Shabbat Shalom

#BringThemHomeNow

There are 220 people being held hostages being held by Hamas.  220 people with families.  220 people from 25 different countries.  Their ages range from three months old to 85 years old.  Some are there without any family around.  Some are entire families.  As we know already from the hostages who have been released, hostages have been separated from their loved ones.  

The IDF has been planning a ground operation, training to go into Gaza, to find our hostages and bring them home.

This Shabbat we read Lech Lecha.  News reaches Avram that his brother, Lot, had been taken captive.  When he hears this news, he begins to train everyone born into his household.  They go in at night and he brings back Lot as well as all of the others held hostage.

The Shulkah Arukh teaches that Every moment that one delays unnecessarily the ransoming of a captive, it is as if he were to shed blood.  Avram wastes no time.  He immediately begins his quest to find his brother.  Other commentaries suggest that this mitzvah is so important that it is the responsibility of the entire community and monies put aside for others in need should be given instead to the freeing of hostages.  

We can do this in many ways.  We speak out, we name those who are being held, we pray for them.  We can make donations to organizations doing this work, we can call our representatives.  We can educate others.

At Kol Ami we are adopting one name and keeping a seat for her in our synagogue.

Her name is Amit Ester Buskilai.  She is 28 years old. She is from our sister city of Ashdod. 

 For more ways to help bring home our hostages see the links below.

May this be the last Shabbat we sit without our 220 brothers and sisters.

Bring them Home – #KidnappedFromIsrael

On October 7th, 2023 Hamas abducted over 200 civilians from Israel.

https://www.kidnappedfromisrael.com/

Support and Solidarity for the Safe Return of Hostages, Blue Ribbons for Israel Campaign

https://stories.bringthemhomenow.net/

Leslie Maxted                                  Brother of Gerald Max

Cecelia Druian                                 Grandmother of Enid Gildar

David Wares                                    Father of William Wares

Edna Russ                                         Great Aunt of Ronna Hellman

                                                           Great Aunt of Trudy Novak

Hattie Marofsky                              Grandmother of Lynn Chernin

 Arthur Rosenwasser                      Father of Marc Rosenwasser

Joseph Silverman                            Father of Susan Hyatt

Harold Shor                                       Uncle of Adam Shor

Ethel Goldsmith                               Mother of Lisa Teblum

Rachel Berman                                 Grandmother of Daniel Berman

Roberta Dolinsky                             Mother of Karen Borden

Maurice Rogin                                  Father of Robert Rogin

Ethel Amsterdam                            Grandmother of Bonnie Amsterdam-Miele

Lisa Jennings                                     Mother of Staci Harris

Betty Medoff                                    Aunt of Lisa Teblum

Mae Binder                                      Grandmother of Michael Binder

Jacob Joseph Birnbaum                 Grandfather of David Birnbaum

Ronna Starr Malinowski                Sister of Sharon Cross

                                                          Aunt of Kevin Cross

                                                          Sister-in-Law of David Cross

Lionel Skoorka                                 Brother of Marilyn Daniels

                                                           Uncle of Lisa Caine

                                                           Uncle of Stacy Gad

Etta Scheier                                      Grandmother of Brenda Dunayer 

Make a Minyan! 

Available to help last minute for a minyan occasionally? Want to be notified when someone has a yartzeit so we know we will have ten? Join our Kol Ami WhatsApp group! Click this link (from your phone) to join: https://chat.whatsapp.com/KiBtwSw7UGJ0ElQdwwxytp

Join me this December 3rd-5th for our movement's Convening in Baltimore, the largest gathering of Conservative/Masorti Jews: rabbis, cantors, Jewish professionals, congregational leaders, synagogue members, and young adults from around the world. 

From insightful speakers to joyful performances, attendees will learn, grow, and return home with new tools and ideas for our community and participate in critical conversations in this crucial moment for [insert: Conservative Judaism, North American Judaism, Masorti Judaism]. Find out more information on USCJ.org.

Weekly Talmud Study with Rabbi Blatt.

Thursday at 10:30am - November 2, 9 & 30

Join our Talmud Class - an all levels discussion of Talmud.

Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/624135476

Parsha Study with Rashi

Saturday at 8:30am - October 28/November 4, 11 & 25

A weekly discussion of the Haftarah of the week.

Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/795031104

Meeting ID: 795 031 104