SHABBAT SHALOM, GESHER SHALOM!


 
July 12th, 2019
 
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Shabbat Times: 
Candle Lighting
Evening service
Morning Service featuring Frieda Vizel on the Vaccination Debate
Evening Service
8:10  pm
7:00 pm 
9:30am
7:45pm
 
  Forecast: 91/chance of rain

IN THIS ISSUE...
Shabbat Kiddush
 Join us for Kiddush on Shabbat. This is the perfect opportunity for us to experience community and get to know each other better.
 

Birthdays and Anniversaries 
Edith Adler
D. Scott Alenick
Shilo Wexler
Seymour Green
Stephanie Strauss
Gregory Vorbach
 

 

   UPCOMING EVENTS
Saturday 7/13
Morning Service 9:30 am featuring Frieda Vizel, former member of the Satmor Hasidic community on the topic "The Vaccination Debate"
Minha, S'uda Shlishit (3rd Shabbat Meal), timely topic, Maariv and Havdalah 7:45 pm
Thursday 7/18
Visiting Scholar Rabbi David Fine - lecture topic "American Jewish History" 12:45 pm
Friday 7/19
Bible Class 11:30 am
       
 
  Torah Rea ding 890                  Haftarah 910
HUKKAT  
The overwhelming emphasis on life that is basic to Judaism can be discerned in the ritual that begins this week's parasha: the use of ashes from a slaughtered red heifer for purification of anyone who has come into contact with the dead.
 
The thirty-eight years of additional wandering in the wilderness (as a punishment for the lack of resolve to conquer Canaan) are passed over with little detail. Miriam dies in the fortieth year of the journey, and shortly thereafter, following Moses' impatience when he strikes a rock to bring forth water from it rather than speaking to it, Aaron dies as well.
 
The Israelites now prepare to conquer the land in earnest. Unable to enter directly from the west, they journey south of Edom to avoid conflict with Esau's descendents; they will enter the land from the east. They successfully repulse an attack from the king of Arad. But spiritual weariness and the recurrent complaint about lack of food and water result in divine punishment: fiery serpents whose stings are lethal. Moses fashions a brass serpent that is carried throughout the camp suspended from a pole; whoever looks upon it will recover from the snake bites.
 
The Israelites journey northward, conquering Emor and Bashan. The Israelites are now in possession of all territory east of the Jordan River from the Arnon to Mount Hermon. They encamp on the east bank of the Jordan, opposite the Moabite town of Jericho.
 
Tonight: Evening service at 7:00 p.m.
Tomorrow morning at 9:30 a.m.
Minha, Seudah Shlishit, Ma'ariv & Havdalah at 7:45 p.m.
Today is the 25th anniversary of the last Lubavitcher Rebbe. I was/am no great fan. Still, I have been reading paeans from people I respect (Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks & Yossi Klein haLevi). I found this "memoir" compelling and we will read it during S'eudah Shishit tomorrow afternoon/evening. (It's also appropriate (?) / ironic (?) that we read after hearing from a Frieda Vizel, a former member of the Satmar Community, at morning services!)
7:45 p.m.
The Night We Lost The Messiah, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson , by Yossi Newfield
 




This Week's Yahrzeit Observances
We hope that our weekly listing of yahrzeit observances will serve 2 purposes:
1)     To remind those who have the yahrzeit for a second time, much closer to the date of the actual observance
2)     To alert friends and acquaintances that someone they know is observing a yahrzeit. We hope that you will show them your support by joining them at our minyanim, and helping to assure that Kaddish can be recited with a minyan 
     
     
Leslie Fromkin will be observing yahrzeit for her father,  Milton Kosloff on Saturday evening, July 13th
Renee Gruenspecht will be observing yahrzeit for her brother-in-law, Helmuth Gruenspecht on  Sunday evening, July 14th
Hilda Reisner will be observing yahrzeit for her father,  Michael Bortz on Monday evening, July 15th
Stuart Kimberly will be observing yahrzeit for his mother, Karen Bleiberg on Tuesday evening, July 16th
Sally Seymour will be observing yahrzeit for her mother, Mimi Brender on Tuesday evening, July 16th
Stephanie Strauss will be observing yahrzeit for her father,  David Strauss on Tuesday evening, July 16th
Renee Gruenspecht will be observing yahrzeit for her father,  Bertold Scheuer on Wednesday evening, July 17th 



Important/Interesting Reads
Cultural (mis-)Appropriation! And when Linda Sarsour is cornered and does not have a cogent reply, she does not concede, but rather says she has had enough, and it's time to watch the women's soccer final:
Linda Sarsour Tweets that Jesus was Palestinian, Twitter Goes Crazy                                                   
Political activist ignites uproar by saying religious icon could be both Jewish and Palestinian
And the Bibi jumped in, with a not-so-weird Tweet:

Who Had The Weirdest Take On Sarsour's Weird 'Jesus' Tweet? Bibi.   
Bib's Tweet was based on this newly-released, significant data:
 
From Thomas Friedman in the NYT:
 
Who Is a Bigger Threat to His Democracy: Bibi or Trump?
The Dangerous Drive to Correlate Islamophobia with Anti-Semitism   
Miss Iraq Stands with Israel at UN Human Rights Council                             
The Bahrain Conference: What the Experts and the Media Missed 
 
Bahrain Foreign Minister: Israel Part of Middle East's Heritage    
 
From a Moroccan publisher, who is on the board of the Atlantic Council and is an international counselor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies:
 
The U.S. Middle East Plan Wins Its First Round   
 
Jared Kushner's Peace Conference Brings a Minyan to 19th-Century Bahrain Synagogue
While the economic "workshop" didn't produce many tangible takeaways, it illustrated a growing acceptance of Israel in the Arab world. 
Some background on the Pilgrimage Road that was opened to great fanfare (and some controversy):

The City of David: The Acropolis of Israel
 
Greek Opposition Leader as Pro-Israel as Current Prime Minister                                                      
 

Incoming EU Foreign Policy Czar Tough on Israel, Fond of Iran                
I AM A JEWISH ARAB 
I was raised on recollections of a lost world that had existed for as long as we could remember-only to end suddenly in my grandparents' generation.                                                                             
Parents of Otto Warmbier File Claim for North Korean Cargo Ship                                        

Israel
Meet Amir Masalcha, 23, a young Druze man with Down's syndrome who hails from a village in the Galilee. Amir was the first Druze soldier with disabilities to join the Israel Defense Forces, but now he is no longer alone, because just this week a new Special in Uniform unit opened for volunteer soldiers from Israel's Druze sector. The new recruits will be incorporated into the logistics department of the Machveh Alon Base in the Galilee.
Israeli Druze are a unique religious and ethnic minority among Arab citizens of Israel that comprises less than 2% of the country's total population. Although their faith originally developed out of Islam, Druze are generally not considered Muslims. Druze devotedly serve in the IDF, and numerous members of the sector have attained senior positions in Israeli politics and public service.

Amir and his mother
 
Arab Woman Doctor Heads Hadassah Hospital Emergency Room                                          
 
Israeli Intelligence Foiled 50 ISIS, Iranian Terror Attacks in 20 Countries                                                    

Facing Lawsuit, IDF Allows Non-Orthodox Jewish Burials                        
Israelis have their prejudices: political, religious and racial...this story sad and shocking story has gone through many permutations, and the Ethiopian and establishment communities have spawned many rumors and fallacies. Here is the latest version:

Investigation: Officer Who Shot Ethiopian is Telling the Truth
Israel Pushes Back on U.S. Report on Religious Freedom                                                                  
Arab-Israeli Appointed Chairman of Israel's Second-Largest Bank
 
Israeli Companies Boosted New York Economy by $30 Billion in 2018  Indonesian Muslim Delegation Visits Israel        
Israel Believes Russia Responsible for GPS Disruptions in Israeli Airspace                                                                   
This might not mean much to you, but it is big! It's the city to which David fled, while under Philistine protection. The archeological evidence corroborates Philistine architecture and pottery, followed by Judean architecture and pottery, and a fiery conflagration (destruction by the Amalekites)-all as the Bible recounts!
Ziklag Identified                                                                                   
 
 
SpaceIL Won't Attempt Another Moon Landing, Will Seek a Greater Challenge 
Israel's Meretz Party Becomes Country's First to Elect an Openly Gay Leader                                    

Opinion: LGBTQ Israelis are Still Fighting for Equal Rights. Anti-Israel Activists are Trying to Erase Us. Activists obsessed with "pinkwashing" are hurting queer Israelis, writes Hen Mazzig. 
Israel's Energy Dilemma: More Natural Gas Than It Can Use or Export
 
This scandal, which still engulfs the Australian Jewish Community, threatens to further harm Israel's international standing:

MEDICAL COMMITTEE RULES LEIFER FAKED MEDICAL CONDITION TO AVOID EXTRADITION
Leifer is standing trial for extradition on 74 counts of sexual abuse in Australia, but has for many years claimed to be mentally unfit to be extradited.                                     
NEANDERTHAL SETTLEMENT WHERE OUR PREHISTORIC RELATIVES LIVED FOR 10,000 YEARS DISCOVERED IN ISRAEL                                                                                      

U of North Carolina Students Discover 1,600-Year-Old Mosaic Depicting the Exodus in Northern Israel      
 
 


Associated Press Targets Jewish AmericansWho Support Israel
                                                                          




The Palestinians
'I Want To Get The Hell Out Of Here': Thousands Of Palestinians Are Leaving Gaza  
Another Son of Hamas Founder Flees; Blasts Terror Organization's Corruption
 
HAMAS EXPERT ENTERS ISRAEL ON MEDICAL PERMIT TO SET UP BOMBMAKING LAB                                                    
IDF Uncovers Gaza Tunnel Dug into Israel                                                                        
 

Israel Strikes Gaza-Bound Arms Shipments in Sinai 
 
This would seem to support the Kushner-Greenblatt approach:
West Bank Grows Calmer as Pocketbook Issues Take Priority over Protests            
PA Weighs Ending Its Boycott of U.S.   
 
                                                                                                      
                                    



Iran / Syria / Hezbollah   
Is anyone surprised? Well, maybe surprised that the Iranians got caught. And I will be further surprised if this results in any substantial consequences for Iran.
UN Finds Evidence of Radioactive Material in Iranian Warehouse, Israeli Officials Say  
Are Iran Sanctions Working?                                                                 



Hi-Tech
We saw the wheelchair precursor at AIPAC some years ago; now:
Israeli Startup Reinvents the Wheel, By Using It to Contain Car’s Key Components                                            Relocating the motor, steering, suspension and brakes into vehicle's wheels, REE creates a flat, light, versatile chassis to increase energy efficiency in electric cars     






Pop Culture

Happy 93rd Birthday, Mel Brooks

Israeli Softball is Building a Women's 'Dream Team' for the 2020 Olympics   Gal Gadot to Star in Netflix's Biggest Film Yet 
Megan Rapinoe's Jewish Girlfriend Is WNBA-Star Sue Bird 
We Need Fewer Stereotypical Jews on TV - and More Walter Sobchaks    Cliched characters produce laughs, but they also perpetuate an ugly story about Jews. 

A Neil Diamond Musical Is Headed To Broadway 
The Secret Jewish History Of 'A Star Is Born'   
Which Jewish Actor Should Play Elvis In The New Biopic? 4 are in the running 
James Caan's Latest Character: A Jew Who Moves to Israel to Become a Pig Farmer                                    
The 79-year-old Hollywood veteran stars in "Holy Lands" as a secular cardiologist who chooses an unconventional retirement plan. 

Elizabeth Banks' 'Charlie's Angels' Trailer Is Glorious
The New Netflix Show 'Family Business' is a French-Jewish Version of 'Breaking Bad'  It marries goofy fart jokes with astute observations about Parisian Jewry's ethos and demography.

THE BEST JEWISH JOKES ON 'VEEP'   
 

Karlie Kloss: Why I Converted To Judaism Before Wedding 

                      
                                                                             






     
 
 
 














Lumberyard
Ephrat Asherie Dance
July 13 | 8pm
Summer at Lumberyard kicks off with Israeli-born Ephrat Asherie Dance's work-in-progress showing of UnderScored (working title), a dance theater piece created and performed by members of the company with special guest artists from New York City's underground scene. Inspired by the intergenerational memories of club dancers, UnderScored explores the ever-changing physical landscape of New York City's underground dance community.

 
Mari
Dance on Camera Festival
July 15 | 8pm
Film at Lincoln Center
Walter Reade Theater
Performance is at the heart of this story about family, mortality, and new beginnings, starring American actress and dancer Bobbi Jene Smith with choreography from Punchdrunk's Maxine Doyle. Filmmaker Georgia Parris, who has used dance in previous films, here expands on the form's ability to simultaneously convey emotion, character, and a strong aesthetic. With the participation of the Ohad Naharin-trained Smith, whose stunning presence dazzles, Parris achieves something fresh-a character-driven drama further energized through the physicality and innovation of dance.

The Other Story
Film by Avi Nesher
Quad Cinema
In the latest from prolific Israeli director, Avi Nesher, psychologist Yonatan returns from America at the request of his ex-wife to prevent the impending wedding of his estranged daughter Anat-and her conversion to orthodox Judaism-employing both gentle persuasion and tough love, to no avail. These events bleed into Yonatan's treatment of a troubled woman whose likeness to his daughter is striking in spite of their almost opposite lifestyles. This seemingly traditional drama transforms into a powerful dissection of religious identity marked by its two complex female protagonists. 
 
 
Art
Mika Rottenberg : Easypieces
June 26- September 15
New Museum
This exhibition marks the first New York solo museum presentation of work by New York-based artist Mika Rottenberg.
Employing absurdist satire to address the critical issues of our time, Rottenberg creates videos and installations that offer subversive allegories for contemporary life. Her works interweave documentary elements and fiction, and often feature protagonists who work in factory-like settings to manufacture goods ranging from cultured pearls (NoNoseKnows, 2015) to the millions of brightly colored plastic wholesale items sold in Chinese superstores (Cosmic Generator, 2017).

 
Music
Alon Goldstein
International Keyboard Institute and Festival
July 20 | 9pm
IKIF at Hunter College
Alon Goldstein is one of the most original and sensitive pianists of his generation, admired for his musical intelligence, dynamic personality, artistic vision and innovative programming. He has played with the Philadelphia orchestra, the Chicago Symphony, the San Francisco, Baltimore, St. Louis, Dallas, Houston, Toronto and Vancouver symphonies as well as the Israel Philharmonic, London Philharmonic , Los Angeles and Radio France Orchestra.

 
Exhibition
ZAZ10TS presents:
Nature of Wonder
Artist Shony Rivnay
June 13- September 2 10 Times Square
Titled "Nature of Wonder" by Shony Rivnay provides a glimpse into obscurity, freedom, and a natural curiosity that we all experience in our creative lives. It is an opportunity to think, but also to let go of thinking. It is a pathway into joyous viewing and a simple understanding of how things work. 
OPENING RECEPTION
June 13, 6-8PM

The Day
Jacob's Pillow
July 31- August 4
Jacob's Pillow
World-renowned cellist Maya Beiser, legendary dancer Wendy Whelan, and seminal choreographer Lucinda Childs join forces to present the highly-anticipated world premiere of THE DAY, with music by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang.
This momentous melding of multi-genre creative genius, created collaboratively by Beiser and Childs, explores memory, life's journey, resilience, and survival of the soul through the shared language of music and dance. THE DAY was co-commissioned by Jacob's Pillow.

  Music
Cello Solo: From Bach to Flamenco
Elad Kabilio
July 16| 7:30 pm
NoHo Sound
Rediscover Bach's masterful cello music and immerse into Philip Glass' meditative music in an evening of music for cello solo performed by Elad Kabilio.
Featuring fascinating insights and anecdotes about the music, you'd be able to enjoy some of the most beautiful music for cello and transport yourself to Spain with a grand finale featuring fiery Flamenco music.
 
 
Art
Maya Resheff
The Invisibility of the Real
July 18 | 6pm
Meislin Projects






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