SHABBAT SHALOM, GESHER SHALOM!


 
April 12th, 2019
 
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Shabbat Times: 
Candle Lighting
Pre-Passover Dinner
Evening Service
Morning Service
Minha
7:14 pm
6:00pm
7:15pm
9:30am
6:45pm
 
  Forecast: 77/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 
Laurie Small-Levy
Doryne Davis
Terry Gensler
Tobey Lyden
 
Tobey & John Lyden
Rochelle & Martin Carus
Ethel & Irving Plutzer
 


   UPCOMING EVENTS
 
Saturday 4/13
Morning Service 9:30 am
Minha , S'uda Shlishit (3rd Shabbat Meal), timely topic, Maariv and Havdalah 6:45 pm
Tuesday 4/16
Sisterhood Book Club "Waking Lions" by Ayelet Gundar-Goshen 1:00 pm
Friday 4/19
Erev Passover
Fast/Feast of First born 7:00 am
Last opportunity to eat Hametz 10:40 am
Last opportunity to burn Hametz 11:45 am
 


Two Special Passover Services
 
On the first morning of Passover, Saturday, April 20th , we will welcome members of Congregation Beth Israel of the Palisades to our Shul .  Services begin at 9:00am in our Sanctuary, and will be followed by a Kiddush.   The next morning, Sunday, April 21st , we will be joining Congregation Beth Israel of the Palisades for services in their building : 1585 Center Avenue at 9:30am.
 
We know it's Passover... We know you will be worn out on the morning after the first Seder... We know you will be even more worn out on the morning after the second Seder... Still, it is vitally important to our Synagogue and to the entire Jewish Community of Fort Lee that you attend one, if not both of these services: we would like to have a strong representation from our membership as we welcome CBIOTP to our building, and when we attend services in their Shul.
  Rabbi Kenneth Stern                   Mark Altschul , President
 




The Israeli Election

I'm not just disappointed; I am fearful because I am at heart a centrist and adhere to Maimonides principal of the Sh'vil haZahav, the Golden Path. Maimonides wrote of not just religious moderation, but moderation in all things, and I worry that with an even more right-wing coalition 2 things will happen:
  1. A triumphalist Bibi will push through legistion to subvert the independence of the police and the justice system-in effect subverting Israeli democracy--and indemnify himself from prosecution.
  2. He will (have to) make good on his election eve promise-or will be forced to make good on it by the right wing parties who have indemnified him-to annex parts of the West Bank.
Formal annexation is an unnecessary. What difference does it really make? What benefits does it have? It will probably make it harder for Israel to deal with the Arab world. It deals a further blow to any hopes that the Palestinians may harbor of eventually having a state/entity to call their own. It likely will radicalize more of them. It moves Israel closer to becoming an apartheid state, or at least a less democratic one. And it will make Israel more of a pariah state in the western world and among many of our neighbors, friends and allies right here at home. It will make it harder for me to advocate for Israel.
Recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital is only right; every country has right to declare its own capital. But what would have been so wrong with offering the Palestinians a carrot: "at the conclusion of successful peace talks, the United States looks forward to establishing an embassy in the Palestinian capital"?
And what's the point in recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan? Everyone knows it's not going back, annexed or not!
And what's the point in annexing the West Bank? Everyone knows that it's not going back any time soon (given the current instability in the region and within the Palestinian leadership) , if ever!
I consider these to be unnecessary provocations that, in the long run, will do Israel more harm than good.
So now you know why I am worried.
kas
The Kids Are All Right-Wing: Why Israel's Younger Voters Are More Conservative                                                        While American millennials have a liberal reputation, young Israeli Jews, who have never known a real peace process, identify as right-wing at much higher levels than their parents        
Reform and Conservative Movements Join Letter Asking Trump to Oppose Netanyahu Bids to Annex Territory   



Torah Rea ding   663                 Haftarah 1296
 
M'TZORA - Hagadol 
The Sidra Metzora is a continuation of the laws applying to the people afflicted with skin diseases. When a person was cured of leprosy, the priest examined the individual prior to his/her re-admission to the Israelite encampment. The procedures for ritually cleansing the leper lasted eight days.
 
Objects as well as people could contract a form of leprosy, and the Torah discusses the spread of leprosy to clothing and other fabrics, and to the walls (including stone walls!) of houses. Depending on the severity of the infestation, the house might be closed or have to be torn down, without the possibility of re-using the materials.
 
Other bodily discharges also render a person (and all that she/he comes into contact with) ritually unfit. These matters are dealt with at the parasha's conclusion.
 

  
Tonight: Evening service at 7:15 p.m. (following shabbat dinner, which was by reservation)
Tomorrow morning at 9:30 a.m.
Tomorrow afternoon at 6:45 p.m.
During Seudah Shlishit we will read
Why Does America Support Israel?    By Jonathan Feldstein  (A partial answer: it goes back at least 200 years to John Adams and the Bible

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 
   
Joseph Lempel will be observing yahrzeit for his mother-in-law, Rose Katz on Sunday evening, April 14th
Jack Reisner will be observing yahrzeit for his brother, Raphael Reisner on Sunday evening, April 14th
Norman Silverberg will be observing yahrzeit for his father, Aaron Silverberg on Sunday evening, April 14th
Sharon Starr will be observing yahrzeit for her brother-in-law, Norman Starr on Sunday evening, April 14th
Heidi Skolnik will be observing yahrzeit for her uncle, Arthur Weitzman on Sunday evening, April 14th
Walter Strasfeld will be observing yahrzeit for his father, Louis Strasfeld on Monday evening, April 15th
Yetta Maidenberg will be observing yahrzeit for her mother, Ruth Danto on Monday evening, April 15th
Solomon Arbeiter will be observing yahrzeit for his wife, Jean Arbeiter on Tuesday evening, April 16th
Myrna Block will be observing yahrzeit for her mother, Mrs. Yetta Rosen on Tuesday evening, April 16th
Renee Gruenspecht will be observing yahrzeit for her mother in law, Rose Gruenspecht on Tuesday evening, April 16th
Ann Rosenberg will be observing yahrzeit for her brother, Martin Haas on Tuesday evening, April 16th
Harriet Hirschenfang will be observing yahrzeit for her mother, Jeanette Bloom on Wednesday evening, April 17th
Richard Rosenberg will be observing yahrzeit for his wife, Betty Rosenberg on Wednesday evening, April 17th
Rita Berliner will be observing yahrzeit for her husband, Michael Berliner on Thursday evening, April 18th
 
 



Important Reads

The Collapse-Is This the End of American Jewry's Golden Age? 
Decades After the Jews Went into Exile, Some Arabs Want Them Back                                                                   Arab dictators seeking Western approval are not the only ones    
Ignorance, with possibly deadly consequences (and it's not just about measles!)
International Union of Muslim Scholars Urges Armed Jihad Against Israel, Claims Israeli Leaders Want to Conquer Saudi Arabia   

The Making of an Anti-Semitic Myth  
Francesca Trivellato's book on the history of credit debunks a bigoted cliché. 



Israel
Druze Officer Appointed Military Secretary to President Rivlin                                                        



BDS / Anti-Semitism / anti-Zionism
  After Legal Challenges, Texas Moves to Amend its Israel Boycott Law
 (I added the exclamation marks. kas)                 
Over 200 Jewish members and supporters of the Labour party sign a letter urging that anyone seeking an end to bigotry and racism should back Labour and Corbyn                                                               
Not by a long shot!
Stephen Colbert Interview with Rep. Ilhan Omar                                                                  
Full Extended Interview With Rep. Ilhan Omar
Full Extended Interview With Rep. Ilhan Omar
          
 







Iran / Syria / Hezbollah
What I don't understand is that the initial, nearly world-wide, "crippling sanctions" on Iran, that brought Iran to the negotiating table,  apparently were not as effective as this new set, imposed just by the United States, but widely respected for fear of economic consequences.

IMF Sees Iran Plunging Deeper into Recession as U.S. Sanctions Bite   
Germany to End Funding of Extreme Pro-Iran Group                                                                     
Report: Iran Has Evacuated Bases, Weapons Depots near Damascus International Airport 




Pop Culture


THE GOLEM (staged reading)
TUESDAY, MAY 7, 2019, AT 7:30 PM
at the Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust
A dramatic reading of H. Leivick's classic 1921 retelling of the legendary Golem of Prague delves into the world of mysticism as a meditation on the effect of violence on the Jewish soul.
H. Leivick's The Golem is among the most important works of Yiddish theatre, tracing the roots of anti-Semitism and the blood libel that has been the pretext for anti-Semitism for centuries. Set in seventeenth-century Prague just before Passover, The Golem tells the story of a Jewish community that has experienced pogroms at the hands of Christians during their holy season.
The legendary wonder-working Rabbi, known as the Maharel, creates a Golem to protect the Jewish community from further persecution. But the Golem's innate violence turns against the community, Jews and gentiles alike, and the creature must be destroyed.
In Yiddish with English supertitles.
FREE!! - Click here for reservations (max 2 per person)




SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR OUR SYNAGOGUE
AND THE BOROUGH OF FORT LEE!
The JCC of Fort Lee/ Gesher Shalom will be marching in the Memorial Day parade this year! If you are a war veteran or a synagogue member who wants to show your support then  Sign up to March in the 2019 Fort Lee Memorial Day Parade on May 27th! email Iris Coleman and let her know that you plan on attending as shirts for the synagogue will need to be purchased. Thank you in advance! 






 


BaMidbar Wilderness Therapy at Ramah in the Rockies
Do you know a young adult struggling to find their path in life? Ramah is working to address mental health and wellness within the Jewish community.  BaMidbar Wilderness Therapy is our answer. Following a successful pilot season last year, BaMidbar is open for year-round enrollment.
 
CONTINGENCIES, Group Exhibition
Compére Collective
Artist, Shay Arick
Opening Apr. 12 |6:00 - 8:00 pm
Through April, 21 | 2019
Compére Collective
Shay Arick (b. 1979) is a cross-disciplinary Israeli artist based in New York. His practice combines photography, sculpture, installation, performance, and video in order to explore issues of violence, social taboos, political conflicts and human behaviors. In this process, Shay deconstructs iconic cultural imagery as a form of critique and analysis. Arick subverts performance of masculinity and fetishization of machismo with a film placed inside a cowboy hat placed into a wall. This token of American male figure serves as a nook for an intimate viewing of the movie image. Curated by Osman Can Yerebakan for Residency Unlimited

Art
Soviet Childhood
FORT GANSEVOORT Gallery
Artist, Zoya Cherkassky
Opening May 2 |6:00 - 8:00 pm
Through June, 15 | 2019
FORT GANSEVOORT
Zoya Cherkassky was born in Kiev, Ukraine in 1976. In 1991, she immigrated to Israel. She earned her BFA from HaMidrasha School of Art at Biet Berl College. Her work has been shown internationally at institutions including; Rosenfeld Gallery Tel Aviv, Henrich Böll Foundation Gallery Tel Aviv, Circle1 Gallery Berlin, Kuenstlerhaus Bethanien Berlin, Guelman Gallery Moscow, and The Tel Aviv Museum of Art. In 2018, the Israel Museum in Jerusalem held a mid-career survey of her work. Cherkassky's work is included in the permanent collections of The Jewish Museum New York, Jewish Museum Berlin, Jewish Museum Vienna, The Israel Museum Jerusalem, Tel Aviv Museum of Art Tel Aviv, and The Doron Sebbag Art Collection Tel Aviv. Cherkassky currently lives and works in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Music
VICTORIA HANNA
April 15 | 5:15 pm Bard Hall
Jerusalem based artist, Victoria Hanna, is a world-renowned  composer, creator, performer, researcher, and teacher of voice and language. Known for her mesmerizing interpretations of traditional Jewish texts (both Hebrew and Aramaic) that combine traditional Middle Eastern sounds with rap, hip-hop and more, her first video single Aleph-Bet became an instant internet sensation with over a million views.

Cabaret
Yael Rasooly with Daniel Rein
Cafe Sabarsky
April 11th | 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Cafe Sabarsky @ Neue Galerie
The richly decadent world of the 1920s and 30s in Berlin and Paris is on dazzling display in this performance by renowned artist Yael Rasooly, who will tell the stories of the backstreets and alleys, as well as the glamour and exuberance, in the final years of the Weimar Republic. In Rasooly's debut performance at Café Sabarsky, audiences will enjoy tales of longing, grief, love, passion, resilience and dreams, all delivered through what the New York Times calls her "inspired wackiness."

Music
Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players
violin, Asi Matathias
piano, Roman Rabinovich
Monday, April 15th | 2:00, 7:30
Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church
Roman Rabinovich, piano  - Asi Matithias, violin  - Diana Cohen, violin
Cong Wu, viola  -  David Requiro, cello - Vadim Lando, clarinet
Ferruccio BUSONI Suite in G minor -  Moritz MOSZKOWSKI Suite in G minor Op. 71
Anton RUBINSTEIN Piano Quintet in G minor Op. 99
Gil Shaham by Luke Ratray  Evgeny Kissin Mike Burstyn by Mariella Productions

Music
From Shtetl to Stage: A Celebration of Yiddish Music and Culture
Migrations: The Making of America Festival, Russian and Eastern European Jewish Migration
Mike Burstyn, Vocalist
Evgeny Kissin, Pianist
Gil Shaham, Violin
Monday, April 15th | 8:00 pm
Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage
From Shtetl to Stage celebrates the journey of Yiddish culture from Old World to New through music, song, poetry, and humor. A company of extraordinary Yiddish talent-as well as stars of the classical, film, and theater worlds-mix chestnuts from the Yiddish theater and folk song repertoire with Yiddish-tinged vaudeville, art song, classical music, and klezmer in a program that explores how Eastern European Jewish culture interacted with and contributed to American culture at large.

Music
Israeli Chamber Project
Baruch Performing Arts Center
violin, Daniel Beard
viola, Guy Ben-Ziony
cello, Tony Rymer
clarinet, Tibi Cziger
piano, Assaf Weisman
April 16, 2019 | 7:30 pm
Rosalyn and Irwin Engelman Recital Hall, Baruch Performing Arts Center
Mozart/André: Clarinet Quartet in E-Flat Major (arr. Violin Sonata K. 380)
Yinam Leef: Triptych
Bartók: Contrasts
Brahms: Piano Quartet in C minor, Op. 60
Formed in 2008, the Israeli Chamber Project's mission is to bring top-notch chamber music performances to both urban and rural venues in its native country as well as around the world. Whether performing in a remote kibbutz, an Arab town, the bustling metropolis of Los Angeles, or the intimacy of New York City's Baruch Performing Arts Center, the ICP has earned high praise from the media and enthusiastic accolades from audiences.

Music
Gilad Hekselman 4tet
The Village Vanguard
Guitar, Gilad Hekselman
April 30th - May 5th, 2019
The Village Vanguard NYC
Gilad Hekselman will play at the iconic Village Vanguard with Mark Turner on Saxophone, Obed Calvaire on Drums, and Rick Rosato on Bass.

Dance
EMERGE
Gibney Dance
Choreographers, Chanel SaSilva, Bobbi Jene Smith, Micaela Taylor
May 2nd*, 3rd** | 8:00 - 9:30 pm
May 4 | 4:00 pm, 8:00 - 9:30 pm
The Theater at Gibney @ 280 Broadway
The 2019 EMERGE program features New York City-based choreographers Chanel DaSilva and Bobbi Jene Smith, (Bobbi Gene danced with the Batsheva Dance Company for 10 years and teaches GAGA) alongside the inaugural GDC/Springboard EMERGE Choreographic Award Winner, Los Angeles-based Micaela Taylor.
Each artist will teach classes, offer creative process sessions and dialogues about the future of the dance field, and create a new work on GDC to premiere on a shared evening. EMERGE highlights the continual expansion of GDC's mission: from its beginning 27 years ago as a vehicle for the choreographic vision of its Founder Gina Gibney, to then welcoming re-stagings and new commissions from a wide range of guest choreographers, and now providing visibility, resources, and space to the next generation of creators in the contemporary dance community.
*A post-show reception opening night
** Living Gallery, presenting a free, live performance in Gibney's Gallery with Aynsley Vandenbroucke on May 3rd at 7:00 pm prior to the performance.

Dance
ODEON
Ephrat Asherie Dance
Choreographer, Ephrat Asherie
Saturday, April 13 | 8:00 pm
Sunday, April 14 | 2:00 pm
The Fisher Center For The Performing Arts, LUMA Theater
Led by The Boston Globe's "bona fide b-girl," Ephrat Asherie Dance makes its Fisher Center debut with Odeon, a high-energy, hybrid hip-hop work set to and inspired by the music of early 20th-century Brazilian composer Ernesto Nazareth, played live. Recipient of a 2016 New York Dance and Performance ("Bessie") Award, Ephrat "Bounce" Asherie layers breaking, hip-hop, house, and vogue to the rich sounds of Nazareth's buoyant score, which melds classical romantic music with popular Afro-Brazilian rhythms.

Dance
Pelvic Floor
Movement Research at the Judson Church
Artist, Ye'ela Wilschanski
April 22 | 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Judson Memorial Church NYC
"Pelvic Floor" is a performative sculpture that moves in relation to body - garment - architecture. (Ela) Wilschanski is an interdisciplinary artist. She is currently an MFA student at Hunter College and received her BFA from Bezalel Academy of Art and Design Jerusalem. Her work revolves around the materiality of the body and materials the body comes in contact with. Free Event. No reservations required.

Art
Rendered Void
A.I.R Gallery III
Artist, Gabriella Vainsencher
March 15 - April 14, 2019
Opening Reception, March 15 | 6:00 - 8:00 pm
155 Plymouth Street, Brooklyn, NY
A.I.R. Gallery is pleased to announce Rendered Void, an exhibition of recent photographs and porcelain sculptures by Fellowship Artist Gabriela Vainsencher, in her first solo show in New York. Vainsencher's interdisciplinary practice includes video, sculpture and photography, and is grounded in an exploration of the processes involved in the formation of identity, be they physical, biographical, or political.






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