelites possess the Promised Land.
Judges need to be appointed and they should exhibit a high degree of impartiality; they must resist bribes under all circumstances. Difficult cases are to be referred to higher authorities.
Idolatry is punishable by death by stoning - but only after a thorough investigation and upon testimony by at least two witnesses.
Provisions are made to permit a monarchy to develop. However, the king must remain devoted to the Torah; he must write his own personal copy to be kept in his possession at all times and he must study from it regularly. Several restrictions are placed on the king to prevent abuse of power and the amassing of wealth.
God will provide true prophets to guide the people; there is, therefore, no need to resort to magic and superstition. False prophets - those whose predictions do not come to pass or who attempt to lead the people astray into idolatry - are to be executed.
Willful murderers are to be turned over to their victims' families. Unsolved murder cases render the inhabitants of the town in which the victim was found culpable. The town's leaders must perform a ritual of atonement and expiation. Boundary markers may not be moved or removed; it is an act of theft. Witnesses who give false testimony are to be subject to the punishment the defendant would have received had s/he been convicted.
Rules of warfare and siege are promulgated. Certain individuals are exempted from military service. The Israelites must sue for peace prior to resorting to war. A scorched-earth siege policy is prohibited.
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Tonight BBQ before Barchu at 6:00 p.m. (by advance registration only)
Kabbalat Shabbat at 7:15 p.m.
Tomorrow morning at 9:30 a.m.
Mazal Tov to David Gilman who will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of his Bar mitzvah
SERMON: Dear Judge Cavanaugh--Part II
Tomorrow at 7:00 p.m.:
Minha, Seudah Shlishit, Ma'ariv & Havdalah
During Seudah Shlishit we will read:
Moscow Holds the Key to Peace between Jerusalem and Damascus
Russia is more important than the United States in averting war between Israel and Syria
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This Week's Yahrzeit Observances
We hope that our weekly listing of yahrzeit observances will serve 2 purposes:
1) To remind those who ha
ve the yahrzeit for a second time, much closer to the date of the actual observance
2) To alert friends and acquaintances that someone they know is observing a yahrzeit. We hope that you will show them your support by joining them at our minyanim, and helping to assure that Kaddish can be recited with a minyan
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Mary Rettig will be observing yahrzeit for her Father, Boris Sendik on Friday evening, August 17th
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| Hilde Straus will be observing yahrzeit for her Son, Peter Straus on Friday evening, August 17th |
| Stuart Goldsmith will be observing yahrzeit for his Father, Max Goldsmith on Friday evening, August 17th |
| Eloise Polinsky will be observing yahrzeit for her Father, Meyer Hoffman on Sunday evening, August 19th |
| Larry Lesh will be observing yahrzeit for his Aunt, Sara Susswein on Sunday evening, August 19th |
| Hyla Epstein will be observing yahrzeit for her Husband, Ralph Epstein on Sunday evening, August 19th |
| Vera Kishinevsky will be observing yahrzeit for her Grandmother, Basya Pakrasov on Monday evening, August 20th |
| Jean Burnick will be observing yahrzeit for her Father, Harry Burnick on Monday evening, August 20th |
| David & Ethel Chesen will be observing yahrzeit for Their son, Jeffrey Chesen on Monday evening, August 20th |
| Naomi Altschul will be observing yahrzeit for her Husband, Leonard Altschul on Monday evening, August 20th |
| Mark Altschul will be observing yahrzeit for his Father, Leonard Altschul on Monday evening, August 20th |
| Carolyn Tauber will be observing yahrzeit for her Uncle, Murice Horowitz on Tuesday evening, August 21st |
| Fred Starr will be observing yahrzeit for his Father, Daniel Starr on Tuesday evening, August 21st |
| Leatrice Weiss will be observing yahrzeit for her Father-in-law, Morris Weiss on Tuesday evening, August 21st |
| Martha Shemin will be observing yahrzeit for her Grandmother, Regina Shemin on Wednesday evening, August 22nd |
| Olga Hyman will be observing yahrzeit for her Mother-in-law, Esther Bilitzer on Wednesday evening, August 22nd |
| Joan Alter will be observing yahrzeit for her Husband, Hon. Jack Alter on Thursday evening, August 23rd |
| Iris Coleman will be observing yahrzeit for her Sister-in-law, Helene Wald on Thursday evening, August 23rd |
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On the Road with the Rabbi
Yesterday at Fiddler on the Roof
(and yes, it is as good as everybody says it is!)
After the performance, and in front of a darkened stage: Sylvia Gosberg, Richard Schiff, Nancy Schiff, Iris Coleman, Naomi Altschul, KAS, Paula Brill, Hennie Ostrower. MIA: Carol Franklin and Regina Friedman
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This Week's Primary Results
The first Muslim-American woman to win a congressional primary this year is Rashida Tlaib. Tlaib, a Palestinian-American who will be running unopposed in her Detroit-area district. She recently advocated cutting aid to Israel and, one day later, called for a one-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
J Street's PAC, which had endorsed Tlaib, was in the process of reaching out to her because those positions are not acceptable to J Street.
Republicans have long accused the Democrats of being anti-Israel, and Tlaib's statements provide plenty of ammunition. Along with progressive Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the New York congressional candidate who accused Israel of a massacre in Gaza, anecdotal evidence is pointing to a young, progressive wing of the Democratic party that is willing to depart from traditional pro-Israel talking points.
"[A]s the far-left takes over the Democrat party, the Democrat party moves further and further away from its historical commitment to a strong US-Israel relationship," Matt Brooks, executive director of the Republican Jewish Coalition, said in a statement last month.
But Jewish Democratic activists say they aren't worried. They say it makes sense that Tlaib, as a Palestinian-American, would not support Israel, but that her views do not reflect hundreds of other Democrats in Congress.
"Almost every candidate running on the Democratic side holds mainstream pro-Israel views," said Aaron Keyak, managing director of Bluelight Strategies, a public relations firm that often represents Jewish Democrats. "This is an issue about this individual, not the Democratic Party."
Much of the Democratic criticism of Israel is really aimed at the policies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, says Ron Klein, a former Democratic congressman who chairs the Jewish Democratic Council of America. Netanyahu has allied himself closely with President Donald Trump.
"It's true that some Democrats and some American Jews are critical of the government and Prime Minister Netanyahu in particular," he said, adding that Democrats are still "great supporters of Israel as a Jewish national homeland."
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And this false testimony may be the source of Corbyn's claim about Israel's disregard for the lives of children (above):
There was only one problem with the Episcopal bishop's shocking firsthand testimony about human-rights abuses she witnessed in Israel-she never actually witnessed them.
Jeremy Corbyn Will Lay a Wreath for Munich Murderers But Not for Dead Jews at Yad Vashem
The Corbyn playbook was on full show: denial, back-tracking, equivocation, and words so slippery even the Kool-Aid faithful were unsure of what to say
As I read the above articles I was thinking that this may very well lead to the un-doing of Jeremy Corbyn as the head of the Labour Party. But then I read this article which compares Corbyn's devoted base to Donald Trump's supporters in the U.S., tracing how they share a tribal love for their politician of choice while distrusting the media.
Shrugging Off Critics Trump-Style, Corbyn Withstands Outrage, Rises in Polls
Despite furor over his stance on anti-Semitism, and new scandal about honoring terrorists, the UK's Israel-bashing, hard-left Labour chief is still potentially on course to be PM
Anti-Zionism Is Anti-Semitic
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The Nation State Law
At AIPAC they are saying that Netanyahu used its passage to shore up his right wing in anticipation of new elections-and possibly to offset a pending draft bill that will impact the Hareidi community. It is an unusual Basic Law in that all of Israel's other Basic Laws were passed (and also would need to be repealed) by a 2/3 vote in the Knesset. This Basic Law was passed--and can be negated--by a simple majority.
The articles and essays below also include topics that deal with religious pluralism and harassment of those from abroad who hold dissenting political views. They are included under this topic because my reading is that the new law, by failing to reaffirm Israel's democratic character, and the deliberate omission of religious pluralism (at least for Jews residing in Israel), has given license and the green light to what is transpiring. kas
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Pop Culture
The company producing the figure has raised over $613,000 on Kickstarter, vastly exceeding its $15,000 goal.
This isn't exactly Sports:
Hydrox, the Original Kosher Sandwich Cookie, is Accusing Oreo of Sabotage
The company alleges that Oreo's parent company blocked its cookies from view on supermarket shelves
Why 'Lucky Jew' Imagery is So Popular in Poland
The sale of stereotypical images of Jews as good luck charms started in the 1960s. Some there find it harmless, some find it anti-Semitic
NYT Metropolitan Diary --- August 8, 2018
Bar Mitzvah in May By ROSEANNE BENJAMIN
Dear Diary:
On Saturday, May 26, the temperature was close to 90 degrees. My son Asher thought it was much too hot to walk to the synagogue for his bar mitzvah.
My father hailed a cab. He opened the trunk and put in the bag I had carefully packed for the service: two tallitot, a black binder with my speech and notes for leading the service, and Asher's suit jacket and tie, pressed and in the dry cleaner's plastic.
When we got to the synagogue, I didn't open the trunk. Nor did I ask for a receipt. I didn't even notice anything was missing until I told Asher to put on his jacket.
I realized that the bar mitzvah was going to happen no matter what. It was going to happen without Asher's jacket and tie or his brand-new tallit. Worst of all, it was going to happen without me leading the service: Although I had been practicing with the cantor for weeks, my Hebrew wasn't great, and I didn't want to play a guessing game with the prayer book. I wanted my own notes.
I went home to print out another copy of my speech. That, at least, could be salvaged. When I got home, my mother called and told me to come back. Everything had been found.
When I returned, my mother explained that the driver had found the stuff in his trunk and had brought it to the police. An officer had gone through the bag and - seeing the speech, the suit and the tallitot - had realized it was for a bar mitzvah. He called the phone number on the dry cleaning ticket. The dry cleaner called my ex-husband, who had brought the suit in to be pressed.
Bar mitzvah saved, with a half-hour to spare.
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Dear Friends,
As the summer winds down and we prepare for another school year, I wanted to let you know about an exciting new AJC New Jersey program, Leaders For Tomorrow (LFT). It is the kind of forward-thinking program that has me so excited and honored to play a role with AJC New Jersey's volunteer leadership. As a parent, I know how important it is to prepare our children for the challenges they may face on their college campuses, including anti-Semitism and anti-Israel bias. LFT works to develop the skills our children need to be strong Jewish leaders. I urge you to encourage your high school students to apply! More details about the program and how to apply can be found below.
Best,
Sheri Goldberg
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dear AJC NJ Lay Leaders,
American Jewish Committee (AJC) is pleased to introduce to the families of New Jersey, an exciting, award-winning leadership development opportunity for rising high school sophmores, juniors, and seniors - Leaders For Tomorrow (LFT).
LFT will build on AJC's mission to develop young Jewish leaders who can advocate for the Jewish people, Israel and human rights around the world, and serve as positive change agents for their peers and community. AJC's goal is to ensure that graduates of the program enter college with knowledge and confidence to engage in ongoing dialogue regarding anti-Semitism and Israel.
LFT will consist of seven live, interactive training sessions on Sundays from 5:00pm to 8:00pm beginning in the Fall of 2018. These sessions will take place in Millburn, NJ and will include dinner.
Dates of the program are as follows:
October 21
November 18
December 16
February 10
March 17
April 21
May 19
Topics covered will include past and current Israeli affairs, challenges facing global Jewry including the BDS movement, among others, and how to effectively utilize strategic networks in advocacy. These lessons are important for students of all backgrounds as they approach college and are transferable to myriad facets of life.
We encourage applications be submitted as soon as possible. Admission to this program is highly competitive. Participants will be selected based on their application, and one or more subsequent interviews.
The deadline to apply is Friday, September 7. There is no cost to apply or participate.
Please reach out to Dena Dubofsky with any questions at dubofskyd@ajc.org or 973.379.7844.
Sincerely,
Rabbi David C. Levy Dena Dubofsky
AJC NJ Regional Director AJC NJ Assistant Director |
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NOW- SEPTEMBER 30 ONLY!
IMAGINATION MEETS REALITY
VITALY
AN EVENING OF WONDERS
"AMAZING MAGIC. INGENIOUS!" -Penn & Teller
"VITALY BRINGS ART TO LIFE." -HuffPost
BUY NOW & SAVE OVER 30%
$59 Orchestra Seats (reg. $89)
3 WAYS TO BUY YOUR TICKETS:
3. IN PERSON: Print this offer & bring to The Westside Theatre 407 W. 43rd St. Btw 9th & 10th Ave
Vitaly, celebrated as one of the most unique and innovative illusionists in the world, brings his most ambitious work yet, An Evening of Wonders, to New York audiences for a strictly limited engagement June 13 - September 30 at the Westside Theatre. "He is an ingenious inventor, full of charming surprises and amazing magic" hail Penn & Teller. Creating a theatrical experience that takes the audience on a magical journey blending art and illusion, Vitaly conjures some of the most amazing spectacles ever witnessed and dazzles us with the realization that ours is indeed a world of extraordinary wonder and beauty!
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