We are currently in the period of The Three Weeks leading up to Tisha B'Av.  For information and guidance about the halakhot of this period, please see here or contact Rabbi Milevsky with any questions. 

 

Thank you to everybody who attended the July 19 meeting to launch the rabbinic search process.

We will be posting the job description by the end of the month and look forward to reviewing candidates. Over the next few months the committee will hold confidential phone and in-person interviews with rabbinic candidates. We will then invite 3 final candidates to meet the whole community for probeh (interview) weekends.  Please mark your calendars for the shabbatot of January 7, February 4, February 11 so that you can be sure to attend.  

Regular updates will be and posted on Kesher's  Rabbinic Search Member Portal . Members will receive an email or an announcement will be posted in this space letting you know to check the portal. You must be signed into to your Kesher account in order to access the portal. If you cannot access the page but believe you should have access to it, please contact the shul office .

We also seek your participation, feedback, and input into the process. Please email the search committee or reach out personally to any of the committee members. At this time, please let us know if you have any candidates you would recommend as a good fit for Kesher.

Rami Genauer and Lisa Schreier, co-chairs

Shari Diamond

Diane Indyk

Erin Piateski

Bracha Reznick

Aaron Tessler

Scott Weinberg

Leon Wieseltier

Elanit Jakabovics (ex officio, non-voting)

 

Yishai Schwartz  will be teaching a third installment of his philosophy series entitled, Women and Kriat HaTorah: the Texts beneath the Controversy  at 7:15 PM on Wednesday, July 27,  in the social hall. In the last few decades, a handful of otherwise traditional minyanim began allowing women to chant Torah and receive aliyot.  The vast majority of rabbinic decisors and established Orthodox congregations, however, remain firmly opposed to the innovation. In this two-part series, we will study some of the key texts underlying the controversy, from the Mishna to contemporary responsa. The goal will be familiarity and understanding of the sources and values that animate either side of the issue. No halachic bottom-line will be drawn or implied. Dessert sponsored by  Matt and Sumi Peterson.

 

Kesher Israel is proud once again to host Rabbi Haim Jachter, rav hamachshir of the DC eruv and rabbi of Congregation Shaarei Orah of Teaneck, with his family on Shabbat July 29-30. Rabbi Jachter will be delivering the Shabbat morning drashot at hashkama and the main minyan.  He will also speak before Mincha on the topic of Closing the E-Commerce Portion of a Business Website on Shabbat, and at seudah shlishit on the question of Do  Tzahal Public Relations Justify Chillul Shabbat?

All are invited on Shabbat,  August 6 , to help say goodbye to  Rabbi Milevsky and his family  before they head to Israel. It will be the Milevskys' last Shabbat before they make Aliyah, so be sure to come to what will certainly be a memorable send-off meal with the Milevskys and all your favorite people from shul.

$15 for members and $18 for non-members. Spots are limited so sign up quickly! Register here. 

 

Children ages 6-12 are invited to join Rabbi Milevsky for learning and noshing at 6 PM on Shabbat, August 6.

 

Interested in leyning at the main minyan?  Kesher maintains a rotation of male volunteers who serve as baalei kriyah at the  9 AM minyan on Shabbat.  If you are interested in being added to this list, please email  [email protected].  

Have a few daytime hours to spare each week? If so, the Kesher office wants your help.  Teens, grandparents and anyone in between -- come by for an hour or two to file, shred, organize, inventory or otherwise pitch in with general office tasks.  Contact Pamela in the office with your availability. This is a great way to make a big contribution to the shul with just a small investment of time!