April 17, 2026

Candle Lighting for Shabbat 7:09 pm

Dear Friends,

This week we will read Parshat Tazria- Metsora and mark Rosh Hodesh Iyar. I was pleased to find these comments from Scholar Everett Fox about this Parsha in the Sefaria commentaries: "For most lay readers, the third of the five books of Moses presents formidable obstacles. . . . I see Leviticus as the book of Separations, the book in which are set forth distinctions between a whole range of aspects of ancient Israelite experience and practice: Holy and profane, ritual purity and pollution, permitted and forbidden in sexuality and diet, Israelites and others; and Priests, Levites, and common folk among the Israelites." This perspective gives me a context for reading and interpreting this part of our Torah text.

Our Haftorah this Shabbat is the one for Rosh Hodesh, not for the Parsha itself. See the array of Haftorah Plethora options.

We will share a basic Kiddush this week after services.

Important announcement: Please SILENCE your phones while you sit in Library Minyan services. Electronic sounds are very disruptive to our communal prayers.

Also in this week's Update:

• Shabbat Services
• Mishna Study
• More Comments from the Rosh
• 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

Shabbat Rosh Hodesh Services will start at 9:30 am in Dorff-Nelson chapel. A basic Kiddush will follow the service.

Our Gabbai this week is David Novoseller. If you want an Aliyah for a Birthday, an Anniversary, or a Yartzeit, please email David at davnovosel@gmail.com. Our Gabbai for the following Shabbat, featuring Torah Club, will be Michael Shimansky. He can be reached at m_shimansky@yahoo.com.

Mishnah Study

Mishnah study will not meet this week due to Rosh Hodesh Iyar.

From the Rosh:

Once again I will miss LM services this week while I visit my niece Darcy (my brother's daughter) who attends Elon University in North Carolina. I've never been to North Carolina before, so this is an adventure for me. I chose this weekend to visit because Sunday is Yartzeit for my brother and I think spending time with her is a good way to mark the day.

Upcoming Events

4/25 - Torah Club Shabbat

5/16 - Services Outside in the Lainer Mercaz Patio

Donations this Week:

In honor of Barry Rosenblatt's 2nd Bar Mitzvah

-Jules Kamin

-Alan and Laraine Kokin

-Suzanne Payne

In honor of Sheryl Goldman's 30+ years of Service at TBA

-Joel Elkins

In honor of Michael and Melissa Berenbaum

-Howard Cohen and Ellie Safranco

Haftarah Plethora

This week we have a grand slam of Haftarah Plethora episodes to share with you. This Shabbat is the double portion of Tazria/M’tzora, but the haftarah for Rosh Hodesh Iyyar trumps both of the regular haftaroth.

In the Haftarah Plethora for Shabbat Rosh Hodesh, Rick and Larry discuss the alternating moods and messages of the last chapter of Isaiah. Larry gives a brief biblical history lesson while Rick “horses” around with the trope. The boys conclude by agreeing that the final message is one of universal recognition of God’s dominion, perhaps inspiring the second paragraph of the Aleinu.

Here are the episodes for Tazria and for M'tzora.

And here is the link to the haftarah that we read on Tuesday for Yom Ha’atzma’ut (a repetition of the haftarah for the 8th day of Pesah).

Shabbat Shalom.

Jewish Trivia

Last week's question:  Other than the Torah itself, what is the most read description of the parting of the Red Sea?  Hint: It contains the following narrative: "When the two groups came face to face, the companions of Moses cried out, 'We are overtaken for sure.' [Moses] said, 'No! Indeed, with me is my Lord; He will guide me.' So We inspired Moses: 'Strike the sea with your staff,' and the sea was split, each part was like a huge mountain."  Answer: The Quran.

This Week's Question: What do the following have in common (beside the fact that they are all Jewish): Dolph Schayes, Sue Bird, Domantas Sabonis, Deni Avdija, Nancy Lieberman and Tal Brody.  (Answer next week.)