SHABBAT SHALOM, GESHER SHALOM!


 
February 14th, 2020
 
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Shabbat Times: 
Candle Lighting
Evening service at CBIOTP
Morning Service at CBIOTP
M inha at CBIOTP 
5:11  pm
7:00 pm 
9:30 am
4:45 pm
 
  Forecast: 32/sunny

IN THIS ISSUE...
Birthdays and Anniversaries 
Irith Insler
Robert Mohl
Audrey Altschul
Milton Breit
Alan Uliss
Justine Laufer
Richard Rosenberg
Laurie Singer

Lisa & Gary Maier

   UPCOMING EVENTS
 
Monday 2/17 Presidents Day Office closed
Wednesday 2/19
Congregational Meeting 8:00pm
Call the office for details
Thursday
2/20
Rabbi's Class - 10:30am
Wednesday
2/26
On The Road with the Rabbi
Call the office for details





The 2020 Census:  Making Sure Every New Jerseyan Gets Counted
When it comes to the 2020 Census, if you don't get counted, you literally do not count. And that will affect important decisions our local governments make-like where to hire more teachers or build new hospitals. It also impacts your voice in Washington.
Congressional representation, funding for schools, roads, transit public health, housing, etc. depend on an accurate count and on your participation. So when you are contacted, please respond!      

It's Down to the Wire
Time is getting very short to register for AIPAC
Call me to find out how you can participate in the annual Policy Conference


Here is another example of AIPAC's EFFECTIVE bi-partisan efforts and why you should support AIPAC and attend the Policy Conference in DC, if at all possible:






ON THE ROAD, BUT ON YOUR OWN:

Ruth Zimbler, Holocaust survivor, speaks at the opening of the exhibition
"Crimes Uncovered: The First Generation of Holocaust Researchers"
 
Guided tour of the exhibits
 
How did the Holocaust happen?
Through whose eyes do we "see" the Holocaust?
How do we know what we know about the Holocaust?

Join us for a guided visit of the exhibitions currently on view at the United Nations in New York: Seeing Auschwitz, Some were neighbours: Choice, Human Behaviour, and the Holocaust and Crimes Uncovered: First Generation of Holocaust Researchers. This tour is offered for FREE.

Wednesday, 19 February: 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Friday, 21 February: 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Guided tour begins at the visitors' desk. Obtain your visitor's pass at the Visitors Check-in Office, located across the street from the UN (First Ave & 45th Street). Bring your photo ID.
 
Did you know that the United Nations was established in response to the horrors of the Holocaust and the Second World War? Find out more and take a guided tour of the United Nations before or after your visit of the exhibitions. 

 


Voting closes on March 11 (which is sooner than you think)
MERCAZ-We stay out of Israeli politics. 
MERCAZ -We strive to meet Israelis'-and Jews' spiritual needs, worldwide.
We are not ZOA!
We are not JStreet! (whose political party is Hatikvah)
We are proud that you will never see headlines like this about us:


















 
Torah Reading 432   Haftarah 452
YITRO
Tziporah, Moses' wife, their two sons and Moses' father-in-law, Jethro, join the Israelites in Refidim. Jethro, the Midianite Priest, acknowledges God's power and offers sacrifices to Him. It is Jethro who suggests to Moses that a judicial system be set up in which less complicated matters are handled by other judges and Moses will adjudicate only the most difficult cases.
 
The Children of Israel arrive at the foot of Mount Sinai and prepare to receive God's revelation. Amidst thunder, lightning and shofar blasts, all those present experience God's presence when the Ten Commandments are made known.
 
The people are overawed and overwhelmed by what they have witnessed; they cannot bear more. So revelation continues with Moses serving as the intermediary, and additional laws dealing with various aspects of ritual worship conclude this week's sidra.
 

Tonight: Evening service at 7:00 p.m.
Tomorrow morning at 9:30 a.m.   
Minha, Seudah Shlishit, Ma'ariv & Havdalah at 4:45 p.m.
During Seudah Shlishit we will read... an op-ed by Bret Stephens that generated quite a bit of controversy when it was published and that required vetting and editing in its subsequent iterations: 
  The Secrets of Jewish Genius. It's About Thinking Different.                                                                                            
    
This Week's Yahrzeit Observances
We hope that our weekly listing of yahrzeit observances will serve 2 purposes:
1)     To remind those who have 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 
        
Simcha Hausman will be observing yahrzeit for her mother, Ines Baranes on Friday evening, February 14th
Matis Fermaglich will be observing yahrzeit for his mother, Iris Fermaglich on Friday evening, February 14th
Barbara Haber will be observing yahrzeit for her uncle, Alfred Braude on Saturday evening, February 15th
Otto Salmon will be observing yahrzeit for his father, Arthur Salmon on Saturday evening, February 15th
Allan Ginsburg will be observing yahrzeit for his wife, Carolyn Ginsburg on Tuesday evening, February 18th
Rona Topiel will be observing yahrzeit for her father, Benjamin Weissman on Wednesday February 19th 
Joseph Hyman will be observing yahrzeit for his father, David Hyman on Thursday February 20th

A  REMINDER:
Our daily minyanimare all held in our Office Chapel:    
 Sunday - Thursday evenings at 7:45 p.m.   
 Monday - Friday mornings at 7:00 a.m.  
 Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m.
All our Shabbat servicesare held in the CBIOTP building:    
Friday evening at 7:00 p.m.                                                                                                                                            
Shabbat morning at 9:30 a.m.                                                                                                                                               
Shabbat afternoon/evening (mincha, s'uda sh'lishit, ma'ariv, havdalah)                                                                       
currently at 4:30 p.m.(but the time will change/vary with sunset)




Important/Interesting Reads 
In First, Umbrella US Jewish Group Sends Delegation to Saudi Arabia                                                   
Israel Turned Down Opportunity to Assassinate Khomeini in 1978                                            
I missed this while I was away on vacation, but it really impressed me:
Video: Boris Johnson's Hanukkah Greetings to Britain's Jews 
The Mystery of the Painting in Gallery 634                                                                          

Poland Is Becoming a Global Capital of Chutzpah 
As the government cracks down on Holocaust remembrance, the country's Jewish art scene, skirting the new law/policy, is thriving like never before                                                                                                
Sudan Is Remaking Its Relationship With the Rest of the World                                                                
From meeting with Netanyahu to working with the ICC, the new government is reversing the foreign policy of the Bashir era.                                                                                                                                        
This is very scary: the U.S. military will give them combat training and access to weapons, and then turn them loose???!!



The Trump Peace Plan
Tom Friedman (NYT):  Mother Nature Respects No borders in the Middle East                                            
Why Trump's Plan Is Proving a Hard Sell in Israel                                                                                                          Israelis love Trump's offer. But petty rivalries and distrust mean Benjamin Netanyahu is struggling to win support for it.                                                                                       
Tunisia Sacks UN Ambassador for Opposing U.S. Peace Plan                                                        
An Israeli Arab Voice          
Saudi Foreign Minister Lauds U.S. Peace Plan                                 
Grand Mufti of Jerusalem Issues Fatwa Against U.S. Peace Plan                                                      
Important article/analysis because it appeared in the Christian Science Monitor:
Palestinians Protest U.S. Peace Plan at UN, But World Has Moved On                                                    

Trump Pressures Palestinians and Allies Over Peace Plan    
The White House blocks a U.N. resolution and threatens to withhold aid to the Palestinians                                      



Israel

Despite Terror Attack: Golani Recruits Continue Trek
Hours after ramming attack that left 12 of their comrades injured, IDF recruits continue inauguration trek in Jerusalem                                                         

Tel Aviv Professor Vered Noam is First Woman to Receive Coveted Israel Prize in Talmudic Studies  
Why Teen Pop Star Noa Kirel Chose to Leave the Limelight to Serve in Israeli Military  
  "I influence many young teenagers and it's important for me to encourage them to enlist as well."  
UAE Wealth Fund Urges Israeli Start-Up Investors to Invest in Gulf                                                  
In Tunisia, "Normalization" with Israel in Tennis Sparks Debate                                 

Israeli Judoka Wins Gold in Paris  
Israel's Grand Canyon (Makhtesh Ramon) Is From Another World      
The PEOPLE Behind Israel's Air Defense Success                                                                        

Two things sicken me about this: the "price tag" desecration and vandalism itself, and that the Prime minster has rarely come out so forcefully to condemn such acts:
170 Cars, Mosque Vandalized in Northern Arab Town, Drawing Rare Netanyahu Rebuke                               Residents in Jish find graffiti reading 'Jews wake up and stop assimilating' in third such incident targeting village in recent years  





 BDS / Anti-Semitism / anti-Zionism
And I wonder how many of these companies also provide services to Palestinian enclaves in the West Bank...
Database of Business Enterprises Involved with Israeli Settlements
The UNHRC has never released a similar blacklist for companies in disputed territories in any other conflict  
Students for Justice in Palestine Unmasked                                                                                                                    Terror Links, Violence, Bigotry and Intimidation on US Campuses                                                                                     
What Do You Do When You're Harassed for Being Jewish on the Street?                                              
In Rockland County, Liberal Jews Are Struggling to Understand Their Hasidic Neighbors                                        
Don't think for minute that my re-printing this is meant as an endorsement or a political statement:
 
Since WWII Yet We're Ignoring It 
Spreading Antisemitism in Arabic in Australia 
UC Berkeley Student Government Votes Down Resolution Condemning Pro-Palestinian Display of Terrorists



Iran / Syria / Hezbollah/Turkey
U.S. Troops Exchange Fire with Pro-Assad Gunmen in Syria                                                          
U.S. Warship in Arabian Sea Seizes Suspected Iranian Weapons                                                         
Iran Again Fails to Put Satellite into Orbit                                                                              
By triggering the Iran deal's dispute resolution mechanism, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom are hoping to push the sides back to the negotiating table-but they may escalate instead.                                    
Report: Missile Strike Targets Iranian Fighters in Syria                                                                
Syrian Opposition Media Reveals Information on Missiles of Iranian Militias in Syria                                           
Iran Disqualifies Thousands from Running for Parliament, Including 90 Current Lawmakers                                      
Top Israeli Security Expert Dismisses Russian Claim Israel Air Force Put Civilian Plane at Risk in Syria Strike        
   
Turkish Provocations  
Syria and Turkey Inch Closer to War                                                                                 
Turkey, Russia Trade Accusations as Syria Tensions Rise                                                      

Despite Turkey's Demands, Cyprus Refuses to Back Down 



The Palestinians     
Tony Blair: Palestinians Must Change Their Political Strategy                                                                                        "The Palestinians don't need a strategy for sympathy. They need a strategy for statehood, and their current path will not lead them to it."                                                                                                       
NGOs Call to End Use of Palestinian Child Soldiers                        
Poll: Palestinians Favor Return to Armed Struggle in Response to U.S. Peace Plan                                           
New System Will Fight Intentional Water Waste by Palestinian Prisoners in Israel                                            
Egyptians Warns Hamas to Stop Supporting Iranian Interests   


Hi-Tech
Israel Planning Massive Drone Acquisition to Counter Threats from Iran, Hamas, Hizbollah  
Video: Israeli Laser Defense System Successfully Intercepts Multiple Drones   100% success in all scenarios, including stopping maneuvering quarries; can address threats at military and civilian sites                                       
Revolutionary Brain Cancer Treatment Becomes Available in Israel 
The Israeli-developed device, called the Optune helmet, said to prevent tumor growth using electric pulses, while causing minimal damage to healthy tissue



Pop Culture

At a Historic Oscars, Jews Made Their Mark
Taika Waititi's Oscar Win for JoJo Rabbit Is Extra Special for Maori Jews Like Me   
Taika Waititi's  & 5 Other Jewish Moments from the 2020 Oscars    
How Do You Say 'Quidditch' in Yiddish?                                                                                                                                 The inside story of how 'Harry Potter' was translated into Yiddish                         
Mazal Tov: First Edition of Yiddish 'Harry Potter' Sells Out in Less Than 48 Hours 




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Imagine 3,000 years of Jewish texts in the palm of your hand.
That's the Sefaria App.
Available 24/7. For free.
Experience the timeless joy of Torah, Talmud, and more along with commentaries, connections and translations.



Times Square Valentine Heart Unveiling
Through March 1
Duffy Square, Times Square
Times Square Arts and Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum unveil "Heart Squared," this year's winning Times Square Valentine Heart designed by MODU (Led by Rachely Rotem and Phu Hoang) and Eric Forman Studio. Tilted in various directions within a steel frame that evokes the outline of an anatomic heart, the 125 mirrors of Heart Squared transform the spectacle of Times Square into kaleidoscopic images of people, buildings, and brightly-lit billboards.

Film
Resonance
March 13 | 6:30 PM
March 16 | 4:00 PM
MoMA
Marian Anderson once said that "a singer starts by having his instrument as a gift from God." What seems to follow, however, is an artistic life of striving and struggle. Rarely has the exquisite precision of opera singing been so mesmerizingly demonstrated on screen as it has in Resonance, the latest documentary by Itay Marom, which follows the private lessons of three eminent German voice instructors and their students over the course of a semester. Participating in DocFortnight 2020: MoMA's Festival of International Nonfiction Film and Media.

Music
Roni Gal-Ed at Jupiter
February 17 | 2 PM & 7:30 PM
Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church
Described as "one of the finest oboe players in the country" by The Jerusalem Post and "Outstanding...the star soloist of the evening" by The New York Times - Roni Gal-Ed will be playing two concerts with Jupiter - a chamber music series to acknowledge and perpetuate the legacy of conductor Jens Nygaard. 

Film
Wild Life, Death and Love in a Wildlife Hospital
Directors' Statement
Directors Danel Elpeleg and Uriel Sinai, about the difference between directing animals and human beings.
Wild: Life, Death and Love in a Wildlife Hospital screens through February 18 at Film Forum.
"During one of the first days of filming, we noticed that the doctors and caretakers in the hospital keep covering the animal's eyes. Ariella, one of the film's protagonists, told us that a wild animal does not feel comfortable being so close to human beings: 'even one wrong look can kill it'. Therefore, during filming, we found ourselves constantly trying to be there, invisibly. A director is always accountable for their protagonist - humans and animals alike - but a life or death responsibility is specific to directing animals."


Art
You Belong Here
Through April 23
C24 Gallery
At a time when questions of home, homeland and displacement loom large on the global landscape, artists Orit Ben Shitrit & Nirit Takele each channel their personal histories of mixed identity, culminating in a multi-media exhibition that collectively explores notions of self and belonging in a complex and dangerous world.

Film
In Times Like These: Amos and Efratia Gitai
March 5-9
MoMA
Staged reading and film series introduced by Amos Gitai. Featuring Marthe Keller, Ronald Guttman and Edna Stern. The intellectual and artistic bond between mother and son, the birth of a nation both emerge through the prism of Jewish history and literature.

Art
Growing a Garden for an Unknown Lover by Boaz Aharonovitch
Through February 28
ZAZ10TS
Friends of Bezalel present Israeli artist Boaz Aharonovitch's photo-diary, artfully documenting a gardening project that took place in his studio. The outcome of the process is a meditation on the fleeting nature of the garden as a metaphor for the passage of time and longing. Curated by Aya Goshen.

Film
New York Sephardic Jewish Film Festival
Feb 23 - March 2
Center for Jewish History
Opening its 2020 edition with the NY Premiere of Keren Yedaya's Red Fields, among numerous other Israeli films included in the festival, the NYSJFF specializes in screening compelling, Greater Sephardi narratives and documentaries, that celebrate the beauty, diversity, and vitality of the Jewish experience.

Art
Adi Nes
Through March 1
Fotografiska New York
Adi Nes explores social and political questions revolving around gender, the center vs. the periphery, Eastern vs. Western cultures, ethnicity, Judaism, local myths, militarism, humanism and social justice through his portraits.

Film
Incitement
Ongoing
Landmark at 57 West
Village East Cinema
Kew Gardens Cinemas
After a highly successful festival run including TIFF, New York Jewish Film Festival and a Best Film win at the Israeli Academy Awards, Yaron Zilberman's Incitement arrives in New York theaters.


Birthright Israel - Free Trip
10 amazing days of new discoveries, friendships, and adventures!
Free trip to Israel with Israel Outdoors
This trip is a gift from Birthright Israel with additional support from
Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey
May 31 - June 10, 2020

Onward Israel
Jumpstart your career!
Intern in your field of study this summer in Tel Aviv. Rolling admission registration has begun - don't miss your chance to apply!
Spend summer 2020 living and working in the center of Tel Aviv
Build Your Resume | Experience Israel
June 10 - August 4, 2020
Cost: $500
Rolling Admissions: November 18, 2019 - March 15, 2020




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