UPDATE - What's the Spiel?

Parshat Eikev continues Moshe’s heartfelt farewell address to the people. In addition to reminding them of specific events which occurred along their journey, Moshe also reiterates their obligation to keep the Torah, as it says, “And if you will obey these rules and observe them carefully, the Lord your God will maintain faithfully for you the covenant that He made on oath with your fathers” (Bamidbar 7:12).

As part of devotedly upholding the principles, values and mandates of the Torah, Moshe tells the people that they will come to possess the Land, destroy their enemies and overcome every obstacle. However, in the midst of explaining all of the good that will come from holding fast to the Torah, Moshe declares, “Should you say to yourselves, ‘These nations are more numerous than we; how can we dispossess them?’ You need have no fear of them. You have but to bear in mind what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and all the Egyptians” (Ibid., 7:17-18). At first glance, these words seem rather odd. After all, if conquering the Land is the fulfillment of one of God’s promises to the people based upon their faithfulness, then why, in the midst of the act of conquering, would the people suddenly doubt their ability, and by extension, God's ability to do so because of the size of their enemies? Where did their faith go?

According to Rav Moshe Feinstein, the answer is as follows: “In truth, God did not have to command the Jewish people not be afraid of those nations since they saw all of God’s miracles and wonders. Thus, they all knew that from God’s perspective, there is no difference between a vast and a meager enemy. Rather, these words were meant for those who believed in God’s powers intellectually, but nevertheless, when the moment of the actual, physical conquest came, could not feel that faith to make them strong. And so, they would say to themselves, ‘How can we dispossess them?’ This would cause fear to seep into their souls. Therefore, God needed to command them not to be afraid of them, specifically at the time of the conquest, for at that moment, they needed to recall the miracles that God did to Pharaoh, and via that act of remembrance, the people would feel, not only know, but feel their faith in God, and would not be afraid” (Sefer Kol Ram, Parshat Eikev 4:396).

It is one thing to know something intellectually, but it is quite another to experience something emotionally or physically. While faith in God is something we must all know, our parsha is teaching us that it is something we must all feel as well, and it is the feeling of our faith which ultimately gives us strength and courage in moments of fear and doubt, enabling us to move forward. By remembering God’s miracles in Egypt, the people were able to not only recall God’s might and power, but what’s more, God’s abiding love, and it is the feeling of that love which provided them the most courage in their hour of need.

This Shabbat, let us reflect upon the challenges we face – challenges which test our faith and cause us fear. Yet, at the same time, let us also reflect upon the love that God has for each one of us, and how that love will lift up us, give us strength in our weariness, hope in our despair and clarity in our confusion. Faith always conquers fear, but we must not only know that, we must also feel that when it counts most.

Shabbat Shalom!

- Rabbi Dan

Shabbat Morning Drasha: "Not By Bread Alone: Lessons in Partnership"

Shabbat Shiur: "Breaking the Luchot: "The Anger that Saves"

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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 to Eric & Beth Shapiro for sponsoring Kiddush in honor of the 30th anniversary of their aufruf.

CTI Announcements

Sizzlin’ Summer

Sizzlin’ Rosh Hashana Fundraiser

Let’s Make It Happen and

Sizzle with Early Participation!

Our CTI Annual Rosh Hashana Fundraiser (RHF) requires lots of time and effort. Please make this coming Sunday, July 31^st, soar with participation.

Please, once again bring our RHF close to if not at 100% member participation.

Support categories including greeting cards to all recipients are:

Sponsorship, $225, which means you are sending a gift to all members.

Sending to individual members, $36 per member name.

Sending to non-CTI members, $36 for each Chai sculpture ordered. The Gary Rosenthal Chai sculpture is a beautiful gift to give at anytime to family, friends, and special acquaintances

Contribution in an amount you choose in support of the Rosh Hashana Fundraiser.

Non-members are welcome to participate at any of these levels.

For ALL RHF information, click here.

Help CTI evolve and thrive!

Participate and contribute by Sunday! Don’t delay! Click here. If you have questions or need assistance, contact Debbie and Joel at 512-502-8166 or at [email protected].

L’Chaim! Kol Tov! Shana Tova U’metucha!

Shalom Austin Mask Policy Update

Shalom Austin announced that all people over 2 years old, regardless of vaccination status, will be required to wear masks for indoor activities at the Jewish Community Center.

The CTI Medical Committee will be meeting on Sunday and will continue to provide advice and recommendations as we maneuver through these challenging times. We want to provide a safe environment for all congregants and will continue to update the Congregation if there are any additional changes to CTI's policies.

The current policy is below.....

CTI Mask and Social Policy Update

With the advice and consent of the medical committee, the CTI Board of Directors approved adopting the revised Shalom Austin COVID 19 safety recommendations effective immediately. The new Shalom Austin policies are as follows:

Indoors

· Masks are optional indoors for individuals who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. We will not be asking for proof of vaccination at this time.

· Masks are required indoors for adults who are not vaccinated.

· Masks are required indoors for staff, regardless of vaccination status.

· Masks are required indoors for children under 12 years of age, unless eating or drinking.

Outdoors

· Masks are optional outdoors for individuals who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

· Masks are required outdoors for individuals who are not vaccinated whenever 3 feet distancing cannot be maintained.

· Masks are optional for children outdoors; however, children are encouraged to wear masks when in close proximity (3 feet or less) unless eating, drinking or engaged in sports.

· Masks are required for staff outdoors when working in close proximity (3 feet or less) of children under 12, regardless of vaccination status.

We will continue to evaluate and make changes to our COVID health protocols as warranted by local conditions and medical guidance. Further changes will be communicated appropriately.

These changes take into account the fact that many congregants are or will soon be vaccinated against COVID. With this in mind here is a message from Rabbi Dan:

"The Torah commands us, “You shall therefore keep My statutes, and My ordinances, which if a person does, he or she shall live by them” (Vayikra 18:5). According to the Talmud, this teaches us that the Torah and mitzvot were given to us so that we should live, and not die due to their observance (B. Talmud, Shabbat 74a). Everything we do is in the service of life and safeguarding the welfare of others. We will not check into people's personal decisions. However, we will rely on the Torah’s admonition and the Jewish value, that nothing is above the preservation of life.

In his Psalms, King David tells us, “Truly, wait quietly for God, O my soul, for my hope comes for Him. He is my rock and deliverance, my haven; I shall not be shaken” (Tehillim 62:6-7). We all seek the day when we can return to normalcy. We all seek the day when masks and social distancing will become things of the past. As our congregation continues to valiantly recover from the hardships of COVID 19, we do so with optimism, hope, and caution. Those who have not been fully vaccinated should take to heart the Torah's words, and continue to follow CTI policy to keep themselves and others safe."

There are some of us that remember the hijacking of Air France Flight 139 on June 27, 1976. The flight, destined for Paris, had 248 men, woman and children on board. The flight was re-routed to Entebbe Airport in Uganda where 106 Jewish and Israeli hostages were kept hostage and their lives were threatened by a group of Palestinian and German terrorists. A series of demands were made which included the release of 40 Palestinian militants held in Israel in exchange for hostages. A tense week followed where negotiations followed while most of the world watched. Frankly most of the world including most Jews believed chances were slim that any would be rescued and would survive.

At the end of that week a successful counter-terrorist hostage-rescue mission was carried out by commandos of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). This rescue – known as Operation Thunderbolt – is thought of as one of the most daring and successful military rescue operations in modern history.

Jewish National Fund-USA would like you to join them as they commemorate the 45th anniversary of the rescue from Entebbe and recognize the heroic efforts of the passengers and soldiers. You will be able to hear the insider story which will shed light on this moment in history.

Please mark you calendar for this event and join us as we attend this commemoration. We would like to thank JNF and Larry Smith for informing the CTI Israel Action Committee. Please note that Ester Smith will be one of the speakers.

There is no charge to attend this event. The event will be held at:

Thursday August 05, 2021

7:00 to 8:15 pm – Program

8:15 to 9:00 pm – Reception

Congregation Agudas Achim Sanctuary

7300 Hart Lane, Austin, TX 78731

To register for this event, please click on the link below:

An Evening Commemorating Operation Entebbe (jnf.org)

Loneliness in the World of Hyper-Connectivity

AUGUST 3 @ 10AM (CST)

Loneliness in the World of Hyper-Connectivity

The challenge/impact of loneliness in our time
Working with the issues communally and personally
It all begins and loneliness ends within you

Presented by: Tammy Gilden, Certified Holistic Health Coach

To learn more about Tammy, visit her website by clicking here.

Click here to register for the program.

Austin Jewish War Vets Post 757 is very interested in gaining new members. We meet monthly on Zoom and would like to invite all of your veterans to our meetings. They are welcome to sit in as guests.

To join in our next JWV Zoom meeting please contact:

Charlie Rosenblum

Commander, Post 757

Jewish War Veterans of the United States

Austin, Texas

[email protected]

(254) 368-5715

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 First Samuel

Wednesday 8:15am

In this class, we will examine the life, times and trials of the Prophet Samuel, the last Judge of Israel. The story of Samuel begins the saga of Israel's history, its kings, wars and promises. First Samuel introduces us to a large swath of Jewish history, ranging of King Saul and King David, to questions of military ethics, religious boundaries and moral questions. The Prophet Samuel may be best known for anointing David, but his legacy and story are essential for every Jew to learn, because with Samuel the story of the Jewish people's redemption begins!

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, August 11 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

Levi Clifford on August 1

Lowell Brickman on August 2

Darby Arshawsky on August 6

Keren Brickman on August 6

Matan Brickman on August 6

Anniversary

Eric & Beth Shapiro on August 4

If you have any birthdays or anniversaries you would

like to add, please update your profile on our website.

Yahrzeit Remembrances

Esther Green, Mother of Judy Liebowitz, on Monday 24 Av

Celia Peyser, Grandmother of Beth Shapiro, on Friday 28 Av

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 Reece Carroll for his Aliyah donation.

Thank you to Alice Friedman for her donation in Memory of Ruth Stavchansky (z”l)

Thank you to Rick Goldberg for his Aliyah donation.

Thank you to Benjamin Heyen for his donation in Honor of CTI.

Thank you to Adam Kolker for his donation dedicated for a Refuah Shelaymah for Elaine Horwitz.

Thank you to Barbara Panzer for her donation in Memory of Ruth Stavchansky (z”l)

Thank you to Reuven Robbins for his Aliyah donation.

Thank you to Marshall and Sandy Sack for their donation in Memory of Ruth Stavchansky (z”l)

Thank you to Offer and Ilana Shavit for their donation to the Torah Fund.

Thank you to Byron and Irene Smith for their donation in Memory of Ruth Stavchansky (z”l)

Thank you to Henna Tatham for her donation in Memory of Ruth Stavchansky (z”l)

_________________

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.

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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
Barb Altman; Devorah Yeril bat Leah
HaRav Avram Meir ben Eli Yosef v'Shira Chanah.
Rabbi Harold Liebowitz, Ha Rav Chaim Alter ben Necha.

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
Cindy Duckworth; Dinah Yehudit bat Sarah
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!

AmazonSmile Info

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.

ArtScroll

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].