SHABBAT SHALOM, GESHER SHALOM!


 
August 31st, 2018
 
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Shabbat Times: 
Candle Lighting
Evening Service
Morning Minyan
Minha
7:12pm
7:00pm
9:30am
12:30pm
 
  Forecast: 80/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 & Anniversaries
Kathy Grazian
Gerald Koszer
Suzette Kolitch
Anita Krauss
Harvey Fishman
Trudi Mohl
Alex Jakoby
Karl Sudakoff

Eve Kohut & Daniel Kraut
Madelyn & Richard Danoff
Nancy & Gregory Vorbach
Charlene & Alan Stern
Phyllis & Seligman Rosenberg
Ariella & Evan Fein
Yetta & Bernard Maidenberg
 


   UPCOMING EVENTS
   
Saturday 9/1
Minyan 9:30 am
Minha 12:30 pm
Holy Rollers & Wrappers: changing the torah mantle from color to white 1:00 pm
Selichot Program: Maariv & Havdalah, followed by the Israeli movie The Band's Visit Part 2, collation and service beginning at 8:15 pm
Monday 9/3
Office Closed Labor Day
Minyan 9:00 am
Tuesday 9/4
Sisterhood Board Meeting 1:00 pm
Wednesday 9/5
On the Road with the Rabbi to see "Operation Finale" 1:50 pm at Edgewater Multiplex Cinemas


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!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        


Tonight at 7:00 p.m.
Tomorrow morning at 9:30 a.m.
Mazal Tov to Candice Guttman and Manuel Holden on the birth of their daughter, Madelyn Belle, who will receive her Hebrew name during the service.
Tomorrow's sermon:  
Prisoners and Hostages: John McCain, Natan Sharansky, Gilad Shlait and Rabbi Meir of Rothenburg
Mincha at 12:30
Torah Mantle Changeover at 1:00
Selichot Program beginning at 8:30


 
 Torah Reading  
KI TAVO
 
This week's portion includes liturgical ceremonies that are to be performed once the Israelites take possession of the land.
The first fruits were to be presented by the farmer in the central sanctuary accompanied by a declaration of thanksgiving set in a historical context. (This passage is familiar to us as one of the central texts of the Passover Haggadah.)
The tithe of the third year was designated for charitable purposes; it too was to be accompanied by a declaration by the farmer of his complete compliance with the laws of the tithe. It concluded with a prayer for God's blessing on the people and the land.

Immediately upon crossing the Jordan River, the nation was to perform the following actions: the whole Torah was to be written on twelve large stones erected on Mount Ebal, an altar was to be built on the site and sacrifices offered, and a festival meal was to be observed. The Torah was then to be ratified by the tribes, with the Levites proclaiming blessings and curses for either the fulfillment or abrogation of the Torah and the people responding "Amen."

Moses concludes this section of his farewell speech by reiterating and expanding upon the blessings for adherence to the Torah and the punishments for failing to do so. (This lengthy passage is known as the Tochechah - rebuke.)

The sidra concludes with an appeal by Moses to remain faithful to God who has watched over the Israelites from the deliverance from Egypt until this very moment.
 






 
OUR NEW SIDDUR
Okay, okay...you have to give it time until you get used to the page numbers, and that what used to be on one page might now be spread over 2...but that is because this new prayer book of ours is a treasure trove of explanations and commentary-and inspirational readings. And we are committed to explorating it together on shabbat mornings through brief, interactive moments throughout the shabbat miorning service, and through lengthier themed teaching duirng the sermon slot (not tomoorow, but next week!).
I feel sure that once you have encountered this siddur you will understand just how precious it is, and I hope that you will want to dedicate one or more volumes to the synagogue-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.








   
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 
 
Myrna Weissman will be observing yahrzeit for her father-in-law, Max Weissman on Friday evening, August 31st
Jean Burnick will be observing yahrzeit for her sister-in-law, Lorraine Burnick on Friday evening, August 31st
Yetta Maidenberg will be observing yahrzeit for her father, Joseph Danto on Saturday evening, September 1st
Hilde Straus will be observing yahrzeit for her father-in-law, Henry Straus on Saturday evening, September 1st 
Sheila Scherl will be observing yahrzeit for her mother, Belle Meisler on Sunday evening, September 2nd
Stuart Kimberly will be observing yahrzeit for his sister, Leona Bleiberg on Sunday evening, September 2nd
Shirley Kochansky will be observing yahrzeit for her father, Sam Lesnick on Monday evening, September 3rd
Scott Alenick will be observing yahrzeit for his father, Jerome Alenick on Monday evening, September 3rd
Florence Silverberg will be observing yahrzeit for her father, Philip Berman on Tuesday evening, September 4th
Marlene Perkal will be observing yahrzeit for her father, Marcus Laufer on Tuesday evening, September 4th
Leslie Fromkin will be observing yahrzeit for her mother, Shirley Kasloff on Wednesday evening, September 5th
Craig Barnett will be observing yahrzeit for his father, Larry Barnett on Wednesday evening, September 5th
Allen Kampel will be observing yahrzeit for his brother, Bob Kampel on Thursday evening, September 6th
Robert Gordon will be observing yahrzeit for his father, Benjamin Gordon on Thursday evening, September 6th
Diane Sudakoff will be observing yahrzeit for her mother, Eva Zucker on Thursday evening, September 6th
Jerome Margolin will be observing yahrzeit for his nephew, Ronald Paul Margolin on Thursday evening, September 6th
 
   
  




On the Road With the Rabbi
Now that theaters are extending its run (initially it was playing for only 1-3 days) and more theaters are showing it...
Mark your calendars for Wednesday, September 5th-- 1:50 p.m.
EDGEWATER MULTIPLEX CINEMAS:  339 RIVER ROAD, EDGEWATER, NJ  to see

Below are some Operation Finale reviews and other interesting material:

In "Operation Finale," the Agonizing Hunt for a Nazi  
Chris Weitz's new film stars Oscar Isaac as one of the agents who captured the Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann (played by Ben Kingsley) and transported him to stand trial in Israel                                    

Why Was This Badass Mossad Operative Left Out of "Operation Finale"? 
Chris Weitz's new 'Operation Finale' elegantly escapes turning into another dreary film that's too embalmed in reverence to deal with real emotions
'Operation Finale' and Israel's Improbable Transformation                                                            
An Interview with Director Chris Weitz and Actor Nick Kroll           
Here's How JTA Covered the Real-Life Story of "Operation Finale' and Eichmann's Capture
JTA published more than 600 articles in the two years between Israel's nabbing of the Holocaust architect and his execution.                                                                                           






Important Reads
Written 4 years ago; still relevant and bears repeating today...

An Insider's Guide to the Most Important Story on Earth
A former AP correspondent explains how and why reporters get Israel so wrong, and why it matters                            
If Israel's newest Basic Law "does not change anything for anyone", as this essay claims, why was there a need for it?
While it is true that other countries-even democratic countries-have similar laws, many of the objections to this law, including my own, stem from its triumphalist and discriminatory tone, and its failure to extend an olive branch to any of Israel's minorities, including Masorti and Reform Jews.
I devoted 2 sermons to this law in recent weeks; if you'd like a copy, please let me know.

On Israel's Nation-State Law  
Israel Does Not Have an Official Religion, But Britain Does                                                                             
Listen to Each Other on Israel's Nation-State Debate 
My 14-Year-Old Daughter Loves the Miracle of Israel. It was Time for Her to See the Other Side    
One Dead, 17 Sickened From Salmonella Linked to Empire Kosher Chicken  
  The C.D.C. said that it is not advising people to avoid eating kosher chicken or Empire Kosher brand chicken.  "We advise that people always cook raw chicken to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid food poisoning."


Senator John McCain

When John McCain Hilariously Announced He Was Converting to Judaism 
At a 2012 roast to mark Joe Lieberman's retirement, the Arizona senator wryly recounted all the Jewish practices he'd been dragged into by the Orthodox lawmaker                                                        
A reporter who knew the late Arizona senator throughout his political career remembers an imperfect man who tried to do what was right   


Iran / Syria / Lebanon

Iran's Oil Exports Dropping Faster than Expected before U.S. Sanctions 
Shipments are set to decline by a third as shippers pull back from the Islamic Republic months ahead of a Nov. 4 U.S. deadline  
Russia Masses Huge Force Off Syrian Coast for Final Assault on Rebels in Idlib
          
Pro-Iran Militias in Syria Turn on Assad  Report: Iran Moves Missiles to Iraq that Can Hit Tel Aviv and Riyadh  
Hizbullah Leader Claims Israel Is on the Verge of Collapse 
Tech Giants Target Accounts Linked to Iran    
Iran's Huge Political Influence Operation - Bigger, Persistent, Global 
You decide what to make of these 2 articles (no mention of the Bahai in the first one when listing minority groups, and they are estimated to number between 25 and 40,000-and maybe much, much higher...).

Iran's Jewish Community is the Largest in the Mideast Outside of Israel - and Feels Safe and Respected 
In a nation that has called for Israel to be wiped off the face of the Earth, the Iranian government allows thousands of Jews to worship in peace and continue their association with the country founded more than 2,500 years ago.   
Iran's Persecuted Christian Minority 

Palestinians         
Do you know how many "officially recognized" refugee Jews there are from Arab countries? Zero.    

U.S. to Demand Reduction in Number of Officially Recognized Palestinian Refugees           
Nikki Haley: "Palestinians Continue to Bash America," Yet "Have Their Hand Out Wanting UNRWA Money" 
This non- reaction is not unlike the Christian response to the plight of Christians in Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Egypt, the Palestinian-controlled West Bank, etc.:
Yahya Sinwar: We'll Fire Hundreds of Rockets at Israel If Ceasefire Talks Fail            









BDS / Anti-Semitism / Jeremy Corbyn
From Professor Deborah Lipstadt, who was victorious in a libel suit brought against her by holocaust denier, David Irving (and it also contains a couple of examples of Jewish humor/irony):
Jeremy Corbyn's Ironically Ahistorical Anti-Semitism He accuses "Zionists" of lacking the very things that sustained Jews through the trials of their collective experience   

What Young Jewish Labour Voters Think About Corbyn
Between Corbyn's anti-Semitism scandals and Brexit, young progressive British Jews are torn between their old political home and the divisive rhetoric of contemporary U.K. politics   
J.K. Rowling Calls Out Writer Over Jeremy Corbyn and Anti-Semitism: 'What Other Minority Would You Speak to This Way?
Former UK Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks Calls Opposition Leader Corbyn an Anti-Semite   
Jeremy Corbyn Claimed that Israel Controls Speeches Made by British Lawmakers





BDS- Sports

FIFA Bans Palestinian Soccer Head for Inciting Hatred
Palestinian Incitement Achieves Absolutely Nothing Yet Again
As Palestinian soccer chief is fined for incitement, another painful lesson in the futility of hatred and intimidation         







 












 






























 
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



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VITALY 
AN EVENING OF WONDERS
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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!