SHABBAT SHALOM, GESHER SHALOM!


 
October 16, 2020
 
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Shabbat Times: 
Candle Lighting
Virtual services see below

5:55pm
 
 Forecast: 60
 
/sunny


The Holidays: THEY ARE OVER!!
AND SLOWLY WE ARE RAMPING UP TO A FULL SCHEDULE OF PROGRAMMING (in addition to our services)

And we will be using all new Zoom Logins beginning November 1   
(to circumvent those infernal Zoom Waiting Rooms)
The new Logins may be found at the end of this Shab Sha







But for now...
Beginning Thursday, October 22 at 11am:
The Return of Re-Inventing the Bible
Dial in by phone:  929 205 6099     Meeting ID: 362 376 833
The Rabbis were both close readers of the text, sensitive to every nuance, and, it turns out, also great fiction writers and spinners of yarn.
Using Louis Ginzberg's masterful narrative compiling these legends, The Legends of the Jews, we will continue our exploration of these tales, known as Midrash Aggada.

Beginning Wednesday, October 28 at Noon:
The Return of Coffee Talk
CLICK HERE TO ATTEND
Dial in by phone: 929 205 6099           Meeting ID: 814 6433 7599
We are immigrants and the descendants of immigrants; our nation is largely a nation of immigrants. We will hear from one of the newest: Noa Osheroff, Israeli writer, director, producer and comedian based in New York. She will screen her newest film, a 12-minute comedy, SOFA SO GOOD,  which is currently on the film festival circuit. Noa is also the founder and producer of "Speak American", a highly acclaimed monthly stand-up comedy show in Brooklyn focusing on recent immigrants to the US and their stories. In the course of her conversation with us, she  will talk about the process of film-making, stand-up comedy, diversity...and everything in between.
Here is a teaser from SOFA SO GOOD:
Sofa So Good - teaser 2
Sofa So Good - teaser 2


Coffee Talk-November 4 (using the new Zoom Login/Dial-In)
Post-Election Agony or Ecstasy
This may be the most hotly contested election in US history-certainly in our lifetimes. The results may not be conclusive the day after, but we have to try to come together as a country-and as a community. Let's see if we can't talk calmly and with some understanding for each other's viewpoints now that the ballots have been cast.

Coffee Talk-November 11 (using the new Zoom Login/Dial-In)
A Visit to the YIVO Archives...
to examine more treasures from their vast collection with Director of the YIVO Archives, Dr. Stefanie Halpern. (Those of us who went "On the Road" met Dr. Halpern in person last February)
Here is a foretaste of just one aspect of YIVO's vast and diverse treasures:                    
Yiddish Theater Show and Tell
Yiddish Theater Show and Tell

Coffee Talk-November 18 (using the new Zoom Login/Dial-In)
A Visit to the Knesset with Masorti Israel
The program, under the auspices of Masorti's Jewish Pluralism Watch, will include a virtual tour of the Knesset and a conversation with a Knesset Member. Reservations are required. Please email me to secure your seat in the Knesset.


Dial in by phone: 929-205-6099      Meeting ID: 836 6939 4720

Mi SheBayrach
We make special prayers for those who are ill at every Shabbat Morning service and during our Monday & Thursday Minyanim. Since the onset of the pandemic, we have been adding a special Mi SheBayrach for those who have contracted the coronavirus.

You can add a name (traditionally: Hebrew/Yiddish name and mother's Hebrew/Yiddish name, but we'll take English names and the names of those who are not Members of our Tribe) by calling or emailing me.
Or better yet: why not join us for the 9:00am weekday morning minyan, and read the Psalm (in English) just before we include the name of your family member, friend or acquaintance in the Mi SheBayrach






Torah Reading 
B'REISHIT        
The Torah opens with the story of the creation of the world by God in six days, culminating in the formation of the human beings on day six and the inauguration of Shabbat on day seven.
 
This numerical narrative is followed by the story of the Garden of Eden, in which one human being - Adam - is created initially, and the "Garden" and other life forms thereafter. Finding no suitable mate among the animals for Adam, God fashions Eve from one of Adam's ribs. We learn of two special trees within the Garden from which Adam and Eve are not permitted to eat; when they do, it results in their expulsion from Paradise (in Hebrew, pardes in a garden) and their mortality.
 
We learn subsequently of the birth of Cain and Abel, and the enmity between the two brothers, which leads to Abel's murder and Cain's banishment. A third son, Seth, is born to Adam and Eve.
 
The sidra concludes with a genealogical list that spans ten generations. The stage is set for next week's story of Noah and the flood, with a final comment about the sinful nature of human beings and God's regret in having created them.
 










I bring you this article because some of these personalities/creatures appear in the Creation and Flood stories:
Monsters, Demons, and Other Mythical Creatures in Jewish Lore                
There are more of these fantastic Jewish creatures than you might think.

Connecting to the Community and the Shul on Zoom 
Shira, my Orthodox friend, hasn't been to Shabbat services in seven months. Ironically, I have rarely missed a service (via Zoom) since March.

SHABBAT SCHEDULE
ALL our Synagogue Prayer Services and Programs are conducted over ZOOM

You can participate in one of two ways 
          • Dialing in - or - 
          • Using internet access and a smartphone, tablet or computer
 
Do You Need to Obtain a Siddur? Please call or email me for details. kas
 
Do you need a CROSS-REFERENCE GUIDE to pages in the old Sim Shalom (Blue cover) for Shabbat and Holidays (when we are using Lev Shalem)?...
Or
to the Weekday Services in Lev Shalem (when we are using the burgundy weekday Sim Shalom)?
Call me or email me for the GUIDE




Our Shabbat Services

Friday evening at 7:00 pm  CLICK HERE TO ATTEND               
Dial in by phone:  929-205-6099   Meeting ID: 869 8266 6380 

Shabbat Morning at 10:30am  CLICK HERE TO ATTEND                                          
Dial in by phone:  929 205 6099     Meeting ID: 874 8132 0020 
 
Havdalah at  7:00pm      CLICK HERE TO ATTEND
Dial in by phone:  929 205 6099    Meeting ID: 729-396-135
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 (virtual) minyanim, and helping to assure that Kaddish can be recited with a minyan 
Sharon Starr will be observing yahrzeit for her mother, Frieda Ellis on Friday evening, October 16th
Terry Plawker will be observing yahrzeit for her mother, Sara Kurland on Saturday evening, October 17th
Harry Richman will be observing yahrzeit for his wife, Miriam Richman on Saturday evening, October 17th
Sheila Scherl will be observing yahrzeit for her husband, Newton Scherl on Saturday evening, October 17th
Hilda Reisner will be observing yahrzeit for her mother, Chana Bortz on Saturday evening, October 17th
Shlomo Peled will be observing yahrzeit for his father, Moshe Feldworm on Saturday evening, October 17th
Steven & Suzette Kolitch will be observing yahrzeit for their son, Alan Kolitch on Sunday evening, October 18th
Alan Stern will be observing yahrzeit for his father, Bernard Stern on Monday evening, October 19th
Barbara Margolin will be observing yahrzeit for her father, William Kreitzberg on Tuesday evening, October 20th
Richard Schiff will be observing yahrzeit for his mother, Goldie Schiff on Thursday evening, October 22nd


Birthdays & Anniversaries
Ruth Korn
Lia Pitchkhadze
Ethel Chesen
Otto Salmon
Carolyn Tauber

Rose Lederman & Rabbi Henry Glazer



 
OUR WEEKDAY MINYANIM
  
Sunday - Friday Mornings at 9:00 am CLICK HERE TO ATTEND
Dial in by phone: 929 205 6099     Meeting ID: 110 379 215
 
Sunday - Thursday Evenings at 7:00 pm CLICK HERE TO ATTEND
Dial in by phone: 929 205 6099       Meeting ID: 338 747 559
 
Special Request: if you purchased or downloaded Siddur Lev Shalem (Shabbat and Holidays) and/or Siddur Sim Shalom (Weekdays), please let Rabbi Stern know. (Please call him or email him).
 
 
UPCOMING PROGRAMS
 
Our Weekly Programming  
See Above, Please, for Details and Starting Dates

 



Important/Interesting Reads
Congratulations to the 2020 Jewish Nobel Laureates!
We at the National Museum of American Jewish History are proud to congratulate and honor all of this year's Nobel Prize recipients, and especially 2020's Jewish and American Jewish winners
The stories of these brilliant individuals are the kind of "Only in America" stories our Museum uniquely exists to tell-the stories of the Dreamers and Doers who, through imagination, aspiration, and hard work, make the world a better place for all.
Read on to learn more about this year's Jewish Nobel Laureates.
All articles from Times of Israel
Jewish scientist shares Nobel for finding hepatitis C, helping to save millions
2020 Nobel Laureate
Harvey J. Alter (NIH History Office from Bethesda)

Dr. Harvey J. Alter
Medicine
"In any event, my father had a strong influence on my road to medicine, though I think I would have chosen this path even without his inspiration; the biologic sciences always seemed more interesting to me than any other discipline.... except, of course, baseball. I would have dropped medicine in a millisecond to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers. There were, however, certain impediments to my becoming a professional baseball player - I couldn't hit and I couldn't field. Thus, I sublimated my 'field of dreams' to become a doctor," he wrote. click here for more information

Scientists of Jewish heritage among trio to win Nobel prize for black hole finds
2020 Nobel Laureates
Andrea Ghez, professor of physics and astronomy at UCLA, poses during an interview at the university in Los Angeles, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020. (AP/Aron Ranen)

Andrea Ghez
Physics
2020 Nobel Laureates

Mathematical physicist Roger Penrose, June 26, 2015. (Danny Lawson/PA via AP)

Sir Roger Penrose
Physics
Andrea Ghez's grandfather, a Jew of Tunisian origin, fled Italy for the US after the Fascists passed anti-Jewish laws in 1938. Ghez is the fourth woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize for physics, after Marie Curie in 1903, Maria Goeppert-Mayer in 1963, and Donna Strickland in 2018. "I hope I can inspire other young women into the field. It's a field that has so many pleasures. And if you're passionate about the science, there's so much that can be done," Ghez said.
Penrose, who was knighted in 1994, comes from a family with a long and broad association with academia. His grandmother, Sonia Marie Natanson, was a Jewish concert pianist who left Russia at the end of the 19th century. She married physiologist John Beresford Leathes, the son of Hebrew scholar Stanley Leathes. Penrose is an avowed atheist. In a 2007 interview with the Jerusalem Post, he said his grandmother "hid her origins and dissociated herself from her family, but we learned that she came from Russia and that her family name was Nathanson. Thus according to your rules, I guess I could be considered Jewish, even though I do not identify myself as one." click here for more information

American Jewish poet Louise Gluck wins Nobel literature prize
US author Louise Gluck giving a speech at the 2014 National Book Awards in New York City November 19 2014 Robin Marchant GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA AFP
US author Louise Glück giving a speech at the 2014 National Book Awards in New York City, November 19, 2014. (Robin Marchant / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP)

Louise Glück
Literature
Born in New York in City 1943, Glück's paternal grandparents were Hungarian Jews who emigrated to the United States. Her father, Daniel Glück, was in business with his brother-in-law and invented the X-Acto brand of precision craft knife still in production. In a 2012 interview with the American Academy of Achievement, she spoke of writing books at a very early age with her sister, which her father would print so they could illustrate them. She also recalled that "my grandmother, who wasn't a bookish woman, had a tiny little anthology - it was physically a small object, as I remember - of 'Beloved Poems,' or some sort of comprehensive title of that kind." "In The Triumph of Achilles (1985), she creates her own midrashic interpretation of a story from the Midrash Rabbah and measures her immigrant grandfather's life against that of Joseph in Egypt," according to the Jewish Virtual Library.

American Jewish economist Paul Milgrom shares Nobel for auction theory work
Professor Paul Milgrom is interviewed at Cambridge University November 2019 Screen grab YouTube

Professor Paul Milgrom is interviewed at Cambridge University, November 2019 (Screen grab/YouTube)
Paul Milgrom
Economics
Milgrom was born in Detroit to Jewish parents. He became the Shirley and Leonard Ely Professor of Humanities and Sciences at Stanford University, and frequently lectures at Israeli universities.

Liberal Israeli Orthodox Rabbi, Benny Lau: Judaism Does Not Forbid Same-Sex Couples from Building a Family

 
Mystery Solved: Babyn Yar Massacre Location Pinpointed After 79 years
A Brief History of Jewish Greek Life       
With the rise of the #AbolishGreekLife movement, let's take a look at how - and why - Jewish fraternities and sororities got their start. 
HBO Max to Air Yom Kippur War Drama "Valley of Tears," Israel's Biggest Budget TV Series Ever 

Bari Weiss: Stop Being Shocked American liberalism is in danger from a new ideology-one with dangerous implications for Jews 


Israel                        
You might also want to read the letter from Jay Shofet that accompanies the Preservation of Nature program at the end of this Shab Sha! in which he discusses the fires, the heat and climate change:
Israeli Firefighters Battle 250 Blazes Over Hot, Dry Weekend 


'After the Holidays'   
 Israel's great procrastination technique-putting things off until the fall holidays are through-is no longer available. It's time to get back to work.


BDS / Anti-Semitism / anti-Zionism
 
Twitter to Remove Posts Denying the Holocaust 
YouTube Cracked Down on QAnon and Several Related Conspiracy Theories. The Platform was One of the Places that Helped the Movement Spread                

I have to believe that Presidential security briefings have to include QAnon:
 
ADL Criticizes Trump's Non-Disavowal of QAnon 



UK Fashion Magazine Fires Diversity Editor Following Holocaust Jokes






The Gulf /Arab States
Majority Support for Ties with Israel in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Jordan and Egypt     
But 61% of Palestinians oppose normalization 
 
Israel Will Oppose U.S. F5 Sale to Qatar 
 
Jordan's New Government Indicates a Change in Emphasis
 
Jordan and Israel Sign Deal for Reciprocal Overflights 
 
Flights from Iraq, Qatar and Saudi Arabia to Use Israeli Airspace
 
Saudi Media Ordered to Soften Tone on Normalization with Israel 
 
Signs Saudis Are Edging Towards Historic Israel Peace 
 
FROM AZERBAIJAN TO ABU DHABI: ISRAEL, AUTOCRATS, AND ARMS SALES  
"While Israel's budding relationships with other Middle Eastern countries have grabbed headlines over the past two months, one recent diplomatic victory was reversed almost as soon as it had happened. 29 years after achieving statehood, Armenia finally opened an Embassy in Israel on September 18. Last week, Armenia recalled its ambassador back to Yerevan."   

What Normalization?
How Israel's agreements this year with Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates made the Middle East more volatile. 
                


Hi-Tech       


Israel to Help Upgrade Emergency Services in Yangzhou, China 
US Tech Giant Nvidia Unveils 'Breakthrough' Processor Sired by Israel Team                                                                    




  • Too late to submit your information for the 2020 Census. That deadline has passed per a ruling of the US Supreme Court.
  • Step-By-Step Instructions for Filling Out the 2020 Election Ballot:              
 
Step-By-Step Instructions for the 2020 Election Ballot (October 6, 2020)
Step-By-Step Instructions for the 2020 Election Ballot (October 6, 2020)

All of our congregational programming is conducted over Zoom. Of late, Zoom is requiring the inconvenience of a "Waiting Room". The only way we can obviate the need for these infernal "Waiting Rooms" is to generate all new logins. 
While we know that using new Zoom logins is an inconvenience for many of you, the "Waiting Rooms" are no great pleasure when you get relegated to them!
As an added bonus, we are taking this opportunity to streamline the number of Zoom logins you will need. This should be especially good news to our Dial-In members.
Beginning on November 1 you will only need two Zoom links: one for all of our prayer services, and a second for all of our programming/classes.
New Zoom Rooms  effective Sunday morning, November 1  
(timed to coincide with our return to Standard Tim

Fort Lee Virtual Shul Prayer Services
Participant ID/Passcode: 585121
Dial in: 929 205 6099     Meeting ID: 894 4624 7890#

Fort Lee Virtual Shul Classes/Programming
Participant ID/Passcode: 144384
Dial in: 929 205 6099       Meeting ID: 822 9648 6657#



Shalom!

Given the strange way time passes in 2020, it's hard to believe that October has not only arrived but has made its presence felt.

In Israel, the temperature has finally cooled from the hottest September on record here and an early October heatwave.

My colleague Lawrence Kasmir - many of you know him as our webinar producer - is currently reading The Uninhabitable Earth: A Story of the Future by David Wallace-Wells, and daily he regales us with the incipient unfolding horrors of climate change.

Join us for our next live webinar on Sunday 18th October as we return to Jerusalem's Gazelle Valley.

16:00 - Jerusalem
14:00 - London
09:00 - New York/Toronto
06:00 California
Click here to register
And we already feel this change in the air around us, which is hotter and more humid for longer than it used to be, and with wildfires raging this week throughout north and central Israel, smokier. I've also heard from many of you about the must watch David Attenborough documentary just released on Netflix.

But it's suddenly deliciously cool in the Tel Aviv evening. And above in our skies, in massive numbers, soaring birds are migrating south and re-fueling at our wetlands. Is there a more iconic sign of fall than that?

Of course, speaking as a native New Englander, there is. Sadly, the majestic deciduous trees shedding their leaves are absent from our ecosystems, so we miss out on the foliage, the beautiful and awe-inspiring carpets and hillside curtains of reds, oranges, yellows and browns.

We largely miss out on snow too, which is another aching yearning of mine after so many years in Israel -- but I do realize whole populations of North Americans also migrate south to avoid the stuff :)

We are proud that to keep you abreast of what's going on here, what SPNI has been up to, we've already shared more than 20 webinars with you. One of our most popular broadcasts was a virtual tour of Jerusalem's Gazelle Valley from early April, and we are seeking funds to upgrade our technical capabilities to bring you better production values and more in-the-field reporting.

I hope you'll join us for our webinar this Sunday (at a slightly earlier time, to catch the fading Israeli daylight) as we again explore live this unique urban habitat in the heart of Jerusalem.

If anyone wants to go live from the Berkshires or the Hudson Valley, let me know and Lawrence can produce one virtually ;)

Stay safe and well,

Jay Shofet
Director, Partnerships and Development
Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel



Israeli Culture in North America
Thursday, October 15, 2020
Television
Enslaved: The Lost History of the Transatlantic Slave Trade | Oct 20, 1pm ET
Meet creators and protagonists of the Samuel L. Jackson starring docuseries, exploring 400 years of human trafficking and slavery. Co-hosted by The Office of Cultural Affairs, Consulate General of Israel in New York and the Consulate General of Canada in New York.

Art
Daata Fair | Through Oct 25
Dvir Gallery presents Dor Guez and Hauser & Wirth presents Mika Rottenberg at Daata Fair, a new online art fair dedicated to showcasing the best of international contemporary video and digital art. Photo: Dor Guez, 'Watermelons under the bed' (video still), 2010

Theatre
You Will Not Play Wagner: Reading and Discussion | Oct 29, 2pm ET
Join the Museum of Jewish Heritage for a reading from the play You Will Not Play Wagner by Victor Gordon, and a talk on Wagner's legacy and censorship in Israel. Co-sponsored by The Office of Cultural Affairs, Consulate General of Israel in New York.

Film
NYU Israeli Film Series: Africa | Oct 18, 1:30pm ET
Oren Gerner's touching meditation about aging and family premiered at TIFF and is now nominated for seven Israeli Academy Awards. Watch the film and join the online discussion. Co-hosted by The Office of Cultural Affairs, Consulate General of Israel in New York.

Dance
State of Darkness | Oct 24 - Nov 1
Molissa Fenley's celebrated solo, "State of Darkness," finds new life this fall, performed by a new generation of dancers, including former Batsheva Dance Company member, Shamel Pitts. Watch this unique collection of solo performances, broadcast live from The Joyce stage! Photo: Scott Shaw Co-sponsored by the Office of Cultural Affairs, Consulate of Israel in NY

Film
Sublet at Newfest | Through Oct 2
Eytan Fox's new film is a sexy intergenerational tango between a New York Times travel writer a handsome young Tel Avivian. Presented in partnership with The Office of Cultural Affairs, Consulate General of Israel in New York.

Music
Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players | Oct 19, 2pm & 7:30pm ET
Roni Gal-Ed will be featured in Randall Thompson's Suite and Marion Bauer's Concertino. In person event. In collaboration with The Office of Cultural Affairs, Consulate General of Israel in New York.

Film
Aulcie | Through Oct 18
Dani Menkin's (Picture of His Life, Dolphin Boy) new film is the inspiring story of Aulcie Perry, a basketball legend who led Maccabi Tel Aviv to an upset win in the European Championship. Watch the film and join a special Q&A hosted by the Consulate General of Israel in Los Angeles.

Literature
Jerusalem: City of the Book | Oct 25, 2pm EDT
A distinguished panel will explore the extraordinary city of Jerusalem through its historic Jewish, Christian, Islamic, and Armenian literary treasures.

Film
God of the Piano
Anat has never been able to reach her father's musical standards, and now her family's hope of producing a musical prodigy rests on her unborn son. When the baby is born deaf, she resorts to extreme measures. "Rarely does a debut feature showcase a talent so fully formed" Glenn Kenny, The New York Times.

Music
Up Close Episode 4 Premiere | Oct 18, 2pm EDT
Episode four in our digital concert hall series, Up Close, was recorded in Tel Aviv between lockdowns and premieres October 18. Join us for this moving program of Haydn, Ligeti and Brahms. Free of charge (registration required) through October 25th.