Congregation Tiferet Israel 
Austin, TX

 10 Cheshvan 5782 -- October 16, 2021
What's the Spiel?
Parshat Lech Lecha
Schedule of Services
at B'nai Abraham
We encourage everyone to daven privately when unable to attend services. Use the private time to connect to Hashem. Public prayer definitely adds to our prayer experience. Yet we also have the capacity to create a profoundly meaningful private experience with the Divine. Let us seek such an experience in the coming days.  
Thank you Myles Shaftel & Joel Tendler for sponsoring
Kiddush in appreciation to CTI in honoring us with
Chatan Torah & Chatan Bereishit on Simhat Torah
CTI Announcements
Shalom Austin Mask Policy Update

In light of increased rates of Covid-19 transmission and hospitalizations, as well as concerns about the virulence of the delta variant, the Medical Committee has unanimously recommended, and the Board of Directors has approved, that CTI return to a universal masking policy for all who attend services, including children, regardless of vaccination status.   

  • Masks are required to be worn at all times while inside the B’nai Abraham building.
  • Masks must be worn so that the nose and mouth are completely covered.

At this point, the committee does not see a need for social distancing or restriction of attendance.

Additionally, the Medical Committee strongly recommends that all members get vaccinated for the protection of everyone in our community and beyond.

Please bring your mask to synagogue. 
Backup masks will be available if needed.
Rosh Hashana Fundraiser Chai Sculptures

The Chai Sculptures are in production! They look wonderful! Hopefully our shipment will arrive within the next two to three weeks. Once we have them, distribution information will be forwarded. Covid interrupted production and shipping ability for many needed goods globally, and still is not solved. We are very lucky that Gary Rosenthal has not been overly held back by this pandemic fallout and is focusing on our order! Thank you for your patience. And you still can order a Chai!

DIRECTORY 2021-22
 
Hello! Please read the email sent last night! It contains answers to questions and all the information you should need on CTI’s Directory Campaign! Please note that if you are renewing your personal greeting from last year, you just need to write “Renew” on the submission form. We will shortly send you a copy of your greeting.
 
We look forward to being in touch with you or vice versa!
 
Shabbat Shalom! Kol Tov!
 
Debbie and Joel

Because Everybody Belongs–Ensuring That Individuals with Special Needs Are Included
OCTOBER 19 @ 10AM (CST)

The Torah teaches that every Jew is created B’Tzelem Elokim, in Hashem’s image and must be an accepted part of the synagogue, school, and greater community. But are we as Klal Yisrael successful in accomplishing this goal? Do our children and adults with special needs truly feel accepted by their fellow Jews? When they walk into shul are they welcome or just tolerated? How does the Kahal make the rest of the family feel?

Join two of Yachad’s professional staff who have lived this experience with their own children: the ups and downs, the highlights and the disappointments. In the process, we can learn together how to open our community and our hearts to accepting every Jew! 

Presented by: Amanda Levy, LCSW, Clinical Director of Yachad, Batya Jacob, Development Executive of Yachad, and Rabbi David Cohen, National Director of Community Engagement.

As a service to the wider community, the Orthodox Union has researched various online platforms and has organized, collected and curated many key resources in one centralized location for your convenience. Please visit together.ou.org for a wide range of information covering the following areas: Adults, Leadership, Parenting, Seniors & Elders, Technology, Torah and Youth. Check back at together.ou.org as updates will occur regularly.
CTI is virtually open for all classes! Attend online with video and audio, or join through phone call alone. Visit tiferetaustin.org for more information on how to join these exciting classes:

'Building a Palace in Time: The Many Meanings of Shabbat'
Sunday 7:00pm

In this class, we will not only explore how to keep Shabbat, but why we do so in the first place. 
 
·      Why is Shabbat so preciously unique to the Jewish people? 
·      Why did God make the observance of Shabbat so essential for a spiritual relationship with Him? 
·      How does Shabbat and its observance help us better understand ourselves as individuals and as a community? 
·      How do all of the laws and observances of Shabbat help us better understand and experience 
·      what spiritual freedom is really all about?
 
 
Building a Palace in Time: The Many Meanings of Shabbat” will operate like a book club and will meet via Zoom on Sunday evenings, from 7:00-8:00, beginning on April 11th. With each new unit, a different book will be assigned, and we will work through each book according to scheduled readings and thought prompts. Individual members are responsible for obtaining the assigned books, all of which can be easily found on Amazon.com.

This class is free of charge. No prior background is required, and all are welcome and encouraged to attend!
 
For more information, please contact Rabbi Dan at [email protected], or (512) 410-0336 ex. 101.

TYT Tuesday Night 

The Book of Ezekiel
Tuesday 7:00pm
 
The Book of Ezekiel is one of the most mysterious but essential books of the Tanakh. Who was Ezekiel? When was he prophesying? Were his prophecies meant for his time or the distant future? In this TYT series, we will take an in-depth look at the life, times and ageless message of the Prophet Ezekiel in a way which will make his contribution to Jewish texts, history and destiny truly come to life! A priest stuck in exile, dreaming of the perfect Temple in a perfect homeland - a man pinning for spiritual life, but only experiencing physical privation - what is his message really all about? God asks Ezekiel to do many strange things - things even contrary to Jewish law! Were they literally true, or were they merely metaphorical? Come and join the CTI Tuesday evening Take Your Tanakh class, as together, we learn about the Prophet Ezekiel!


TYT Wednesday Mornings 

The Book of Second Samuel
Wednesday 8:15am

Come and join the TYT community and learn about the life and times of King David! II Samuel explores how a young David establishes both his kingdom and his kingship. Despite great promise, potential and ability, David is nevertheless beset by external and internal enemies, fighting both physical and spiritual wars. Come and see how David struggles to unite a broken and battered kingdom, establish a capital city and win the support of his people, while at the same time, striving to remain true to God’s Torah and lead a righteous life. No longer the ruddy youth, playing the harp and running for his life, II Samuel takes us through the long journey of David’s maturation process, omitting nothing, all the while exploring larger questions of morality, repentance, power and politics. While we extol David as one of the greatest Jewish heroes and leaders of all time, this book will frame his life and story in its proper context, look under the surface, and examine the complex personality of King David! This class meets each Wednesday morning, except of Jewish holidays, at 8:15am. 


Mishne Torah k'Seder Friday Mornings

Mishne Torah k'Seder
Friday 8:15am

Come and join Rabbi Dan on Friday mornings at 8:15am for an in-depth exploration of the Rambam's Mishne Torah. This class will go through the Rambam's classic work on halakha (Jewish law), in a way which both engages and transforms the reader on a spiritual and intellectual level. Why did the Rambam write the Mishne Torah? What was he trying to achieve? How does the Rambam's interpretation of Jewish law, theology, history and culture differ from his rabbinic contemporaries who also wrote comprehensive Jewish legal works? What were some of the great disputes this work sparked, and why? You don't want to miss out on this great opportunity to learn what the Mishne Torah is all about.
Questions? Suggestions? Interested in Volunteering? Please contact our Committee Chairpersons. 

Finance Committee: Gary Gerstenhaber
Fundraising Committee: Beth Shapiro
Membership Committee: Sarah Wander
Chesed Committee: Lynn Kane
Kiddush Committee: Henna Tatham
Ritual Committee: Joel Tendler
The next CTI Board meeting is Wednesday, November 10 at 7:00pm. If you are a CTI Member you can login to our website and see all scheduled Board meetings by clicking  here.
For those new to the community, check out this introductory video 
featuring Rabbi Dan and a few of our wonderful CTI community members! 
Birthdays

Eyal Refaeli on October 17

Michael Kahn-Rose on October 18

Nir Reuven on October 19

Mitch Davis on October 21

Philip Spertus on October 22

If you have any birthdays or anniversaries you would
like to add, please update your profile on our website.

Yahrzeit Remembrances

Edith Levin, Mother of Reuven Robbins, on Monday 12 Cheshvan

Roland Miller, Father of Marcia Sutter, on Thursday 15 Cheshvan

May their souls be bound up in the bond of life.

If you have a Yahrzeit that you would like the congregation to acknowledge, or if you have a correction that needs to be made, please update your profile on our website.
DONATIONS 

Thank you to Anonymous donors.
 
Thank you to Michelle Berry for her Tzedakah donation
in Honor of Rabbi Millner’s teaching.
 
Thank you to Offer Shavit for his Aliyah donation.
 
Thank you to Offer and Ilana Shavit for their donation to the
Torah Fund in Honor of Offer’s Aliyah.


_________________

We encourage you to use electronic payments by credit card or eCheck through CTI's website at www.tiferetaustin.org when fulfilling the mitzvah of giving Tzedakah to mark family events and milestones, including Yahrzeits, and in honor of CTI and our community. 

 
***
Spiel sponsorships are now available for a donation of $18. Advertise your business or dedicate an issue of the spiel in memory of a loved one or to celebrate a Simcha. Contact admin for more details. 

Donations can be made via our website at www.tiferetaustin.org, by pressing "Make a Donation" in the sidebar, using the "Donate to CTI" button on the top left of this email, or by sending your check to: Tiferet Israel P.O. Box 27254, Austin, TX 78755. Please make check payable to Tiferet Israel and please indicate what the donation is for. 
  
Refuah Shelayma to: 
  • Allene Novy-Portnoy; Hannah Bassa bat Sarah Osnat 
  • Avshalom ben Hannah Bassa
  • Cindy Newman 
  • Debbie Tendler; Devorah Rachel bat Rivka Leah
  • Janet Goldberg; Shayna Masha bat Chasha Mina
  • Ken Friedman
  • Rebecca Millner; Rivkah bat Shoshana
  • Sheina Ruchel bat Henya Leah
  • Tzvi David ben Rivka Golda
  • Yoel Simcha ben Chaya Risha 
  • Sulta bat Nedgma
  • Zvi Aharon ben Bayla
  • Yaira bat Sarah
  • Shimon ben Sarah
  • Hinda bat Yehudit
  • Tamar bat Chaya
  • Ilana bat Gheita
  • Joel Tendler; Yehoshua Mordechai ben Tziporah Perel
  • HaRav Avram Meir ben Eli Yosef v'Shira Chanah.
  • Rabbi Harold Liebowitz, Ha Rav Chaim Alter ben Necha. 
  • Baruch Akiva Ben Rivka
  • Miriam bat Helen
  • Rivka Michal bat Sarah Chana
  • Shoshana bat Yocheved
  • Miriam bat Rachel v'Mordechai
  • Alta Shoshana bat Shulamit
  • Meir Psachia ben Tziril
  • Geni Berman Abitbol
  • Beilya Golda bat Leah
  • Yosef Yehoshua ben Sarah
  • Jonathan Malawer (Yosef ben Bracha)
  • Bowie Alarcon
  • Fivel ben Sarah HaLevi
  • Adam ben Chanah
  • Rafael ben Sheindal Leah
  • Aharon Asher ben Chaya Naomi
  • Esther Malka Fraida bat Serel Chaya Raiza
  • Kalev Boaz Chai ben Aliza
  • Esther Reva bat Malka
  • Avraham ben Rut
  • Peter Janson, Faival ben Tzur
  • Sheva Eva bat Bella.
  • Dorit Iken, Dorit Chana bat Orah
  • Moshe ben Rut
  • Shulkah Malka bat Tziporah
  • Yehudit bat Sara
  • Chandal bat Basia
  • Shmuel Dovid bat Malka
  • Anthony Ben Devorah
 Wishing all Cholei Yisrael a Refuah Shlayma. 

Dear Tiferet Friends, 
If you placed a name on the Refuah Shelayma list and G-d willing the person is well, 
please let us know. Also, if you have a friend or family member who needs 
prayers for healing, again please let us know at [email protected]  
Online Shopping that Benefits CTI

Don't forget to bookmark our special links to AmazonSmile and Artscroll.com -- you will have the same shopping experience and CTI gets a generous percentage of your shopping dollar. Please bookmark and start shopping!

To Get Started with AmazonSmile

AmazonSmile will make a donation to CTI based on the amount of your eligible purchases made on the AmazonSmile website. The AmazonSmile website looks identical to the regular Amazon.com website, except that when you log in the banner at the top of the window shows that you are on the AmazonSmile website and displays the charity that you are supporting. There is also an additional item in the dropdown menu labelled “Your AmazonSmile”. The AmazonSmile page offers a convenient shortcut icon or bookmark for your browser to take you to AmazonSmile for your shopping.

Using the CTI Website
Logging in is easy via the login button at the top of the web page. Your login ID is your email address. 

Once logged in, many of the fields are pre-filled for you, to make it easier and quicker to register for an event or make a donation, and so on.

But that's not all! You will also have access to the online Member Directory,    the CTI Bylaws, the minutes of Board meetings and the President,Treasurer and Rabbi Reports and other documents, all under the Resources tab. With more coming all the time!

If you have any questions or comments about the website, please contact our webmaster Joel Tendler at [email protected]