SHABBAT SHALOM, GESHER SHALOM!


 
December 28, 2018
 
  [  HOME ] [ MESSENGER ]  [  CONTACT RABBI STERN]
Shabbat Times: 
Candle Lighting
Evening Service
Morning Service
Minha
4:18 pm
7:00pm
9:30am
4:00pm
 
  Forecast: 49/ partly cloudy

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 
Beth Johnson
Deborah Kern
Marcia Orange
Michael Seymour
Reva Strasfeld
Kenneth Rak
Luba Veiland-Ciardiello
Laurie Smilovitz
Valerie Maier
Aviv Gensler
Sally Seymour
Neil Benjamin Dasgupta
 
Hilda & Jack Reisner
 


   UPCOMING EVENTS
                                
Saturday 12/29
Morning Service 9:30 am
Minha , S'uda Shlishit (3rd Shabbat Meal), timely topic, Maariv and Havdalah 4:00 pm
Sunday 12/30
No Hebrew School
Tuesday 1/1
Office Closed
Morning Service 9:00 am
Evening Service 7:45 pm
Thursday 1/3
Visiting Scholar Rabbi David J. Fine-Lecture series "The Jews in Germany: A Complicated Legacy" 12:45 pm
Friday 1/4
Bible Class 11:30 am
 
 
It's vacation time.  Many regulars are away.  If you are around, our minyan will welcome you royally. Services are all at the regular times, except for the 1st, when morning services will be held at 9:00 a.m.

Special Thanks to:
Sy Green
Dr. Marianne Wolff
Jeff Adler
Cantor Judy Naimark
Alan Herschenfeld
Dr. Leon Perkal
and of course Cantor Paul Zim
for all pitching in and covering various aspects of the "jobs" are usually mine.  Happy New Year, Everyone!




Torah Rea ding   335        Haftarah 343
SH'MOT
In the years following Joseph's death, the Israelites became a sizable group within Egypt. Pharaoh, worried about a potential fifth column in the event of a war, enslaved the Children of Israel and had them build store-cities. He also ordered the Hebrew midwives to kill all newborn Israelite males, but the midwives disobeyed at the risk of their own lives. Thereupon, Pharaoh ordered all newborn sons to be drowned in the Nile.
 
One Israelite couple, from the tribe Levi, spares their newborn son. When they can conceal him no longer they set him afloat in the Nile in a basket, while his older sister, Miriam, watches from a distance. Pharaoh's daughter finds the boy and adopts him as her own. She names him Moses, and at the suggestion of Miriam, who has now come forward, she engages the boy's mother as his nursemaid.
 
Moses grows up in the royal palace, but he retains a compassion for the enslaved Israelites. He slays an Egyptian overseer who is beating a Hebrew. The next day he intervenes in a quarrel between two Hebrews, and one of them asks if Moses will slay him, too, as he had the Egyptian.
 
Moses realizes that his life is in danger and he flees to Midian where he works as a shepherd for Jethro, a Midianite priest. Moses marries Jethro's daughter, Tziporrah, and they have two sons.
 
While out shepherding, Moses sees an unusual sight - a bush is covered in flames but otherwise undamaged - and he approaches it. God speaks to Moses at the bush and tells him that he will be God's messenger to Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of bondage. God reveals his personal name to Moses and equips him with the power to perform certain wondrous deeds with which he will convince both the Israelites and Egyptians of his divine mission. These serve to reassure a reluctant Moses to return to Egypt.

The enslaved Hebrews welcome Moses' message from God and take courage, but Pharaoh rejects Moses' demand for the release of the people and he subjects the Israelites to increased hardships. The Israelites accuse Moses of worsening their plight; Moses is disheartened, but God reassures him that ultimately God's might will prevail against Pharaoh.





Tonight at 7:00 p.m.
Tomorrow morning at 9:30 a.m.
Tomorrow at 4:00 p.m.:
Minha, Seudah Shlishit, Ma'ariv & Havdalah
During Seudah Shlishit we will read a recent New York Times op Ed
Fighting for Judaism in the Jewish State: I am an Orthodox rabbi dedicating my life to breaking the ultra-Orthodox monopoly over Jewish life in Israel, by Rabbi Seth Farber                        

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 
  
Mr. Kenneth Eisenstein will be observing yahrzeit for his mother , Rose Eisenstein on Friday evening, December 28th
Mr. Harvey Fishman will be observing yahrzeit for his father, George Fishman on Saturday evening, December 29th
Mr. Joseph Hyman will be observing yahrzeit for his mother, Sarah Hyman on Saturday evening, December 29th
Mr. Alex Salit will be observing yahrzeit for his brother, Seymour Salit on Saturday evening, December 29th
Mr. Stanley Axelrod will be observing yahrzeit for his mother, Mildred Axelrod on Sunday evening, December 30th
Mr. Niles Burton will be observing yahrzeit for his mother, Roslyn Burton on Sunday evening, December 30th
Mr. Alvin Cohen will be observing yahrzeit for his uncle, Abraham Margolis on Sunday evening, December 30th
Ms. Roberta Mathes will be observing yahrzeit for her father, Frederick Mathes on Sunday evening, December 30th
Mrs. Phyllis Breit will be observing yahrzeit for her mother, Pearl Schinder on Sunday evening, December 30th
Mrs. Irene Eisenstein will be observing yahrzeit for her mother, Ruth Cohen on Monday evening, December 31st
Ms. Carolyn Tauber will be observing yahrzeit for her grandfather, Bernard Lippel on Wednesday evening, January 2nd
Mr. Robert Rosenberg will be observing yahrzeit for his wife, Helene Rosenberg on Thursday evening, January 3rd
Mrs. Ann Bloch will be observing yahrzeit for her cousin, Clarice Weill on Thursday evening, January 3rd





Masorti Looks Back on the Past Year
 
Masorti Milestones in 2018  By the Numbers: 
800,000:  The Jewish People Policy Institute reports that 800,000 Israeli Jews are seeking out alternatives to Orthodox Judaism and would prefer to become more involved with either Masorti or other liberal streams of Judaism.
300,000:  And how many of them are already aligned with Masorti (Conservative) Judaism? Over 300,000! Masorti appeals to Israeli Jews throughout the country who are seeking authentic Jewish tradition combined with modernity.
1,600/711:  Explosive growth in Masorti's youth movement, NOAM! Now 1,600 members strong with a record 711 campers attending this summer. NOAM is the growth engine of Masorti, shaping future of young leaders.
1,000+:  Over 1,000 egalitarian services were held at Azarat Yisrael, the Masorti Kotel, demonstrating the power of Masorti's "One Wall for One People" advocacy campaign.
1,000's:  Standing strong for 1,000's of members of the Jewish Abayudaya community in Uganda, including many Masorti converts seeking equal rights under the law to live and study in Israel. We continue to advocate for Yosef Kibita, who is now in court fighting for his right to make Aliyah.
100's:  Kids with disabilities get the opportunity to fully participate in Jewish and Israeli life thanks to Masorti. Over 150 kids are empowered through their Bar and Bat Mitzvah ceremonies, made possible by ADRABA--the Shirley Lowy Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities. With your help, we can get to our goal of 220 in three years.
1:  When it comes to justice, 1 act at a time makes the difference! Defending Rabbi Dubi Haiyun, our Masorti colleague from Haifa, when he was arresting for officiating at a Masorti wedding, may have led to his election as the first non-Orthodox deputy mayor of an Israeli city. We are proud.



Total of 2018 Condemnations adopted at UN General Assembly:

Israel 21

Iran 1 
Syria 1 
North Korea 1 
Russia 1 
Myanmar 1 
US 1 
Algeria 0 
China 0 
Hamas 0 
Iraq 0 
Pakistan 0 
Qatar 0 
Saudi 0 
Somalia 0 
Turkey 0 
Venezuela 0 
Zimbabwe 0



The Palestinian Authority Is about to Lead the World Group of Developing Nations                                        
               
Tablet's Top Ten Stories for 2018                           
TV Series is Rare Dutch Celebration of Jewish Culture                                                              
 
 
This is from 2017, but it was just brought to my attention:
Oxford Union Debate 
Proposition: The U.N. is a Failing Institution
Watch Anne Bayefsky's Summation (predictably, she lost)     
The U.N is a Failing Institution | Prof Anne Bayefsky | 7 of 8
The U.N is a Failing Institution | Prof Anne Bayefsky | 7 of 8
 




ISRAEL
 

 
From Twitter:
Right outside my town, an entire Jewish city has been unearthed. It is massive, has wine presses & pottery dating it from the time of King Hezekiah & the 1st Temple 2700 y/o. People on Twitter tell me Jews have no connection to this land. I invite you to come see for yourself.
 


Israel Booms with Babies as Developed World's Birth Rates Plummet. Here's Why 
 

Life in Jerusalem Becoming More Integrated for Jews and Arabs                                                       

SodaStream CEO Says Company Setting Up Plant in Gaza 
 

Israeli Student Wins Global Business Simulation Challenge  
Electric Scooters: Israel's Two-Wheeled Solution to Traffic and Sabbath                                                  
 

Israeli-German Mini-Satellite System May Improve Weather Forecasting 
 
Why would Israel even consider using a Chinese company for the Haifa port?  Simple: there are very few companies with the expertise in building and managing ports-and this company was the only bidder

Israel Works to Defuse U.S. Concerns over Chinese Control of Haifa Port  


BDS / Anti-Semitism / Anti-Zionism












Love Chapter 2
L-E-V at The Joyce Theater
Choreographer Sharon Eyal
Wednesday, January 23 |7:30 pm
January 24 thru 26 | 8:00 pm
Sunday, January 27 | 2:00 pm
Sharon Eyal's Love Chapter 2 is a spellbinding and provocative dance that stares unflinchingly at isolation and loneliness. Blending striking imagery with intoxicatingly powerful movement, the work explores what we are left with when our connection to each other breaks down. Driven forward by the pulsating techno beats of DJ Ori Lichtik, the dance is an uninhibited and exhilarating look at the inexplicable nature of love.


Dance
Riff this/ Riff that
Ephrat Asherie Dance
January 5, 2019 | 8:00 pm
January 6, 2019 | 2:00 pm
The Joyce Theater
Choreography, Ephrat Asherie; Music, Ehud Asherie
Bessie-award winning choreographer Ephrat Asherie collaborates with renowned jazz pianist Ehud Asherie on Riff this, Riff that. Exploring the jazz dance roots of breaking, hip hop, and house, this brother and sister duo is joined by an all-star cast of performers who take on the choreographer's rapid-fire movement, which features "compact bursts of choreography" that "bubble up and dissipate, quickly paving the way for something new" (The New York Times).


Music
Salute to 3 Knights with
Asi Matatius, violin
Jupiter Symphony Players
January 7th | 2:00 pm, 7:30 pm
Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church
William Wolfram, piano, Asi Matatias, violin, Eunae Koh, violin, Maurycy Banaszek, viola, Zlatomir Fung, cello, Barry Crawford, flute, Vadim Lando, clarinet
Asi Matatius, a protégé of Pinchas Zukerman, is already recognized as one of the most talented musicians of his generation. As an enthusiastic chamber musician, he has participated in festivals such as the Jerusalem, Con Anima (Austria), Vienna Bezirk Wochen Festspiele, Israel, and Prussia Cove in England.


Exhibition
Should We Keep The Head Artist, Amir Nave SHIN Gallery
November 28 - January 6, 2019
Amir Nave (b. 1974), an Israeli artist with a solo show at SHIN Gallery includes smaller drawings of ink and pen on paper and large paintings made of oil and graphite on canvas. In all of these works, Nave attempts to create moments of eternity within immortal objects. He is interested in consciousness and human emotion and through his attempt at subversion, he exploits them to their fullest states. The viewer becomes aware that they too, are simply a figure with an acute sense of awareness and limitation.


Dance
ZviDance
Choreographer Zvi Gotheiner
Saturday, January 26 | 7:00 pm
Sunday, January 27 | 2:00 pm
Lumberyard Catskill NY
Israeli choreographer Zvi Gotheiner, in collaboration with 8 dancers, Media Designer Josh Higgason, Composer Scott Killian and lighting Designer Mark London, will create MAIM ('water' in Hebrew), a new evening-length dance work, to be premiered at the New York Live Arts in November 2019. MAIM is in continuation of works Gotheiner created like GLACIER, GREEN MAPand DANCING THE BEAR'S EARS, reflecting on the current collision between humanity and nature. Through choreography, video imagery and sound, MAIM sets out to raise awareness to issues related to the global diminishing water resources due to global warming.



Dance
Israeli Artists
Saturday, January 5 | 8:30 pm
Sunday, January 6 | 4:30 pm
Salvatore Capezio Theater
Israeli artists Igal Perry of Peridance Contemporary Dance Company, and Ido Tadmor, founder of Dance Arts, and Koresh Dance Company will be among the 20 innovative artists whose companies will be featured during the 2019 APAP Association of Performing Arts Professionals Conference week, at the Salvatore Capezio Theater. Artist programs will feature companies from: Sweden, Canada, Israel, Chicago, Los Angeles, and more.


Music
Israeli Artists
WINTER JAZZFEST NYC 2019
January 4 - 12, 2019
WINTER JAZZFEST NYC 2019
Israeli artists Reut Regev, Shai Maestro Trio, Guy Mintus Trio + Roopa Mahadevan, and Gilad Hekselman will be featured among many other international artists for the longest WINTER JAZZFEST ever.


Exhibition
The Desert Shall Rejoice and Blossom : Photography
Cleveland Israel Arts Connection
Through January 2019
Roe Green Gallery Mandel Building Beechwood Cleveland
Israeli artists Oded Balilty and Tal Shochat provide contrasting yet complementary metaphors for the spirit of their native country: the prickly pear and the fruit tree. Balilty's somber black and white "Sabra Traces" a series and examines the tenacious, thorny, and omnipresent cactus that has come to symbolize native-born Israelis. Shochat's lush, colorful portraits of fruit trees in bloom and full fruit, are shot in the fields, but have been isolated against cloth backdrops and groomed for the camera. Balilty, a Pulitzer-prize winning documentary photographer, captures his country as it is, while Shochat creates an idealized vision, an Edenic Israel made possible by the character traits represented by the sabra.



  Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter
JCC of Fort Lee/Congregation Gesher Shalom
1449 ANDERSON AVE. FORT LEE NJ 07024 MAIN OFFICE: (201)-947-1735


© 2013 Company Name. All Rights Reserved.