March 29, 2024

Candle-lighting 6:55 p.m.

Dear Friends,

This week, we celebrate the 90th birthday of Annette Berman. Appropriately, it is also a Torah Club Shabbat, a project near and dear to her heart. Torah Club members will be leading the service as well as reading Torah, culminating with the "oldest member of the Torah Club" leyning the special Maftir and Haftarah for Shabbat Parah. To honor this special occasion, we will be davening in the Sanctuary. (Note: this will not be a joint service, and the service will not be Livestreamed. As in the Chapel, a section will be reserved for masked only seating.)

Also in this week's Update:

• Shabbat Services - 9:45 am in the Ganzberg Sanctuary
• Mishnah Study
• 20s/30s Mini-Golf - April 14th
• Community Interest Program
• March Madness Bracket Tournament Update
• Upcoming Calendar
• Donations
• Dear Libby
• Haftarah Plethora
• Jewish Trivia

If you have questions, suggestions, or want to include something in a future Weekly Update, please email Joel Elkins at [email protected].

Shabbat Shalom

Shabbat Services

Services will begin at 9:45 a.m. in Ganzberg Sanctuary, led by the Torah Club. We will be celebrating Annette Berman's 90th birthday (as well as the anniversary of her bat mitzvah). The service will not be Livestreamed, and a section will be set aside and marked for masked only. Following services, there will be a kiddush sponsored by Annette Berman in the ballroom. Additional contributions from Laraine & Allan Kokin and Howard Fredman & Essia Cartoon-Fredman.

Mishna Study

Mishna study will begin at 9:15 in the Whiteman Conference Room and on Zoom. Bert Kleinman will lead us in the study of the fifth mishna of Chapter 10 of Tractate Shabbat.

Community Interest Program

The Vocal Vision Awards, established by Suzanne Weiss Morgen, will be held in Lani Hall on the UCLA campus on Sunday, April 7th, 2024 at 3PM and is free of charge. Hear songs sung in English by some of their best opera program singers as they compete for awards adjudicated by working opera professionals. Contact Suzanne or Henry for more information.

March Madness Bracket Tournament Update

As of this moment:

• In the Men's Tournament, Tali Link is currently in first place with 60 points, followed by Rachel Berwald with 53;
• In the Women's Tournament, Gena Cohen leads with 53 points, followed closely by Ben Richards with 52.

Half of the entry fees collected ($90) will go to the Library Minyan General Fund. The remainder will go to charities chosen by the winners (yet to be determined).

Upcoming Calendar

Below is a list of upcoming special kiddushes and events. If you would like to contribute to any of these (or to add another kiddush-worthy occasion), please click here and indicate the event in the notes.

4/13 - Lunch & Learn with Michael Berenbaum ("What is Antisemitism")

4/23 - Pesach, day 1 (joint service - no livestreaming)

4/24 - Pesach, day 2 (joint service - livestreamed)

4/27 - Pesach, intermediate Shabbat

4/29 - Pesach, day 7 (joint service - no livestreaming)

4/30 - Pesach, day 8 (Yizkor)

Donations This Week

Helene Strugo (grandmother of Ben Richards)

-in honor of Ben and Tali’s Aufruf

Everyone who participated in the 1st Annual March Madness pool (see above)

Dear Libby

Dear Libby:

I know services start at 9:45 each Shabbat. But when should I arrive?

TIMELY OR FASHIONABLY LATE?

Dear TOFL:

That's a good question. When you arrive tells a lot about you. Most people fall into one of the following categories:

• Always arrive by 9:15 for Mishna study

- these people are true tzaddiks and there is a special place in olam haba for people like them

• Skip Mishna study but arrive well before 9:45 to make sure not to miss even a minute of davening

- these people are known as "the gabbai"

• Don't care much about p'seukeh d'zimrah but have to be there for beginning of shacharit

- these people are known as barchunatics

• Don't care about shacharit but wouldn't think of missing Torah reading

- these people are known as leyniacs

• Don't care about Torah reading, but wouldn't dare miss the d'var torah

- these people are known as drashaholics

• Don't care about the drash, but make sure to get there by Adom Olam

- these people are known as Sandra Lepson

Then there are the JFKers ("just for kiddush") who have no idea what they are missing.

Hope to see you sometime tomorrow. Shabbat shalom!

LIBBY

If you would like Libby to answer your questions or solve your problems, submit your questions and/or kvetches to [email protected]

Haftarah Plethora

Don’t be misled by the introduction to the Haftarah Plethora episode for Shabbat Parah; this year it coincides with the Torah reading for Tzav. 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: The word "Hamantashen" contains (and some believe is named after) which of its traditional ingredients? Answer: "Man" (pronounced "mahn"), which means poppy in Yiddish. מאָן־טאַשן (montashen) means "poppyseed pouch." It is possible that this was transformed to "hamantashen," either as a portmanteau with the name Haman or simply by the addition of the Hebrew article ha- (ה).

This week's question:

As of 2022, there were 14 cities worldwide with Jewish populations of at least 200,000. How many can you name?

(Answer next week.)