SHABBAT SHALOM, GESHER SHALOM!


 
May 8, 2020
 
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Shabbat Times: 
Candle Lighting
Virtual services see below

7:42pm
 
  Forecast: 47
/partly cloudy

IN THIS ISSUE...
BDS
Birthdays and Anniversaries 
Solomon Arbeiter
Adrian Osian
 Jean Burnick
Paul Zim
 Madelyn Danoff
Barbara Margolin
Rachel Taylor
 
   




Mi SheBayrach 
We make special prayers for those who are ill at every Shabbat Morning and Monday & Thursday Minyan. Since the onset of the pandemic, we have adding a special Mi SheBayrach for those who have contracted the coronavirus.  
You can add a name (traditionally: Hebrew/Yiddish name and mother's Hebrew/Yiddish name, but we'll take English names and the names of those who are not Members of our Tribe) by calling or emailing me.
Or better yet: why not join us for the 9:00 am morning minyan, and read the Psalm (in English) just before we include the name of your family member, friend or acquaintance in the Mi SheBayrach. 

Happy Mothers' Day!!!!

Don't Be Foolish!
Overcome any reluctance you may have to go to hospital Emergency Departments due to the COVID-19 pandemic-especially if you suspect that you may have suffered a potential heart attack or stroke . Be assured that hospitals and their healthcare teams are continuing to care for all patients in a safe environment.                             
New Jersey Hospitals Are Ready to Care for You (social media version)
New Jersey Hospitals Are Ready to Care for You (social media version)

How Are You Doing?
Would You Like a Zoom, FaceTime, or Phone Visit? 
Call me or email me to set one up. kas







Torah Reading
EMOR

Because of their unique status as ritual functionaries, the priests had to maintain a high standard of purity. As contact with the dead was a source of ritual defilement, the priests were only permitted to attend the funerals of their closest relatives. The High Priest was held to an even higher standard: he was not permitted to attend anyone's funeral.
 
Any physical defect disqualified a priest from functioning in an official capacity, just as any physical defect in an animal rendered it unfit for sacrifice. Sacred food (donated, dedicated or sacrificed) could only be eaten by those members of the priests' families who themselves were in a state of ritual purity.
 
The holidays: Shabbat, Passover, Shavuot, Rosh Hashannah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot - are enumerated.
 
The people are reminded of their obligation to provide olive oil for the Sanctuary's menorah to keep it burning continually. The showbread, changed each week, was to be made of twelve loaves arranged in two rows.
 
During a quarrel a man blasphemes God. He is placed in custody until his penalty is disclosed: blasphemy, like murder, is punishable by death.
 









SHABBAT SCHEDULE

ALL our Synagogue Prayer Services and Programs are conducted over ZOOM
You can participate in one of two ways 
          • Dialing in - or - 
          • Using internet access and a smartphone, tablet or computer
Shabbat Services
Friday evening at 7:00 pm  CLICK HERE TO ATTEND                                                
Dial in by phone:  929-205-6099   Meeting ID: 869 8266 6380
 
Shabbat Morning at 10:30 am CLICK HERE TO ATTEND
Dial in by phone:   929 205 6099       Meeting ID: 874 8132 0020
          
Havdalah at  8:45 pm  CLICK HERE TO ATTEND
Dial in by phone:  929 205 6099       Meeting ID: 729 396 135


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 (virtual) minyanim, and helping to assure that Kaddish can be recited with a minyan 

Mrs. Faye Salmon will be observing yahrzeit for her brother, Isaac Rosenstock on Friday evening, May 8th
Mr. Neil Taylor will be observing yahrzeit for his mother, Tobie Esther Taylor on Friday evening, May 8th
Dr. Judy Geller will be observing yahrzeit for her father, Emery Geller on Saturday evening, May 9th
Mr. Alfred Strauss will be observing yahrzeit for his sister, Emilie Strauss on Saturday evening, May 9th
Ms. Jean Burnick will be observing yahrzeit for her brother, Ernest Burnick on Sunday evening, May 10th
Mr. Mark Laufer will be observing yahrzeit for his brother, Dan Laufer on Monday evening, May 11th
Mr. & Mrs. Erwin & Marlin Dickman will be observing yahrzeit for their daughter, Felicia Dickman on Monday evening, May 11th
Mrs. Ann Oster will be observing yahrzeit for her father-in-law, Bernard Oster on Monday evening, May 11th
Mrs. Marilyn Saposh will be observing yahrzeit for her sister-in-law, Sara Saposh on Monday evening, May 11th
Mrs. Myrna Weissman will be observing yahrzeit for her mother, Anna Schear on Monday evening, May 11th
Mrs. Iris Fox will be observing yahrzeit for her mother, Mrs. Rebecca Bichler on Tuesday evening, May 12th
Mrs. Gloria Singer will be observing yahrzeit for her mother-in-law, Martha Singer on Tuesday evening, May 12th
Mr. Barry Schwartz will be observing yahrzeit for his mother, Helen Schwartz on Wednesday evening, May 13th
Mr. Karl Sudakoff will be observing yahrzeit for his mother, Lillian Sudakoff on Wednesday evening, May 13th
Mrs. Rose Axelrod will be observing yahrzeit for her husband, Stanley Axelrod on Thursday evening, May 14th
Mrs. Lore Benario will be observing yahrzeit for her husband, Van Benario on Thursday evening, May 14th








 
OUR WEEKDAY MINYANIM
 
Sunday - Friday Mornings at 9:00 am CLICK HERE TO ATTEND
Dial in by phone:  929 205 6099     Meeting ID: 110 379 215
 
Sunday - Thursday Evenings at 7:00 pm CLICK HERE TO ATTEND
Dial in by phone:  929 205 6099       Meeting ID: 338 747 559
 
Special Request: if you purchased or downloaded Siddur Lev Shalem (Shabbat and Holidays) and/or Siddur Sim Shalom (Weekdays), please let Rabbi Stern know. (Please call him or email him).
 
 
UPCOMING PROGRAMS
GPS is Back!
G uided P rayer S ervice
Please join Rabbi Stern for a series of explanatory talks that will reveal the structure, choreography, and varied functions of the prayers we say.

Well, we didn't get nearly as far as I thought we would last Monday so we will continue with our exploration of Kabbalat Shabbat (the Friday evening service). And we'll push the rest of the schedule back by one week.
 
Mondays at 11:00am
May 11    The Shabbat morning service Part I
May 18    The Shabbat morning service Part II
May 25    The weekday evening service
 
Dial in by phone: 929 205 6099       Meeting ID: 892 7086 4772
 
No, not really. Linda Richman will not be joining us...but join us for schmooze anyway!
 
Every Wednesday, 12 Noon with Rabbi Stern
BYO coffee, lunch, etc.
CLICK HERE TO ATTEND
Dial in by phone: 929 205 6099           Meeting ID: 814 6433 7599
 
"Talk Amongst Yourselves; I'll give you a topic: Discuss..."
 
Roxanne Guiness , A CBIOTP member, who holds several nursing degrees, will provide us practical guidance on how to handle everything from our mail to sanitizing countertops, to leaving our homes and returning as safely as possible, and answer our questions about protecting ourselves as best as possible. If time permits she will also review the process for FDA approval of new drugs/therapies.  
Next Week (May 20):   What do you say?
Rabbi's Weekly Class
 
Rabbi's Class: Thursday at 11:00 am
Louis Ginzberg's, The Legends of the Bible, can be purchased at nominal cost from Amazon
CLICK HERE TO ATTEND
Dial in by phone:   929 205 6099     Meeting ID: 362 376 833
 
Dial in by phone:  929-205-6099      Meeting ID: 836 6939 4720
 
  
YOM YERUSHALAYIM
A Musical Celebration of the 53rd Anniversary of the Re-Unification of Jerusalem
7:00 pm Thursday, May 21
Dial in by phone:  929 205 6099     Meeting ID: 338 747 559#



The 2020 Celebrate Israel Virtual Event will have a theme of  Todah  ( thank you in Hebrew). Join us in thanking all the healthcare, first responder and other frontline workers in New York, across the United States, in Israel, and around the world.  It will also be an opportunity to thank our long time sponsors, marching groups, and spectators for the past 55 years of parades and look forward to being together on 5th Avenue next year.

The Celebrate Israel Parade Virtual Event will be on   Sunday, June 7th at two times for your viewing convenience - 1pm and 7pm eastern time   at     celebrateisraelny.org!












Important/Interesting Reads
 

Dutch King Acknowledges Jews Felt "Abandoned" by His Great-Grandmother Wilhelmina  
 
Pandemics have always incited anti-Semitism. Here's the history you need to know.       
 
Polling Shows Anti-Israel Positions of U.S. Youth Fade with Age  They Survived the Holocaust, But Now They're Confronting the Virus. Comedian Elayne Boosler Horrified By $15K Catholic Monmouth County Burial For Jewish Cousin What's Happening Online This Week
Due to coronavirus, many of us are now stuck at home. But there are still so many ways to feel a part of the Jewish community! All 70 Faces Media publications - Kveller, My Jewish Learning, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency,  Alma , and the Nosher - are offering a variety of options for us to connect with one another, through Jewish food, rituals, and much more.                   

Israel
A conservative American commentator on Middle Eastern affairs , Dr.Daniel Pipes, gives six reasons to believe that taking over Palestinian territory would harm both U.S.-Israel relations and Israel's status as the Jewish state.
Annexing the West Bank Would Hurt Israel
Annexing the West Bank is a self-indulgence that has the opposite result [from the one intended]. The conclusion is simple: Don't toy with Mr. Trump's temper, don't infuriate Democrats and Europeans, don't alienate Arab leaders, don't inflame Palestinians, don't radicalize the Israeli Left, and don't add Palestinian citizens to Israel.


BDS / Anti-Semitism / anti-Zionism
 
An Era of "Philo-Semitism" The US Will Push Countries to Love Their Jews More, Anti-Semitism Monitor, Elan Carr, Says  
 
Coverage of Israel Has Undergone a Transformation amid Corona Crisis
 
Zoombombing Emphasizes the Importance of Remembering the Shoah
 
Facebook Removes Page of Conspiracy Theorist Who Blames Jews for Corona
 
And the "JB"-referring to Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, is what makes this anti-Semitic, and not an innocent display of ignorance: 
Auschwitz Museum Condemns Nazi Slogan at 'Re-open Illinois' Protest
The Auschwitz Museum and Memorial condemned a protester who brought a sign featuring the Nazi slogan "Arbeit macht frei" to a rally against Illinois's stay-at-home orders.    
 
Holocaust Imagery and Rhetoric Continue at Stay-at-Home Protests in State Capitols   

Iran / Syria / Hizbullah
Iran Attempted Cyber Attack on Israeli Water and Sewage Facilities                       
Pressure on Iran to Reconsider Military Entrenchment in Syria  
And it seems to be working:there are "a significant decline in the military presence of Iranian forces and allied Shiite militias" in Syria.                        
Ex-IDF Intelligence Chief Yadlin: The Iranians Are Not Leaving Syria
In the words of Qasem Soleimani, "protecting Tehran starts in Damascus." 
Israel: No Need for a UNIFIL Paralyzed by Hizbullah     (which would make it a lot easier for Israel to act/counter-act in Lebanon!)  
Iranian Agents Are Delivering Suitcases Stuffed with Cash to Hizbullah Terrorists while Begging for Financial Help to Deal with Coronavirus 
Mossad Intelligence Helped Germany Decide to Outlaw Hizbullah 

The Palestinians
This piece argues that we need to change the terminology to gain legitimacy for Israel by using the word/term
Israel to Loan Palestinian Authority $228 Million                                         

Hi-Tech        
Israeli Army's Idea Lab Aims at a New Target: Saving Lives                                          
 
In Midst of Pandemic, Rafael Systems Quietly Changed the Face of Israeli Hospitals            
Herd Immunity, or Big 2nd Wave? Israel Antibody Testing Hopes to Find Out
Blood tests of 100,000 Israelis will try to assess exposure to Covid-19 on a nationwide scale.
 
Intel Buys Israeli Urban Mobility Startup Moovit for $900 Million
REPORT from the IDF
* Shayetet 13, the Israeli Navy's Commando unit, developed a solution for civilians in need of oxygen, as COVID-19 impacts lung capacity.  Naturally, the unit has extensive scuba diving experience, a practice that requires compressed oxygen devices. In the face of the coronavirus,  development teams converted these operational tanks into medical, oxygen compressing systems  that meet all required standards and protocols, answering a lifesaving need. Along with development and supply, the unit is managing distribution logistics!
* The IDF's Elite Military Intelligence Directorate's 81st Technological Unit is focused on tackling several main issues amid existing shortages:   ventilators, PPE (personal protective equipment), and improved data collection. In the project "Breathing Air," the unit converts inexpensive and simple CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machines, typically used by first responders for breathing assistance, into fully functioning respirators. As coronavirus attacks patients' lungs, these machines pump air in and out, keeping sufferers alive as doctors try to fight off the virus.  The system also monitors patients' breathing and transmits this information to hospital staff. Described by doctors as "first-class invasive respirators"  that are "far, far cheaper" than proper ventilators, the IDF took a simple product that already existed in high supply, overcame the challenges of emitting sterile air in proper quantities, and ensured reliable devices in the event that existing machines and ventilators ran out.
* The IDF's elite 'Yahalom'   unit repurposed robots, originally intended to deliver heavyweight equipment to fighter forces, into coronavirus aid delivery systems. Operated at a distance via remote control, these portable and small  "Probots" transport large quantities of groceries and supplies to civilians living in "hotspot" areas , easily navigating narrow spaces crowded with parked vehicles and approaching residences without generating human exposure.
* The Israel Security Agency, the Shin Bet, worked with the Health Ministry to retrace the movements of coronavirus patients by tracking cell phone and other digital  data to identify, alert, and order into quarantine people unknowingly exposed to the pathogen . The practice spared untold numbers of people, as  the 500 people they directed into quarantine later tested positive for the virus.  This sophisticated technology was previously reserved for counterterrorism operations alone but has been revealed and deployed temporarily to save lives and curb the virus outbreak.
Well-honed skills like problem-solving crises, diagnosing potential outcomes, mitigating risks, educating, and exercising life-saving practices have all proven critical and lifesaving during this crisis. Further,  Israel and the IDF have impacted and lifted the world by immediately sharing their successful innovations to protect as many human lives as possible.
Microsoft to Buy Israel's CyberX for $165 Million                                     


Coronavirus Humor
Admittedly, it's not so easy to sing this, but... Despite the best of intentions, this is so bad and painful that you may find it laughable:
Gal Gadot and Friends Sing "Imagine"






This is from our Shul President, Mark Altschul.
 See his note below the cartoon-and my response to him:



MA: Be safe!  Please join our online services, you can talk all you want as long as you mute your microphone!
KAS: T hey can talk all they want! On Zoom I can always mute them or kick them out, neither of which I can do when they come to shul and talk .



Israeli Culture in North America
Thursday, May 7, 2020


Dance
PlayBAC: Vertigo Dance Company One. One & One | May 7, 5:00pm - May 12, 5:00pm ET
A weekly video series from BAC's rich archive of live performances, featuring multi-camera edits of premieres, with a special introduction from Founder and Artistic Director Mikhail Baryshnikov. Photo by Stephanie Berger. Click here for a message of thanks from Noa Wertheim, Vertigo Artistic Director and Choreographer.

Literature
The Jerusalem Writers Festival 2020 #The_Digital_Edition | May 10 - 13
The eighth edition of the festival will take place in an unusual format. Special emphasis will be placed on technological changes that are transforming the face of society; being a refugee in a world that has closed its borders, the complex relationships of literature with television and cinema and the impact of all of these on the future of literature.
The following authors from abroad will take part alongside a long list of Israeli authors: Nicole Krauss (USA), Leonie Swann (Germany), Matthew Weiner (USA), Gaël Faye (France/Rwanda), Tom Perrotta (USA), Michael Pollan (USA), and Marco Balzano (Italy).

Film
Gesher VOD
Gesher Multicultural Film Fund in partnership with T-Port, have made a collection of their short films available to watch online. Among them The Caregiver, a short film by Ruthy Pribar, the emerging Israeli filmmaker who just won three prizes at Tribeca Film Festival for her feature debut Asia.

Music
Roman Rabinovich, piano | May 7, 7:30pm ET
A live streamed program from the artist's home in Canada; works include Haydn's B Minor and E-flat Major sonatas, a new piece by Israeli composer Matan Porat, and a Sonatina by Rabinovich himself. 

Film
Go2Films On Demand
The film distribution company is offering a wide selection of Israeli film and series to watch at home, through their Vimeo platform.

Music
Lahav Shani with Israel & Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestras 
A unique collaboration marks the Netherlands' National Remembrance Day for the fallen of WW2, Israeli Holocaust Day and Israeli Memorial Day for the Fallen. Thirty-one musicians join Lahav Shani to perform an excerpt from Mozart's last piano concerto.

Dance
Paramodernities Live | Through May 9, 3:00pm ET
Netta Yerushalmy presents the livestream premiere of her epic work Paramodernities. The six-part encyclopedic series deconstruct historic dance works by Alvin Ailey, George Blanchine, Merce Cunningham, Bob Fosse, Martha Graham and Vaslav Nijinsky. Each performance is followed by a live discussion with special guests. One installment every day.

Music
The Guy Mintus Show | Thursdays, 2pm
The young Israeli piano virtuoso has built a weekly worldwide audience in the thousands for an intimate show in which he presents gems from his repertoire of many genres, as well as requests from dedicated viewers.

Art
Zoya Cherkassky: Lost Time | Through May 10
This exhibition, featured in The New York Times, is the second in Fort Gansevoort's ongoing online series, Seeing Through You. Curated by Alison M. Gingeras.

Music
Orli Shaham's Bach Yard Playdates
The internationally acclaimed pianist Orli Shaham brings her interactive classical concert series for children to your home with Season One of a new, 10-episode online series presented by Kaufman Music Center introducing musical concepts, instruments and the experience of concert-going to children.

Dance
Two Room Apartment in Quarantine
After having created numerous clips on their many tours abroad, dancers and choreographers Niv Sheinfeld and Oren Laor present a unique Tel Aviv edition, created at home. The work "Two Room Apartment" was inspired by the 1987 dance by Liat Dror and Nir Ben Gal. Photo by Efrat Mazor.

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