Weekly E-News 5786

Mar 13 - Mar 19, 2026

Kiddush sponsored by David Hyman.

Menu

New York Bagels - Provided by Beth & Marc Eichenholtz

Cream Cheese

Fish Sticks

Cornbread Casserole - Gluten Free

Fancy Salad

Hummus & Veggies

Kiddush prepared by Charna & Marvin Cweibel.

Passover Seder

On Passover, we say, “Let all who are hungry come and eat.”

Our tradition calls on us to open our doors and welcome others to the Seder table.

If you are able to host guests this year, please let us know. Together, we can ensure that every member of our community has a warm and meaningful Passover experience.

Birthdays

Friday, March 13th - Nancy Feldman, Kenneth Hoffman, Lynne Spector

Saturday, March 14th - Anna Berwitz

Sunday, March 15th - none

Monday, March 16th - Kedma Cantor, Reed Konter (10)

Tuesday, March 17th - Ellis Abrams, Marilyn Farley

Wednesday, March 18th - none

Thursday, March 19th - Malcolm Currie, Sheldon Tenenbaum

Friday, March 20th - none

Anniversaries

Tuesday, March 17th - Reggie & Melvyn Goldstein

Thursday, March 19th - Howie Gaynor & Maribeth Hedgbeth



From the Desk of

Rabbi Cantor

Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. He overlaid it with pure gold, inside and out; and he made a gold molding for it round about. He cast four gold rings for it, for its four feet: two rings on one of its side walls and two rings on the other. He made poles of acacia wood, overlaid them with gold, and inserted the poles into the rings on the side walls of the ark for carrying the ark. He made a cover of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. (Exodus 37:1-6)

Considering that the ark, once completed and its lid placed on top, would never again be opened, why was it necessary to overlay it with "pure gold, inside and out"? Why bother to decorate something that will never be seen?

We find the classic explanation in Midrash Tanchuma, Vayakhel 7:3:

R. Hanina of Sepphoris said that Bezalel made three chests for the ark, two of gold and one of wood. He inserted the wooden chest into one golden one, and then the other golden one into the wooden one. After that he covered the edges with gold in order to fulfill what is written: And he overlaid it with gold within and without (Exod. 37:2), and it is written elsewhere; And shalt make upon it a crown of gold roundabout (ibid. 25:11). From here we learn that a scholar’s “inside” should be as his exterior (i.e., he should not be a hypocrite), since it is said: Thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it (ibid.).

What we do in private is just as important—some might argue, even more important—than what we do in public.

In all of our activities, we should strive to be "golden".

Rabbi David Cantor

In Person Service Times

Tuesday: 7:30 AM

Wednesday: 8:00 AM

Friday: 8:00 AM

Shabbat: 9:45 AM

Join us for minyan and you may get a mug

with minions wearing kippahs!

This Shabbat

Parashat Vayakhel-Pekudei 5786 / פָּרָשַׁת וַיַּקְהֵל־פְקוּדֵי

Shabbat HaChodesh

14 March 2026 / 25 Adar 5786

Candle Lighting 7:13 / Havdalah 8:08

Torah Portion: Exodus 35:1-40:38, 12:1-20

Vayakhel (“He Assembled”) opens as God commands the Israelites to observe the Sabbath. Moses asks for material donations for the building of the Mishkan (Tabernacle), and the people donate. A group of artisans designated by God begin building the Mishkan and its vessels. Pekudei (“Accountings Of”) is the final Torah reading in the Book of Exodus. It describes the making of priestly garments worn in the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and the completion of its construction. At God’s command, Moses erects the Mishkan and puts its vessels in place, and God's presence fills the Mishkan.

1: 35:1-10 · 552

2: 35:11-20 · 553

3: 35:21-29 · 554

4: 35:30-36:7 · 555

5: 36:8-19 · 557

6: 36:20-38 · 558

7: 37:1-16 · 559

M: 12:1-20 · 380



Haftarah: Ezekiel 45:16-46:18 · 1291

Service Leader Sign Up

Are you interested in leading services? Reading Torah? You can sign up on our service leader sign up sheet!

Donations

To make a donation to the synagogue in recognition of a birth, birthday, anniversary, bereavement, or yahrzeit, you may use the button below. The message box can be used to tell us who we should notify of your donation.

Recent Donations

From Linda & Michael Zoller to the Kiddish Fund in honor of the birth of Elliot Luskey.

From Sydney Karp to the Eric Nathan Karp Fund in memory of Julie Spector - Sprague.

From Sheryl & Stavie Kreh to the Eric Nathan Karp Fund in memory of Julie Spector - Sprague.

From Fran & Myron Kaminsky to the General Fund in memory of Ina Kaplan.

From Elise & Victor Shernoff to the Kiddish Fund wishing Brenda Rosenberg a speedy recovery.

From Marcy & Jerry Konter to the Backpack Buddies in memory of David Hirsh.

From Bruce Strugatch & Libby Waldman-Strugatch to the Kiddush Fund for the Yahrzeit of Emanuel Strugatch.

From Michael Bonder for the Yahrzeit of Joyce Bonder.

From Michael Bonder for the Yahrzeit of Arnold Chester Bonder.

From Elise & Victor Shernoff to the Kiddush Fund wishing David Reeves a speedy recovery.

From Gale Hirsh to the General Fund on the birth of Stephanie & Sol Zerden's granddaughter.

From Sharon & Bill Sand to Backpack Buddies in honor of Eli Konter's Bar Mitzvah. Eli is the grandson of Suzanne & Michael Konter.

From Annette & Stephen Friedman to Backpack Buddies on the birth of Stephanie & Sol Zerden's granddaughter.

From Annette & Stephen Friedman to Backpack Buddies in memory of Davis Hirsh.

From Toby Hollenberg to the Backpack Buddies in memory of David Hirsh.

From Sally & Stephen Greenberg to the Eric Nathan Karp Fund in memory of David Hirsh.

From Sidney Karp, Marisa Karp, & Julius Kaminsky to the Eric Nathan Karp Fund on the birth of Debby & Barry Luskey's grandbaby.

From Deb & Gil Rubin to the Chevra Kadisha Fund in memory of David Hirsh.

From Amy & David Rosenthal to the Kiddush Fund on the birth of Debby & Barry Luskey's grandbaby & Rachel Israel's great-grandbaby.

From Sally & Stephen Greenberg to the Eric Nathan Karp Fund wishing Sheryl Kreh a Happy "Special" Birthday.

From Toby Hollenberg to the Backpack Buddies for Thanksgiving Dinners.

Yahrzeits 

Thursday night/Friday, Mar 13 - 24 Adar

Susan Chesnoff - sister of Deb Rubin

Simon Director - grandfather of Simone Wilker

Friday night/Saturday, Mar 14 - 25 Adar

Edith Karpf - mother of Sally Krissman

Saturday night/Sunday, Mar 15 - 26 Adar

William Haysman - grandfather of Melvin Haysman

Sam Shusterman - father of Karen Cranman

Sunday night/Monday, Mar 16 - 27 Adar

Murray Sadik - brother of Carla Blumenthal

Harold Schwartz - grandfather of Mark Schwartz

Raymond Grenald - father of Seth Grenald

Harry Dunn - grandfather of Joan Moore

Monday night/Tuesday, Mar 17 - 28 Adar

Mordechai Locker - grandfather of Motti Locker

Arnold Tenenbaum - cousin of Bert Tenenbaum

Rae Rosenthal - grandmother of David Rosenthal

Robert Sutner - brother-in-law of Buddy Metzger

Tuesday night/Wednesday, Mar 18 - 29 Adar

Morris Konter - uncle of Michael Konter, grandfather of

Jerry Konter & Sally Greenberg

Paul Jolles - father of Marilyn Farley

Nathan Mann - father of Linda Sacks

Wednesday night/Thursday, Mar 19 - 1 Nisan

Alvin Galin - brother of Murray Galin, cousin of Melvyn Galin

Dolores Narducci - mother of Annette Friedman

Thursday night/Friday, Mar 20 - 2 Nisan

Clara Galin - mother of Murray Galin, aunt of Melvyn Galin

Commemoration of the Yahrzeit begins the evening of the first noted date.



Donor Dues

Benefactor

$9,999 - $5000

Melvyn & Eleanor Galin



 Leader

$3,599 - $1,800

Stephen & Annette Friedman

Ed Price

Patron

$1,799 - $720

Aaron & Dayle Levy

Allan & Arlene Ratner

Sherwin & Sara Robin

Sol & Stephanie Zerden

Michael & Linda Zoller

Chai Member

$719 - $360

Michelle & Matthew Allan

Gerald Caplan

AM Goldkrand

Paul & Harriet Kulbersh

Jeffrey & Stacy Lasky

Andrew & Leslie Walcoff



Supporters

 $359 - $100 

Lynn Berkowitz

Linda & Joe Cooper

Adam Fins

Doug & Lisa Goldstein

Seth Grenald

Gale Hirsh

Jonathan & Tova Javetz

Harriet Karlin

Michael & Suzanne Konter

Larry & Betsy Lehner

Steve & Linda Sacks

Victor & Elise Shernoff

Thanks to these donors for going above and beyond by participating in the Donor Dues Program this 2025-2026 fiscal year. If you would like to participate by making this additional commitment, please contact the office. 

Community News

Montag Gallery

February 1 - March 13: Jane Bonady Brackin

Jane Bonady Brackin has been creating art all her life. She graduated from the University of Arkansas with a degree in art and art history and studied printmaking and photography at the Memphis College of Art. She pursued painting in oil for several summers at the Chicago Art Institute and studied with the Michelangelo Project in Memphis, a studio recognized for sight-size realism. Her photography and printmaking backgrounds are reflected in her tight compositions reminiscent of the Japanese influence on the Impressionists. She strives for an expressive realism, showing her viewers her love for the natural world.

Since she was diagnosed with macular degeneration in both eyes, her style has changed to what you see now…a more Tonalist approach to the subject, in which the haziness in her vision is reproduced in her haunting, moody, atmospheric paintings. Using a limited palette keeps it simple for her to recreate what she sees. Instead of detail, she emphasizes mood by painting only what she sees and not what the sight-seeing world sees. This has been a breakthrough in her style.



Jane lives in the Arkansas Delta and travels with her husband in their restored 1962 Airstream.

Rabbi David Cantor

Morgan McGhie, President

Motti Locker, Executive Director

Congregation Agudath Achim | office@agudath-achim.com | 912-352-4737 | www.agudath-achim.com