SHABBAT SHALOM, GESHER SHALOM!


 
August 10th, 2018
 
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Shabbat Times: 
Candle Lighting
Evening Service
Morning Minyan
Minha
7:42pm
7:00pm
9:30am
7:15pm
 
  Forecast: 80/chance of rain 

IN THIS ISSUE...
Shabbat Kiddush
Debbie & Charles Shatz have enhanced today's kiddush in honor of the 13th Anniversary of Zachary's Bar Mitzvah   
  
 
Birthdays & Anniversaries
Liam Altschul
Noah Altschul
Lois Bruno
William Katz
Benjamin Altschul
Bernard Maidenberg
Helen Kimberly
 
Marlene & Leon Perkal
 
   

   UPCOMING EVENTS
Saturday 8/11
Minyan 9:30 am
Minha 7:15 pm
Tuesday 8/14
Visiting Scholar Eitan Kastner "The Jewish Recipe for Success: How Judaism Survived the Diaspora" 1:00 pm
Thursday 8/16
On the Road with the Rabbi : Fiddler on the Roof
RSVP required- tickets sold out
Friday 8/17
Bible Study 11:30 am
Friday Night BBQ and service 6:00 pm
 

Holy Rollers and Wrappers
No Experience Necessary
We're changing over the Torah mantles from their yearlong colors to HiHo white. Saturday, September 1 at 1:00 p.m. Please join us in the Main Sanctuary!
  
KOHANIM: Raise your Hands!
Arnold Grodman, our Kohanic expert par excellence,and I
 invite you to join us at one of 2 information 
training sessions
 at 7:00 p.m. in the Chapel  
Wednesday, August 22   or   Wednesday, August 29
 
 
Even if...
  • You have never done this before
  • You don't know the words
  • You can't sing
  • You feel that you are not religious enough
  • You get nervous on a stage
    You...name it!
We still want YOU!   We still want YOU!  We still want YOU!

 
If you would like to dedicate one or more volumes of this siddur to the Congregation-perhaps in memory of someone or in honor of someone or recognizing a special occasion, please call the Shul office. The cost is $54 per volume.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Torah Reading 1061                     Haftarah 1085
R'EIH
 
In yet a further continuation of Moses' farewell speeches, the Israelites are informed that a future of either blessings or curses is in their hands. The specifics of these alternatives will be spelled out in a ceremony that is to take place upon entry into the land. All is contingent upon adherence to the Torah.
 
As part of the Torah's program for eradicating idolatry, all local cultic shrines, sacrifices and other practices were to be eliminated; ritual would be centrally concentrated "in the place that God would choose." The second tithe was to be brought to this central location - not for donation to the Sanctuary, but to be consumed and enjoyed by the religious pilgrim. Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot were to be celebrated by pilgrimage to this as yet unidentified, "place."
 
Other idolatrous trappings were also prohibited: child sacrifice, and inflicting gashes or shaving as a sign of mourning. False prophets - those who encouraged idolatry - were to be executed, and any town that had been subverted (i.e., that had totally gone over to idolatry) was to be thoroughly destroyed.
 
The laws of kashrut are reiterated, after which a further dietary restriction is added: both animals and produce are tithed--some of the tithes go to the poor , some to the Levite and some are to be eaten by the pilgrim at the Sanctuary.
 
Tithing logically leads into details of a social and economic contract that gives great consideration to the  poor , and the sidra concludes with the reasoning behind the three Pilgrim age Festivals
 
 






 
My thanks to Cantor Zim, Jeff Adler, Regina Freidman & Evelyn Baer (my brain trust) and Alan Herchenfeld for holding the fort while I attend a family celebration followed by AIPAC's annual Rabbinic Symposium
Tonight at 7:00 p.m.
Tomorrow morning at 9:30 a.m.
Torah and Haftarah introductions by Dr. Avi Yacobi
D'var Torah by Diana Yacobi
Mazal Tov to Zachary Shatz on his Bar Mitzvah anniversary; Zach will chant the haftarah
Tomorrow at 7:15 p.m.:
Minha, Seudah Shlishit, Ma'ariv & Havdalah
During Seudah Shlishit we will read:  
Moscow Holds the Key to Peace Between Jerusalem and Damascus       
Russia is more important than the United States in averting war between Israel and Syria                                                                                                                          
                                                             
 






 
Please join our MINIONS and help us to make our MINYAN
Sunday at 9:00 a.m. ~~~ Monday - Thursday 7:45 p.m. ~~~ Monday - Friday 7:00 a.m.
 
 
This Week's Yahrzeit Observances
We hope that our weekly listing of yahrzeit observances will serve 2 purposes:
1)     To remind those who ha
ve 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 
 
Myra London will be observing yahrzeit for her husband,Daniel London on Sunday evening, August 12th
Myrna Block will be observing yahrzeit for her grandmother,Bella Rosen on Monday evening, August 13th
Iris Coleman will be observing yahrzeit for her sister,Karen Sue Coleman on Monday evening, August 13th
Gerald Koszer will be observing yahrzeit for his father,Sidney Koszer on Tuesday evening, August 14th
Larry Lesh will be observing yahrzeit for his grandfather,Sam Leshefsky on Tuesday evening, August 14th
Rona Topiel will be observing yahrzeit for her mother,Tillie Weissman on Tuesday evening, August 14th
Myra London will be observing yahrzeit for her father,Bernard Weidman on Wednesday evening, August 15th
Marilyn Saposh will be observing yahrzeit for her father-in-law,Nathan Saposh on Thursday evening, August 16th 
Ellen Yuder will be observing yahrzeit for her husband,Paul Yuder on Thursday evening, August 16th 
 
  
  



 Important Reads
UN. Recognizes Israeli Youth Group That Brings Together Kids With and Without Special Needs    
This is the critical thinking that comes with an Oxford education... (but his spokesperson got it right: "He hopes for a day when there will be no need for security barriers in the State of Israel, but while active terrorist organizations threaten the safety of the people living in Israel, security barriers are unfortunate but necessary to protect human lives.")
Echoes of Billings, Montana "Not in Our Town":
Billboards Erected in Support of Vandalized Indiana Synagogue                                               
                                               
 
EU Stops Funding Anti-Israel NGO                                                                                 
In Crisis After Crisis, Israel is Losing the Public Relations War. Is it Winnable? 
Do you recall the archive that US troops found in the basement of Saddam Hussein's Defense Ministry? There was nothing in it of military value; it contained confiscated records, documents and sacred texts (some very valuable, some rather pedestrian) from the Iraqi Jewish Community. The metal boxes were all water-logged and transferred to the US National Archive for rehabilitation and preservation. Some of the artifacts were on display in a gallery in the National Archive. Legally, the trove, even though seized from the Iraqi Jewish Community, belongs to the Iraqi Government, and they want it back, and initially our Government committed to returning the restored documents. But now...

State Department Says It Is Working to Extend Iraqi Jewish Archive's Stay in US 
LIVING AS A JEW IN JORDAN
S&P Raises Israel's Credit Rating                                                                                 


 
The US Peace Plan
This interview is quite a coup for the Hamodia newspaper, a publication that most of you never heard of it. It's published daily in Hebrew and weekly in English. It reflects the views and mindset of the Haredi community, both in United States (its headquarters is in Brooklyn), and in Israel.
The thing that impressed me the most about this interview with Jason Greenblatt is how open and honest Greenbaltt seems about almost everything. The only thing that he is tightlipped about is the details of the peace plan.
Why give an interview to Hamodia - and why now? Well, you can bet that the publishers and readers are big Trump supporters. The questions Greenblatt was asked were all softball. And the timing... I think that the information contained in the next article is a partial answer to that question.
The Understated Statesman: An Interview With Jason Greenblatt
And then this:
If this is true, then a major assumption of the plan is without foundation:


More on The New Basic Law
Or so she says (Bibi's Advisor for World Communities)... Too bad that Masorti and Reform Jews are not minorities, or they could/might be recognized as having rights. And read the piece that follows it for Danny Gordis' view on the erosion of free speech in Israel:
The new law does not erode a single right or protection of any minority. It actually reaffirms Israel's commitment to minority groups.                                                                        
 Recent detentions of those who disagree with Netanyahu's government are unsettling for a democracy                       
And this article provides more detail on one such incident that Gordis writes about:

2 American-Jewish Activists Living in Israel Detained at Border with Egypt                                                               
Simone Zimmerman said she was asked why she came to Israel to work with Palestinians as opposed to Jews     

Tens of Thousands of Druze and Their Supporters Rally Against Nation-State Law                                 
 






Gaza
As a "city boy" I have no real concept of how big an acres is. But when I read that the farm, forest and wilderness areas destroyed by incendiary devices from Gaza cover an area the size of the city of Tel Aviv, that made an indelible impression.

UN Photos: The Effects of Arson Kites on Israel 
 
 
I may be dead wrong, but this is how I interpret the remarks of the man who conceived the Great March of Return. First of all, note that he spoke at a Hamas-sponsored conference-Hamas the group that hijacked and exploited his idea-Hamas the group that cares not one iota for loss of life or limb, unless it's their own. I think he is once again being exploited by Hamas, this time as a face-saving cover for ending the border protests as Hamas enters a ceasefire with Israel. Why is Hamas interested in a ceasefire? Because the price Israel has been exacting is too high (only food and medicines may now enter Gaza) and Hamas does not want things to escalate militarily because it fears Israel will take the gloves off this time and remove it/them from power.

Spearhead of Gaza Border Protests Says "We've Lost Battle for Public Opinion"  
Fatah Warns Hamas Against Reaching Truce Accord with Israel    
Israel Sees Low Chance for Long-Term Agreement with Hamas

Renewed Clashes Between Israel and Gaza Interrupt Talk of Cease-Fire  
IDF Says War in Gaza Approaching 
Israeli Navy Intercepts Second Gaza-Bound Boat 
To Reboot Gaza, Look to Jenin in the West Bank      






U.S. Policy
U.S. Targets UNRWA                     

Legislation Aims to Make U.S. Aid to Palestinian Refugee Agency Contingent on Reform
The proposed bill "would return UNRWA to its original framework and address this false narrative of an inflated refugee population."  


















Pop Culture
Some would call her a ringer-runner:

Israeli Runner Wins Gold at European Championships      
 
This Week in Gal Gadot: She Who Invented Wi-Fi           
Your favorite actress will soon portray a real-life wonder woman, Hollywood star and brilliant inventor Hedy Lamarr  
The comedian's new show makes a mockery of Israeli machismo. But he doesn't know who they really are. 

This Unlikely Brooklyn Block Spawned 4 Jewish Superstars: 
Mason, Dershowitz, Gould & Koufax   
"So he looked at me like I was nothing and I looked at him the same way. We would pass each other on the street, just two egomaniacs with no place to go."                                                                   
A Conversation With the Creators of "The Spy Who Dumped Me" the Comedy Starring Mila Kunis
Susanna Fogel and David Iserson on filming in Budapest, women in Hollywood, and their favorite Jewish joke   
 Artist Jason Mecier sculpts the rich and famous out of detritus               

Former Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera travels to Israel on interfaith mission 
  It's the baseball star's second visit to the Jewish state                                                             

Amar'e Stoudemire Is on a Religious Quest     
Uncovering Bruce Lee's Hidden Jewish Ancestry                                                                                                             
In a new book by scholar Matthew Polly, research shows the American-born action film star was a polyglot with diverse ethnic backgrounds             
 
Yesterday was Whitney Houston's birthday:
Whitney Houston would have turned 55. Her music played at bar and bat mitzvahs across America in the 1990s-the theme songs of a forgotten adolescence                                                      
                                
 






On the Road with the Rabbi      
Fiddler on the Roof-SOLD OUT!
To celebrate a new all-Yiddish production of 'Fiddler on the Roof,' we take a look at the play's enduring cultural significance, and talk to the actors about learning Yiddish for their roles. Click here to read more. 






 
















 






























 
Dear Friends,

As the summer winds down and we prepare for another school year, I wanted to let you know about an exciting new AJC New Jersey program, Leaders For Tomorrow (LFT). It is the kind of forward-thinking program that has me so excited and honored to play a role with AJC New Jersey's volunteer leadership. As a parent, I know how important it is to prepare our children for the challenges they may face on their college campuses, including anti-Semitism and anti-Israel bias. LFT works to develop the skills our children need to be strong Jewish leaders. I urge you to encourage your high school students to apply! More details about the program and how to apply can be found below.

Best,
Sheri Goldberg

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Dear AJC NJ Lay Leaders,

American Jewish Committee (AJC) is pleased to introduce to the families of New Jersey, an exciting, award-winning leadership development opportunity for rising high school sophmores, juniors, and seniors - Leaders For Tomorrow (LFT).


LFT will build on AJC's mission to develop young Jewish leaders who can advocate for the Jewish people, Israel and human rights around the world, and serve as positive change agents for their peers and community. AJC's goal is to ensure that graduates of the program enter college with knowledge and confidence to engage in ongoing dialogue regarding anti-Semitism and Israel.
Leaders For Tomorrow
Leaders For Tomorrow


LFT will consist of seven live, interactive training sessions on Sundays from 5:00pm to 8:00pm beginning in the Fall of 2018. These sessions will take place in Millburn, NJ and will include dinner.

Dates of the program are as follows:

October 21
November 18
December 16
February 10
March 17
April 21
May 19

Topics covered will include past and current Israeli affairs, challenges facing global Jewry including the BDS movement, among others, and how to effectively utilize strategic networks in advocacy. These lessons are important for students of all backgrounds as they approach college and are transferable to myriad facets of life.

We encourage applications be submitted as soon as possible. Admission to this program is highly competitive. Participants will be selected based on their application, and one or more subsequent interviews.

The deadline to apply is Friday, September 7. There is no cost to apply or participate.

Please reach out to Dena Dubofsky with any questions at [email protected] or 973.379.7844.

Sincerely,

Rabbi David C. Levy                      Dena Dubofsky
AJC NJ Regional Director           AJC NJ Assistant Director



NOW- SEPTEMBER 30
 ONLY!
 
IMAGINATION MEETS REALITY
VITALY 
AN EVENING OF WONDERS
"AMAZING MAGIC. INGENIOUS!" -Penn & Teller
"VITALY BRINGS ART TO LIFE." -HuffPost
 
BUY NOW & SAVE OVER 30% 
$59 Orchestra Seats (reg. $89)
3 WAYS TO BUY YOUR TICKETS:
1. ONLINE: Click Here or Visit TelechargeOffers.com & enter code: VITLSP
2. BY PHONE: Call 212-947-8844 & mention code: VITLSP
3. IN PERSON: Print this offer & bring to The Westside Theatre 407 W. 43rd St. Btw 9th & 10th Ave 
Vitaly, celebrated as one of the most unique and innovative illusionists in the world, brings his most ambitious work yet, An Evening of Wonders, to New York audiences for a strictly limited engagement June 13 - September 30 at the Westside Theatre. "He is an ingenious inventor, full of charming surprises and amazing magic" hail Penn & Teller. Creating a theatrical experience that takes the audience on a magical journey blending art and illusion, Vitaly conjures some of the most amazing spectacles ever witnessed and dazzles us with the realization that ours is indeed a world of extraordinary wonder and beauty!