SHABBAT SHALOM, GESHER SHALOM!


 
August 28, 2020
 
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Shabbat Times: 
Candle Lighting
Virtual services see below

7:16pm
 
 Forecast: 80
 
/rainy



LAST CHANCE
This was inside this week's fortune cookie:
"To see your lucky number, take the 2020 Census"
Like at Yom Kippur's Neila service, the gates are rapidly closing on our country's pandemic-hampered Census count. That makes it all-the-more important for you to participate by the new, earlier deadline of September 30.

You can fill out the form online: Need help with filing? Please call or email me. kas
 
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Our Rosh HaShannah and Yom Kippur services will be held remotely (online, over-the-phone, streaming). We are still in the process of working out the specifics...The most important thing for you to know is that you won't have any worries about finding a parking space this year! That's because We Have Reserved  a Front Row Seat for You in YOUR House for the HiHo's! DETAILS FORTHCOMING....







HiHo Prep
Does God Punish Us?  
A conversation with Rabbi David Wolpe (which dovetails nicely with a HiHo sermon I delivered some years ago on 'good and evil' and our recurring question: "Why?")                                        
Does God's Gender Matter?  A conversation with Rabbi David Ingber                     
What Does God Believe About Us?  A conversation with Rabbi Rachel Timoner    
Is God Less Visible Today?   A Conversation with Rabbi Yitz Greenberg   


IMPORTANT QUESTION
Would you be interested in attending a live, in-person, socially-distanced, outdoor SHOFAR SERVICE on Sunday afternoon, the second day of Rosh HaShannah? Please let me know.

From Our evening Minyan to You:  (and it only took 7 takes)

6 Months into Pandemic, Jews Prepare for a High Holiday Season of Rupture and Resilience    

How Are You? I really want to know.
Please reach out to me as I cannot possibly reach out to each of you. I welcome the opportunity for a quick check-in, for casual conversation or for something more serious.
Please call me or email me so we can arrange it. kas

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 
KI TETZEI
This final group of laws, given by Moses to the Israelites, as they were poised to enter the Promised Land, is directed mainly toward the individual's responsibility to maintain lawful and humane relations with others. Chief among these rules are injunctions for proper behavior in domestic affairs, consideration for others and kindness to animals.
 
A partial list of the numerous topics covered in this week's portion follows: female captives; the first-born son's inheritance; execution and burial of convicted criminals; return of lost property; animals struggling under their burdens; removal of eggs and young from a nest; rooftop parapets; agricultural crossbreeding and other prohibited combinations; betrothal, marriage, divorce, remarriage, rape, adultery, inheritance, newlyweds, levirate marriage, widows, orphans, the mamzer; laws governing relations with foreigners; the army camp; sheltering slaves; vows; vineyard and field workers; paying wages in a timely fashion; security for loans; testimony of close relatives; forgotten sheaves and leftover fruit; weights and measures.
 
The sidra concludes with a reminder to always remember the baseless aggression of the Amalekites towards the Israelites immediately following the exodus from Egypt. When the opportunity arises, the Amalekites are to be destroyed.
 









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




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  8:15pm      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 

Hyla Epstein will be observing yahrzeit for her husband, Ralph Epstein on Friday evening, August 28th
Eloise Polinsky will be observing yahrzeit for her father, Meyer Hoffman on Friday evening, August 28th
Larry Lesh will be observing yahrzeit for his aunt, Sara Susswein on Friday evening, August 28th
Naomi Altschul will be observing yahrzeit for her husband, Leonard Altschul on Saturday evening, August 29th
Mark Altschul will be observing yahrzeit for his father, Leonard Altschul on Saturday evening, August 29th
Vera Kishinevsky will be observing yahrzeit for her grandmother, Basya Pokrasov on Saturday evening, August 29th
Jean Burnick will be observing yahrzeit for her father, Harry Burnick on Saturday evening, August 29th
Carolyn Tauber will be observing yahrzeit for her uncle, Maurice Horowitz on Sunday evening, August 30th
Sharon Starr will be observing yahrzeit for her father-in-law, Daniel Starr on Sunday evening, August 30th
Martha Shemin will be observing yahrzeit for her grandmother, Regina Shemin on Monday evening, August 31st
Iris Coleman will be observing yahrzeit for her sister-in-law, Helene Wald on Tuesday evening, September 1st
Joan Alter will be observing yahrzeit for her husband, Jack Alter on Tuesday evening, September 1st
Sheila Scherl will be observing yahrzeit for her father, William Meisler on Wednesday evening, September 2nd
Stephen Obstbaum will be observing yahrzeit for his father, Irving Obstbaum on Wednesday evening, September 2nd
Alvin Sussman will be observing yahrzeit for his wife, Lynda Sussman on Thursday evening, September 3rd

Birthdays & Anniversaries
Kathy Grazian
Gerald Koszer
Suzette Kolitch
  
 Anne & Otto Salmon
Eve & Daniel Kraut
Madelyn & Richard Danoff
Nancy & Gregory Vorbach




 
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  
 
GPS is on HIATUS
Guided Prayer Service
Please join Rabbi Stern for a series of explanatory talks that will reveal the structure, choreography, and varied functions of the prayers we say. 
 
No, not really. Linda Richman will not be joining us...but join us for schmooze anyway!
 
Every Wednesday, 12 Noon with Rabbi Stern
BYO coffee, lunch, etc.
CLICK HERE TO ATTEND
Dial in by phone: 929 205 6099           Meeting ID: 814 6433 7599
 
Next Wednesday, September 2:
Part III: MARVIN CHERTKOFF's final lecture on WOMEN IN THE BIBLE: A Closer Look at The Book of Ruth and Song of Songs


"Talk Amongst Yourselves; I'll give you a topic: Discuss..."        
 
LINDA RICHMAN is looking for VOLUNTEERS to share their passion or expertise with the COFFEE TALK crowd....
Your profession
Your avocation
Your hobby
Your expertise
Your life experiences
Your travels
Please be in touch with the Rabbi

Rabbi's Weekly Class 
TAKING A BREAK
Below please see information about the class, we will let you know when it resumes
 
Dial in by phone: 929-205-6099      Meeting ID: 886 1779 2509



Important/Interesting Reads

Comment: The Arab-Israeli conflict is not about 1967 or about 1948. The massacre of 1929 is not about Statehood or borders; it is about the right of Jews to live anywhere in Israel/Palestine under any circumstances.
Yemen's Remaining Jews to be Transferred to UAE - report                        
Reports in July claimed that the Houthi militant group in Yemen was rounding up Yemeni Jews and pressuring them to leave. These reports were denied by both Yemeni and international sources.


BDS / Anti-Semitism / anti-Zionism
Good News:





Hi-Tech       

Israel Develops Nano-Satellites to Receive Distress Signals                          

Pop Culture
Amar'e Stoudemire Completes his Conversion to Judaism-Mazal Tov! 
 
She is a little confused about which notes go with which sounds, but...
Sea Lion-Shofar TikTok Mashup
 
Jake Gyllenhal's Russ & Daughter's Shirt Collaboration Sells Out in Less Than a Week  
                                                                 
 
How Mustard Became the King of Jewish Condiments
Its delicious legacy stretches from the corner deli (all the way back to Abraham??)             
 





P.S. Please consider supporting MERCAZ USA by becoming a member of MERCAZ USA or making a donation. Your support makes exciting Israel engagement opportunities like MERCAZ Reads Israel possible. Thank you!


Why Join Us?
September 10-17, 2020

"I would highly recommend the Conservative Yeshiva for anyone wanting to study traditional texts, or deepen their appreciation of being part of klal Yisrael. The faculty are outstanding as are all of the support staff."
Richard Sapon-White

"It was a gift to get to "return" to the CY virtually, it was one of the most intergenerational and international online learning experiences that I've been a part of. Students are invested in the community and teachers are invested in the students."
Heather Renetzky

"An amazing way to be part of a learning community, especially during Covid lockdown. Thank you CY for creating this invaluable program for Torah study and building unity with Jews all over the world!"
Neil Tow

Join our Vibrant Global Community!
Spaces are limited

Learn some classic selichot (penitential prayers) and compose your own!
Spend some quality time learning with your children (or grandchildren)
Experience fresh, uplifting music
Find out what the sages of the Talmud had to say about Judgement and Repentance
Explore the humor of The Book of Jonah
Learn how to build your own Sukkah
Workout with some spiritual calisthenics

And we have barely scratched the surface!

Early bird rates end on August 31

Click on the Schedule below to see course descriptions

V'samachta B'veitecha | Rejoicing at Home is fun, accessible, intimate, and affordable.
Get some of the best of Jerusalem from wherever you are.

Be in touch with any questions: israel@uscj.org

Stay tuned for Ulpan, Talmud and other semester courses beginning in October following Sukkot.

See you this September!
Reserve Your Spot!




שבת בבוקר Isn't she lovely - טנדו (מאשאפ mashup)
שבת בבוקר Isn't she lovely - טנדו (מאשאפ mashup)
קול דודי (ניגון חב
קול דודי (ניגון חב"ד) - טנדו
אל אדיר מלך מלכים - טנדו
אל אדיר מלך מלכים - טנדו





FROM THE FORWARD
Dear Reader,
This summer marks the centennial of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which guaranteed a woman's right to vote. An enormous expansion of the voting franchise that arrived after decades of activism, the amendment was a milestone in the ongoing journey towards equal representation in America.
Its 100th anniversary comes in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, another unprecedented moment in our country's history. We won't be able to celebrate this landmark date with parades or parties. Instead, we're remembering the women who have shaped Jewish history, from ancient times to our modern moment.
The women profiled here were born in ancient Judea, in Portugal, in Bombay, in Berlin. Against the odds they ran businesses, wrote books, taught Talmud to young men, and stood up to authoritarian regimes. 
But although they left their stories for us to find - in letters, in legal documents, in exhaustive diaries, in oral traditions - these women's names are unknown to many. We've often underestimated their contributions to our tradition, or overlooked them altogether. Our series "Unsung Women" is an effort to reverse that trend, to lift up the legacies of these formidable thinkers and leaders. 

Below are introductions to eight women you won't want to forget. You can view the full collection 
here.


Art by Yehuda Blum.
The Jewish businesswoman who funded the rebuilding of Westminster Abbey
Sara G. Marcus
She managed to serve time in the Tower of London, and then return to running a fabulously successful business.
Babatha: The real housewife of ancient Judea
Irene Connelly
Babatha's story offers a window into the lives of ancient Judean women, showing that they could own property and stand their ground in court.
Regina Jonas: The female rabbi you never knew about
Irene Connelly
"Almost nothing halachically but prejudice and lack of familiarity stand against women holding rabbinic office," she said.
 
Felice Schragenheim: Bravely partisan, openly queer
Irene Connelly
Schragenheim is perhaps best known for her enduring affair with Lilly Wust, the young wife of a Nazi soldier.
Miriam Spiria-Luria
Irene Connelly
If Miriam Spiria-Luria were alive today, she'd be a public intellectual and a prominent voice on Jewish Twitter.
Dona Gracia Nasi Mendes
Sara G. Marcus
She called herself a 'nasi' - a communal leader - in the 16th century Ottoman Empire.
Gluckel of Hameln: The original Yiddish tell-all writer
Irene Connelly
Gluckel was a woman determined to have it all - in 17th-century Germany.
Asenath Barezani: A 16th-century female sage
Sara G. Marcus
Her marriage contract forbade her husband from preoccupying her with domestic work, so she could devote herself fully to Torah study.