May 2, 2025

Candle-lighting for Shabbat: 7:21 pm.

Dear Friends,

This week we read the combined Parshiot Tazria-Metzora, which emphasize the notions of Tameh and Tahor, and are usually but inadequately translated as impure and pure, respectively. More specifically, these Parshiot describe bodily diseases, discharges and secretions that can make a person Tameh, and then a ritual process to return one to the state of Tahor. I have always had difficulty with these concepts and still do.

On a very different topic, I want to remind everyone of all the many different people who participate in making our Library Minyan Services possible. The Gabbai of the week schedules the people who lead the Davening for the four parts of the service each week, recruits Torah reading Gabbaim, and distributes Aliyot. We have individual coordinators for Torah Readers, Haftorot, and Drashot who make sure that these ritual responsibilities will be met each week. We also have a coordinator for the additional Megillot that are read on particular holidays. It takes a lot of people and effort to make this Minyan happen. So please, everyone, do a part.

Also in this week's Update:

Shabbat Services - 9:45
Mishnah Study - 9:15
Weekly Wisdom
Upcoming Events
Donations This Week
Haftara Plethora
Jewish Trivia

If you have questions or suggestions, or would like to include something in a future edition of the Weekly Update, please email Rachel Rubin Green at rachelrubingreen@gmail.com.

Shabbat Shalom!

Rachel Rubin Green

Rosh Minyan

Shabbat Services

9:45 AM Graduation Shabbat with Torah Club in Library Minyan in Dorff Nelson Chapel. As part of Graduation Shabbat, we will honor the memory of Judy Weinstock z”l at the second annual presentation of the Weinstock Youth Leadership Award.

We want to thank the parents and families of Torah Club members and our graduates for sponsoring the Kiddush this week. In particular, we want to thank the Safaei, Elkan-Miller, Bentzvi, and Elias families for their support.

Mishna Study

Barry Rosenblatt will teach Mishnah 3 of Chapter 18 of Tractate Shabbat at 9:15 a.m. in the Whiteman Conference Room and on Zoom .

Weekly Wisdom

By Diane Roosth

Finding Our Way Through The Wilderness These Past Few Weeks - Reflections on a recent trip to Israel

When I think of our ancestors leaving Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea and the wandering in the dessert, I think of the adventure, weather, animals, and emergency survival blankets. While in the desert, we were out in the open without safe rooms and had to find connection through cooperation, creativity, and action. I am guessing we experienced earthquakes, fires, floods, and other natural disasters. We met with unknown weather conditions. We were given food and water which we were grateful for. Leadership was important and we were grateful to Moses who was inspired by Hashem.

While recently in Israel, we had our own wanderings. We had two RED ALERTS in Tel Aviv, one at 4:30 am on a Thursday morning, and one at 7:30 am the morning of the day we were leaving. In our AirBNB, which was an apartment building, we were told to go outside our door and stay in the hallway. People were on their phones in their pajamas, sitting on the stairs, with baby strollers. Did I tell you our building had 7 floors with no elevator, no windows but a skylight? This hallway and stairs were our safe room for 10 minutes till there was an ALL CLEAR alert.

We all have challenges in life at every age and every stage, and finding our resilience, being supportive, caring, and creative, helps. I give others my time, share food over Passover and days,, visited sick friends both in their homes and in a rehab. Laughing with others, staying positive and limiting negative news, and finding the funny seems to help.

In closing, I want to acknowledge that April is International Humor Month. If you are interested, please check out the website https://www.aath.org/humor-month.

Upcoming Events

5/10 Celebrating Tal Link's and Ben Richards's new Daughter and May Birthdays

5/17 Aufruf of Ethan Stern - Live Streamed

5/24 Ayla Feuerstein's Bat Mitzvah (Ayla is Joel and Fredi Rembaum's Granddaughter). Takes place in the Main Sanctuary. Entire Library Minyan in invited. Live Streamed

5/31 Torah Club End of Year Celebration

6/14 Aufruf of Leora Weinstock

Donations This Week

In honor of Tali Link's and Ben Richards's new baby

-Susan Laemmle and John Antignas

In honor of Jacki Honig's Ordination

-Susan Laemmle and John Antignas

Haftarah Plethora

In the episode that Rick calls Haftarah Plethora M’tzora (which is also the haftarah for this week’s combined parsha, Tazria-M'tzora), Larry is concerned that the prophet Elisha doesn’t get the name recognition that he deserves. This week’s haftarah has it all: humor, irony, a bit of economics and certainly more entertainment value than the Torah reading to which it’s linked. Shabbat Shalom

Jewish Trivia

Last Week's Questions:

In honor of Yom Haatzmaut, where in Israel can you find the following:

The world's only underwater restaurant? - Answer: Eilat (The Red Sea Star)

The world's oldest continuously used cemetery? - Answer: Jerusalem (Mount of Olives)

The world's lowest dry land? - Answer: Shores of Dead Sea

The world's most chess grand master per capita? - Answer: Beersheva

One of the world's smallest subway systems? - Answer: Haifa (Carmelit)

The world's largest known dog cemetery? - Answer: Ashkelon

The third most sushi restaurants per capita (after Tokyo and New York)? - Answer: Tel Aviv

This Week's Question: Where was the first Jewish community in what is now the United States? (Answer next week.)

The Hesed Fund supports Library Minyan members during the birth/adoption of a child, illness or death in the family. The Outreach Fund supports new, particularly youth, membership. The General Fund goes for everyday expenses, primarily kiddushim. If you would like to make a donation to any of these funds, click here.