March 21, 2025

Candle-lighting: 6:48 p.m.

Dear Friends,

The Purim Seudah this past Sunday was a lot of fun. A good time was had by all. One special aspect was that the Seudah was multi-generational. It was rewarding to see that our TBA family extends from babies to older adults using walkers and wheelchairs. A major shout-out to those who helped prepare: Ronna Sundy for her help with the food, Joel Elkins for the electronics, Sandra Lepson for tending bar, Larry Herman for leading the Purim Shpiel team, and Suzanne Payne and Mara Roshal for help with set up and clean up.

This Shabbat we celebrate Shabbat Parah in which we read the special Maftir about the Parah Adumah - the Red Heifer. According to the Luach, the ashes of a sacrificed Red Heifer were used to purify people who were ritually impure so that they could partake of the Pesach sacrifice. While I remain uncomfortable with anything related to sacrificial rites, Shabbat Parah warns me that I have only 3 more weeks to prepare for Pesach.

Also in this week's Update:

• Shabbat Services - 9:45
• Mishnah Study - 9:15
• Weekly Wisdom
• Upcoming Calendar
• 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 services begin at 9:45 in Dorff-Nelson Chapel. We have a regular Kiddush this week.

Mishna Study

Kathy Rosenblatt will teach Mishnah 7 of Chapter 17 of Tractate Shabbat at 9:15 a.m. in the Whiteman Conference Room and on Zoom .

Weekly Wisdom

This week I'm including a piece of (somewhat personal) news you may have overlooked.

Yesterday the New York Times published an article about Kindertransport Passenger lists found by scholar Amy Williams in the Yad Vashem archives. She unearthed train transport lists for close to 80% of Kindertransportees. Unfortunately for me, my mother's records are in the other 20%. Here is a link to the NYT article: : https://nyti.ms/4c2fjln

For those of us in the tiny Kindertransport world, this is very big news. For more info on the Kindertransport, please go to www.kindertransport.org or ask me (RRG).

Donations This Week

In honor of Bill Seligman's Birthday

Jerry Krautman and Jackie Weiss

In honor of May Birthdays

Rachel Sisk

Haftarah Plethora

In the episode for Shabbat Parah, Rick and Larry discuss Ezekiel’s use of the epithet “Ben Adam” while trying to find hope and consolation in the prophecy in this special Haftarah. Larry notes that the Haftarah includes the first mention of open-heart surgery while Rick finds hope in the final verses. Shabbat Shalom

You can see all of Larry and Rick's recordings here.

Jewish Trivia

Last week's question: What is the literal meaning of the word hamantashen? What are they called in Hebrew? Answers: Tasch means pocket or pouch, so literally hamatashen means "Haman's pockets." But "mahn" means poppy, so the word may be a portmanteau of Haman and man-taschen, which means poppy pouch. They are known in Israel as אוזני המן (Oznei Haman), or Haman's ears.

This week's question: What do these people have in common: Nitzan Amar of Kibbutz Yiron, Lior and Yarden Garzon of Ra'anana, Yoav Berman of Tel Aviv and Zach Bloch of Lawrence, Kansas. (Answer next week.)