Congregation Agudat Achim
Weekly Announcements
5 August 2021 - 27 Av 5781
Parashat Re’eh
Rabbi Rafi Spitzer -- President Jackie Rowen
Words from our Rabbi
An addendum to last week’s weekly message, on the disparate meanings of mishpat, tzedakah, and hessed: I quoted the late Rabbi Sacks as explaining the differences this way: “I am legally entitled to mishpat. I am morally entitled to tzedakah. But to hessed, I am not entitled at all.” Another teacher of mine, Jeffrey Spitzer, explained it a little differently, also in a very compelling manner. He wrote (with some edits made for clarity): “Mishpat is our collective mitzvah/sacred obligation to create a just society. Tzedakah is one way for individuals to fulfill the mitzvah to shore up the gaps in that just society. Both of these are necessary to create and maintain a society filled with justice. Hessed is not mitzvah but kedushah/sacred acts of imitating the Divine-- it is what makes a society good. Tamhui (a community’s social welfare fund, paid into by all as a form of tax) is an example of mishpat, fulfilling our collective obligation. Maakhil reevim (feeding the hungry, for example, through food pantry donations) is tzedakah, a way that individuals can shore up the gaps left by the net society tries to cast. Hakhnasat orchim (hospitality, welcoming guests into your home for a meal) is hessed, an act which brings holiness to the world, spreads goodness, and inspires others to do the same. 
This week, Parashat Re’eh, begins רְאֵ֗ה אָנֹכִ֛י נֹתֵ֥ן לִפְנֵיכֶ֖ם הַיּ֑וֹם בְּרָכָ֖ה וּקְלָלָֽה׃ See, this day I set before you blessing and curse. Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim Luntschitz, known by the name of his book, the Kli Yakar, has the following comment on the grammar of that verse: “See” is singular. “Before you” is plural. This is what our Sages teach us: A person must always view things as if the entire world is half righteous and half wicked. If he performs a single mitzvah he tips himself and the entire world to the side of merit. Therefore Moshe spoke to every individual, “See” that he should see in his thought that every single action affects all of them. 
The Kli Yakar also points to this tension between the collective, or communal needs/obligations, and those of the individual. How can we choose life? How do our choices affect the community? How can we bring holiness to the world?
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Spitzer
Thank you to all who contributed to our
new website!

We are looking forward to the launch of the Congregation Agudat Achim website on August 12th!

Our website provides a warm welcome to our synagogue community while allowing quick access to information. In addition, we hope our new website will help you feel inspired to want to get further involved in congregational life. 

Thank you to Jackie Rowen, the board of trustees, congregants, and committee chairs who contributed content to our website or edited. We couldn't have done this without you. Special thanks to Hirsch Fishman, our web designer from Addicott Web. Finally, I want to express my deepest thanks to Rabbi Spitzer, Josh Cooper-Ginsburg, and Jack Mintzer, who were the backbone of the website development project!

Kol Hakavod

Deborah Friedson
Arts and Beautification/Website Content Chair

Website Committee
Rabbi Spitzer
Josh Cooper-Ginsburg
Jack Mintzer
Robin Scharf
Ricki Shapiro
Mindy Sorbo
Deborah Yablon
A Message from President:

We’re very excited to launch the new Agudat Achim website. This could not have been possible without the hard work of Deb Friedson, Josh Cooper-Ginsburg, Jack Mintzer and the Website Committee. Thank you to each of you for your hard work and commitment to the project.

Jackie Rowen
Men's Club Clean Up
SHABBAT AFTERNOON SOCIAL GATHERING
USY and Kadima News
USYers, Kadimaniks and parents,
Please mark your calendars for Sunday, August 29th. We will be volunteering at the Regional Foodbank Farm with the congregation, followed by lunch and swimming at Thompsons lake both in Voorheesville
.
You can come for one or both.

USY will also be holding chapter elections that day. 

Contact Susan Sharfstein if you have questions 518-810-2249
Friday Night Outdoor Kabbalat Shabbat
in Person and on Zoom
You are Invited!

Come Pray with Us!

A Special Oneg Shabbat will be served after services.

Covid Information:

  • Attendees are not required to wear masks or be socially distant.
  • You wear a mask if you choose to.
  • Attendees who wish to maintain social distance will be able to do so.


We will hold Kabbalat Shabbat in the parking lot at 5:30p, every Friday, for the remainder of the summer!


We'd love to see you there!
With our Members
Birthdays: Allan Pearlman, Gideon Schmidt, Theodore Hausler, Mindy Sorbo, Ava Ehrlich, Susan Karp, Neil Shapiro, Robert Fox, Oded Ben Ami, Adriane Hertzendorf, Lewis King


Anniversaries: Debbie & Jay Yablon, Tracy & Michael Delman, Joette & Harold Krupa,Susan & Michael Karp, Christi Hart & Victor Levy, Tamara & Arthur Smuckler
Yahrzeits: Charles Feinberg, Solomon Rosenberg, Florence Sharfstein, Ruth Rapp, Johanna Takaroff, Elaine Rotman, William Rowen, Albert Bell, Stella Mintzer, William Fine, Harry Mishkin,Ruth Ashkenas, Natalie Kliman
We have learned with great sorrow of the passing of Paul Grande, father of congregant Sara Gavens. May his memory be a blessing. Our condolences go to the Grande and Gavens family.

We have learned with great sorrow of the passing of David Trachtenberg, father of CAA member Hon. Bruce Trachtenberg. May his memory be a blessing. Our condolences go to the Trachtenberg family.
Thank You
Thank you to the individuals who participated in this past week's Shabbat services: Yashar koach!

Torah and Haftarah Readers: Rabbi Spitzer, Jeff Shapiro, Ron Scharf
Daveners/Service Leaders: Dan Mayer, Emily Scharf
Service Coordinators/Gabbaim: Rabbi Spitzer. Jackie Rowen, Barby Harris
COVID-19 Compliance Guarantor/Shamash: Barby Harris
Other Participants: Judith Ruthberg, Barbara Wasser, David Stashower, Talib Malick, Ron Scharf, Kaitlin Spektor, Jeff Shapiro

Contributors to our Security Fund, Attendees, “…those who give funds for heat and light, wine for Kiddush and Havdalah, bread to the wayfarer and charity to the poor, and all those who devotedly involve themselves with the needs of this community… May the Holy Blessed One reward them, remove sickness from them, heal them, and forgive their sins. May God bless them by prospering all their worthy endeavors, and let us say: Amen.”
Would you like to see your name on this list?
Get in touch with Howie Mittleman or Rabbi Spitzer!

School Information

Registration for 2021-2022 school year
is now open for Prek - 12

High School Electives are Now Available.
Email Jack with your choices.

We plan to be in person if all goes well this summer.

Catering's Meals-to-Go
As You Like It still has the Meals-to-Go freezers stuffed with plenty of favorites! Perfect for your Shabbat table or anytime! Available now! The entire list of offerings can be found on our website or by calling the mail office. New items added weekly, so keep checking regularly. To order and arrange your pick-up, contact Rise' Routenberg at syncaterer@aol.com. Thank you for shopping with us!



Carrot Festival
Food Preparation
Carrot Festival Food Preparations Are Back!
As we breathe a welcome sigh of relief these days knowing we are able to gather more safely, we now can plan for a much anticipated Carrot Festival 2021. Although the Festival may still happen in a modified way, much more sweet and savory food will be prepared than last year!

We hope you can join us to help prepare CF favorites. Even one hour of your time will make a difference. Please wear closed shoes, no sandals. No need to wear a mask when in our kitchen pod.

Below is the work schedule for now which will continue through August. More dates will be posted in the future.

Simply email Rise' Routenberg at syncaterer@aol.com to sign up to help.

The CF Committee thanks you in advance for your support!
 
Monday- 9-3:00
Tuesday - 1-3:00
Wednesday- 9-3:00
Thursday -  9-3:00
SiCM Volunteers from CAA Needed for Summer Meals Program
The members of the Social Action Committee are asking for your help to help pack and serve Summer Meals. Dates and times are as follows:

-Packing Meals at SiCM 839 Albany Street, Schenectady on August 2- August 6th, August 9th-August 13th and August 30th-September 4th starting at 8:00 am

-Serving Meals at Trinity Reform Church, 745 Curry Road, Rotterdam on July 26 - July 30th starting at 10:45 am.

-Serving Meals at Central Park, Schenectady (outside the Pavilion) on August 9th - August 13th starting at 11:30 am.


Schedule for the Week
Ongoing Events
Reyut and Hessed requests for rides
It is now permitted for our volunteers, if they feel comfortable, and are vaccinated and masked, to drive people.  Please feel free once again to either call Linda Birnby at 518-608-6083 to request a ride, and we will call the volunteers for you to get you a driver. Remember, the earlier that you call one of us to request a ride, the easier it will be for us to find you a driver. We are delighted to be able to offer you this service once again!

Rabbi Spitzer teaches a class on the weekly Torah portion on Tuesdays from 12:30p – 1:30p on Zoom. The link is on the CAA Online Programming Google Doc. If you are interested in exploring the weekly Parashah, please attend. All are welcome. Rabbi Spitzer invites you to call or email with your comments or thoughts.

Beginner and Intermediate Hebrew Classes at CAA Next Class 10 August
Interested in learning Hebrew? Zipporah Harris, a Hebrew teacher with more than 30 years of experience, continues to share her knowledge and skills at CAA. A group of learners who joined Ms. Harris’s class several sessions ago is now at a solid intermediate level, ready to start its next session of 10 classes on Tuesdays at 6 p.m. If you are a beginner, interested in joining a beginners’ Hebrew class, please contact Zipporah Harris at yourpersonalspace1@gmail.com Cost: $100 per session, payable to Zipporah Harris at the beginning of a session ($10 per class)


Every Wednesday on Zoom at 10a.

Meets on the second Wednesday of each month, at 12:00p
Next Meeting 13 October
October book: The Light of Days, by Judy Batalion
November book: Paris Children, by Gloria Goldreich

CAA Men’s Club Torah Study - Meets Monthly on Sundays at 7:30p
Next Meeting:  8/15: Ki Tetze
Following minyan at 7:15p, we will meet outside the home of Steve Schmidt, 1202 Godfrey Lane in Niskayuna, weather-permitting. If we go inside, please have a mask to wear. A Zoom component will also be offered for those unable to attend in person.
Summer Minyan Schedule
Our evening 7:15p service each night, except Tuesday night will be Mincha.

Friday Mincha and Kabbalat Shabbat will be at 5:30p on Zoom
and in our parking lot, weather permitting.
Links to Religious Services
Siddur Supplement
Until further notice, we are using the full Siddur Sim Shalom during weekday and Shabbat services. This version has both Shabbat and Weekday prayer services (whereas the "Slim Shalom," which only contains Shabbat services are typically used in the sanctuary). Rabbi Spitzer has made the following four prayers accessible.

We would like to make everyone’s experience of the service at home as barrier-free as possible so please get in touch with us if there are other things that we can do to increase ease of access.
Donations
In the Community
Bags That Give Back: Schenectady Community Ministries (SiCM) Selected to Benefit in Hannaford Reusable Bag Program Designed to Give Back in Local Communities

(Schenectady, NY) – Reduce single-use plastic in the environment and give back to those in need in the local community, all while running routine weekly errands at the local Hannaford stores located at 5239 Western Turnpike, Guilderland NY and 1400 Altamont Avenue, Schenectady NY. Schenectady Community Ministries (SiCM) has been selected by local Hannaford store leadership as the benefiting non-profit in the Fight Hunger Bag for the month of August and October! 

The Hannaford Fight Hunger Bag is an easy way for shoppers to give back to the local community and the environment as part of the regular shopping routine. Every $2.50 reusable Fight Hunger Bag sends a $1 donation to a non-profit local to the Hannaford in which it was purchased. 

As part of this ongoing program, every month at every Hannaford location a different local non-profit is selected to benefit from the sale of the reusable Fight Hunger Bag. Schenectady Community Ministries (SiCM) was selected as the August and October beneficiary by local store leadership at the store located at 5239 Western Turnpike, Guilderland NY and 1400 Altamont Avenue, Schenectady NY. SiCM will receive a $1 donation for every $2.50 reusable Fight Hunger Bag purchased at this location in August and October.

“It’s more important than ever to help reduce single-use plastic in the environment,” said Amaury Tañón-Santos, Executive Director of SiCM. “Non-profits at the local level, like us, are in need of community support. This program offers the perfect solution to multiple issues of the world today. We hope you’ll support us in August and October by purchasing one – or two! - Fight Hunger Bag at our local Hannaford!” 

Schenectady Community Ministries (SiCM) is a non-profit based in Schenectady, NY. Founded in 1967, SiCM works to address food insecurity in Schenectady County by hosting the largest food pantry in Schenectady County. Learn more about SiCM by visiting https://www.sicm.us/donate.
An Elul Intensive
Free Four-Week Online Program from IJS and its Partner Organizations
August 8 – September 6, 2021
As we enter the high holidays this year, society around us is easing into a post-pandemic reality and beginning to re-open. Even as we yearn for normalcy, many of us sense a desire deep within us to do better than just return to things as they were. Perhaps there is a better way to live, one that builds upon the lessons learned this past year and embodies greater compassion and justice. The challenges and opportunities of this moment are many. How can we deepen our awareness and clarify our purpose as we enter this new year?

The Shofar Project 5781 is a free program open to people of all backgrounds who want to make this a year of continued transformation. IJS will provide Jewish teachings and daily practices including Torah study, Jewish mindfulness meditation, and Jewish yoga, to address the longing within our hearts to lead lives of sacred purpose, in right relationship with the land and each other. It takes place during the Hebrew month of Elul, the month preceding the Jewish High Holy Days, a traditional period for intensive spiritual reflection, introspection, and moral accounting (August 8 – September 6, 2021)
Staff Emails
Rabbi Rafi Spitzer, rabbispitzer@agudatachim.org, (518) 348-9478
Joshua Cooper-Ginsburg, Executive Director: admin@agudatachim.org
Jack Mintzer, Education Director: eddirector@agudatachim.org
Chris Parisi, Administrative Assistant: secretary@agudatachim.org
Rise' Routenberg, Catering: asyoulikeitCAA@gmail.com  
Board Emails
Jackie Rowen, President: CAAPrez2019@gmail.com
Steve Schmidt, Program VP: schmidsj@union.edu
Jeff Shapiro, Youth VP: penanglaw@aol.com
Neal Shapiro, Treasurer: nshapiro007@gmail.com
Our Sponsors
[518-393-9211]  [https://www.agudatachim.org/]