SHABBAT SHALOM, GESHER SHALOM!


 
November 9th 2018
 
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Shabbat Times: 
Candle Lighting
Evening Service
Morning Service
Minha
4:24pm
7:00pm
9:30am
4:00pm
 
  Forecast: 45/ windy

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
 
Abraham Ravid
Hilda Reisner
Samuel Pitchkhadze
 
Tikva & Joseph Ofeck
Kathy & Solomon Grazian
 
 
 
   UPCOMING EVENTS
         
Saturday 11/10
Morning Service 9:30 am
Minha, S'uda Shlishit (3rd Shabbat Meal), timely topic, Maariv and Havdalah 4:00 pm
On the Road with the Rabbi advanced RSVP required
Tuesday 11/13
Sisterhood Paid-Up Membership Luncheon 12:15pm
Wednesday 11/14
Great Synagogue Read-In Chapter 2 10:30 am
Great Synagogue Read-In discussion 6:30 pm
Thursday 11/15
Rabbi's Class "Talmud & Tangents" 10:30 am covering Chapter 2 of Brachot (Blessings)
Visiting Scholar Janet DiNardo White
"The War of 1812" 1:00 pm
Friday 11/16
Bible Study 11:30 am
Italian Shabbat Dinner RSVP by November 13th 6:00 pm
 
Volunteers Needed
We rarely ask for additonal hands, but we are embarking on a very labor-intensive project as we try to capture all our data electonically:

Trees of Life (both Gesher Shalom and Congregation Sons of Israel) - Volunteers needed to enter the names in a spreadsheet from printed out photos.
 
The Shul will provide you with tablets, coffee, tea, juice and whatever snacks you would like.
 
Please call the Synagogue Office.
Our deepest gratitude!


Synagogue Read-In
Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor
Day/Date Change
TWICE on Wednesday, November 14
10:00 a.m.
6:30 p.m.


THOUSAND OAKS
The United States has experienced nearly one mass shooting per day in 2018. Something is seriously wrong with our society, with individuals, with our gun policy, and who knows what other factors...
As I said last Shabbat about Pittsburgh, I withdrew emotionally to protect myself once I knew that the many I know there were unharmed. Earlier this week I tired to read the chronology of the shooting in the Jewish Standard, and I had to put it down; it was just too painful.
And so I find that, once again, with Thousand Oaks, I am shocked; I grieve...and I am shutting down. It is just too painful to confront in all it enormity.
kas

PITTSBURGH

Where Did the Above Logo Come From?                                                    
And there was an acknowledgment of the massacre at the end of Monday's This Is Us episode. (This Is Us is ostensibly about a Pittsburgh-based family).
Heavy Metal and Healing: Israeli Flag Provides Transcendent Moment after Pittsburgh Synagogue Massacre
By Andrey Kogan, Herman and Helen Lipsitz Jewish Agency Israel Fellow at Hillel Jewish University Center of Pittsburgh .
The 48 hours that followed the massacre at the Tree of Life Synagogue, in the same city where I serve as a Shaliach (Israeli emissary) for The Jewish Agency, were a whirlwind of devastation and grief for the local Jewish community and the entire Jewish world. Yet after two days of turmoil, I found myself not at a prayer service or a vigil, but at a heavy metal concert.
Many might view this as an unorthodox choice. Shouldn't I have been mourning? Indeed, I was-but I also needed to refresh myself. Music has always been my refuge, shelter, and savior in difficult times.
Growing up in Russia, I'd listen to the Israeli heavy metal band's Holocaust-focused album, "Kaddish," which is also the name of the Jewish mourner's prayer. Fittingly, then, I decided that I'd find healing after the Tree of Life shooting-the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in U.S. history-at a Machine Head concert in Pittsburgh.

Jewish Agency Israel Fellow Andrey Kogan raises the Israeli flag at a concert in Pittsburgh in a sign of solidarity after the deadly shooting at Tree of Life synagogue left 11 people dead. Photo: Courtesy, Andrey Kogan
As I left my office at the Hillel Jewish University Center of Pittsburgh on the way to the Stage AE complex, I spotted a large Israeli flag hanging on the wall. Without thinking much about it, I grabbed the flag and brought it to the concert. And there I was, standing with an Israeli flag among hundreds of metalheads who stared at me with great confusion. "
 If you can't raise the flag so that everyone can see it, we'll raise you!"
But after a few moments, concertgoers started walking up to me and hugging me, saying they were standing with Pittsburgh's Jews and supporting that community. One member of the audience asked me to hoist the flag as high as possible. I complied, but he wasn't quite satisfied, and told me, "If you can't raise the flag so that everyone can see it, we'll raise you!"
 
Machine Head with the Israeli flag at a concert in Pittsburgh. Photo: Courtesy, Andrey Kogan
It was a surreal experience. I got carried all the way to the stage with my flag. Rob Flynn, Machine Head lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist, saw the spectacle just as he sang the lyrics of "Imperium," which were all too appropriate: "In so much pain, give me the will to fight...Hate in so much hate, never that pain will bind me."
"Music unifies us, breaking down boundaries and barriers."
Later in the concert, before he was about to perform an emotional ballad, Flynn stopped everything and spoke in a somber voice about the murder of 11 Jews at the Tree of Life. He dedicated a moment of silence to the victims of the anti-Semitic attack. Eight-hundred Americans, most of whom weren't Jewish, stood in silence and lowered their heads.  When the moment of silence passed, a man wearing an Iron Maiden shirt came over to me and said he's Jewish, and that the past two days had been a nightmare for him-until seeing the Israeli flag at this concert gave him strength. I hugged him and said I understood his pain, and that the Israeli and Jewish people are one large family.  Following the band's performance, Flynn took my flag and wrapped himself in it, ending a powerful and special evening which taught me three major lessons: 1. Music unifies us, breaking down boundaries and barriers. 2. Even after the synagogue shooting, I've never felt as safe and secure as I do now, surrounded by all these wonderful people in an amazing U.S. city like Pittsburgh.
Am Yisrael Chai! 
The Jewish Agency for Israel is grateful to the  Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh ,  Jewish Federations of North America  and  Hillel International  for their partnership and support.
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Ari Mahler is the son of my Reform colleague in Mt Lebanon, Rabbi Mark Mahler. For 6 years I watched Ari grow up; he married one of the kids from my Shul at whose Bat Mitzvah I officiated.
I am The Jewish Nurse (Who Treated Bowers' Wounds)
Yes, that Jewish Nurse. The same one that people are talking about in the Pittsburgh shooting that left 11 dead. The trauma nurse in the ER that cared for Robert Bowers who yelled, "Death to all Jews," as he was wheeled into the hospital. The Jewish nurse who ran into a room to save his life.
To be honest, I'm nervous about sharing this. I just know I feel alone right now, and the irony of the world talking about me doesn't seem fair without the chance to speak for myself.
When I was a kid, being labeled "The Jewish (anything)", undoubtedly had derogatory connotations attached to it. That's why it feels so awkward to me that people suddenly look at it as an endearing term. As an adult, deflecting my religion by saying "I'm not that religious," makes it easier for people to accept I'm Jewish - especially when I tell them my father is a rabbi. "I'm not that religious," is like saying, "Don't worry, I'm not that Jewish, therefore, I'm not so different than you," and like clockwork, people don't look at me as awkwardly as they did a few seconds beforehand.
I experienced anti-Semitism a lot as a kid. It's hard for me to say if it was always a product of genuine hatred, or if kids with their own problems found a reason to single me out from others. Sure, there were a few Jewish kids at my school, but no one else had a father who was a Rabbi. I found drawings on desks of my family being marched into gas chambers, swastikas drawn on my locker, and notes shoved inside of it saying, "Die Jew. Love, Hitler."   It was a different time back then, where bullying was not monitored like it is now. I was weak, too. Rather than tell anyone, I hid behind fear. Telling on the people who did this would only lead to consequences far worse.  
Regardless, the fact that this shooting took place doesn't shock me. To be honest, it's only a matter of time before the next one happens. History refutes hope that things will change. My heart yearns for change, but today's climate doesn't foster nurturing, tolerance, or civility. Even before this shooting took place, there's no real evidence supporting otherwise. The FBI and the Southern Poverty Law Center note that Jews only account for two percent of the U.S. population, yet 60% of all religious hate crimes are committed against them. I don't know why people hate us so much, but the underbelly of anti-Semitism seems to be thriving.  
So now, here I am, The Jewish Nurse that cared for Robert Bowers. I've watched them talk about me on CNN, Fox News, Anderson Cooper, PBS, and the local news stations. I've read articles mentioning me in the NY Times and the Washington Post. The fact that I did my job, a job which requires compassion and empathy over everything, is newsworthy to people because I'm Jewish. Even more so because my dad's a Rabbi.
To be honest, I didn't see evil when I looked into Robert Bowers' eyes. All I saw was a clear lack of depth, intelligence, and palpable amounts of confusion. Robert Bowers probably had no friends, was easily influenced by propaganda, and wanted attention on a sociopathic level.   He's the kind of person that is easily manipulated by people with a microphone, a platform, and use fear for motivation. I can't go into details of our interactions because of HIPPA, but Robert Bowers thanked me for saving him, for showing him kindness, and for treating him the same way I treat every other patient. This was the same Robert Bowers that just committed mass homicide. The Robert Bowers who instilled panic in my heart worrying my parents were two of his 11 victims less than an hour before his arrival.  
I'm sure he had no idea I was Jewish. Why thank a Jewish nurse, when 15 minutes beforehand, you'd shoot me in the head with no remorse? I didn't say a word to him about my religion. I chose not to say anything to him the entire time. I wanted him to feel compassion. I chose to show him empathy. I felt that the best way to honor his victims was for a Jew to prove him wrong. Besides, if he finds out I'm Jewish, does it really matter? The better question is, what does it mean to you?  
Love. That's why I did it. Love as an action is more powerful than words, and love in the face of evil gives others hope. It demonstrates humanity. It reaffirms why we're all here.   The meaning of life is to give meaning to life, and love is the ultimate force that connects all living beings. I could care less what Robert Bowers thinks, but you, the person reading this, love is the only message I wish instill in you. If my actions mean anything, love means everything.
Respectfully,
Ari Mahler, RN.
Anguished by "Spiral of Hate" Charleston Pastor and Pittsburgh Rabbi Grieve as One                                   
I know that it is more nuanced than this, but it struck me that just like the alliance between Israel and various Arab countries is only between their leadership, the alliance between African American clergy and the American Jews is much the same. What a contrast between the article above and the one that follows...!
I disagree with his assessment, but, as usual, I try to present you with all sides:
And this is just too strange-and too sad-to not share with you:

Torah Reading 157     Haftarah 163
TOL'DOT
After twenty years of marriage, Isaac and Rebecca have twin sons. Esau, the elder, became a hunter; Jacob, the younger son, was more inclined to remain close to home. Isaac favored Esau, while Rebecca had greater preference for Jacob.
 
Returning one day from the hunt, a famished Esau traded his birthright (status as a firstborn) to Jacob for a bowl of lentil stew.
Isaac and Rebecca seek relief from famine in Gerar. Isaac presents Rebecca as his sister, just as Abraham had done with Sarah on two previous occasions. This time, however, the truth about their relationship does not lead to expulsion. They are allowed to remain in Gerar and Isaac becomes quite wealthy. His success arouses the enmity of the locals, and their king, Avimelech, requests that they depart.
 
Esau brings grief to his parents by marrying two Hittite women.
 
Years later Isaac requests that Esau prepare a special meal for him after which he will confirm his older son's position as first born. Rebecca overhears her husband's conversation, and conspires to disguise Jacob as his older brother. While Isaac has some uncertainty as to whom he is blessing, the ruse works because Isaac has become blind in his old age. Jacob receives a blessing for inheriting a fertile land and ruling over nations.
 
When Esau returns, the plot is revealed. An enraged Esau vows to kill his brother upon their father's death. Rebecca and Isaac encourage Jacob to leave home and to go to Haran to live with Rebecca's brother, Laban.
 
In an effort to appease his parents for marrying Hittite women, Esau also married a daughter of Ishmael.
 






Tonight at 7:00 p.m.
Tomorrow morning at 9:30 a.m.
Veterans' Day Commemoration
Mia Wasserman will be chanting the haftarah in celebration of the 1st anniversary of her Bat Mitzvah                
Tomorrow at 4:00 p.m.:
Minha, Seudah Shlishit, Ma'ariv & Havdalah
We will continue reading
How Israel Undermined Washington and Stalled the Dream of Palestinian Statehood                                    
followed by Dennis Ross' rebuttal...              

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 
   
Rose Targovnik will be observing yahrzeit for her brother, Joseph Weiniger on Friday evening, November 9th
Peri Wexler will be observing yahrzeit for her mother, Susan Wexler on Saturday evening, November 10th
Irwin Berger will be observing yahrzeit for his father, Abraham Berger on Thursday evening, November 15th
Barbara Fishman will be observing yahrzeit for her father, Jack Eckstein on Thursday evening, November 15th




The Elections

The Anti-Semitic 8-Election Results
The results are in and the good news is that voters rejected 4 of the public officials from our list. The bad news is that they kept the other 4 in office                                                                    




BDS / Anti-Semitism
Alyssa Milano Says She Will Not Speak at the Next Women's March As Long As Linda Sarsour and Tamika Mallory Remain a Part of the Leadership and Refuse to Condemn Louis Farrakhan's Anti-Semitism

UCLA Shamefully Condones Students for Justice in Palestine   
 

The Paradox of American Anti-Semitism
There is no reason to think that a synagogue would be immune, even as anti-Semitic assaults actually decreased by almost half, to just 19 in the whole country      
Reflections on Two Years on College Campuses:  Anti-Semitism Is Civilization's Acid Test of Decency  




WORLD AFFAIRS
For me part of the significance of this article is that it is on the BBC website:  Israel-Arab Ties Warm Up  
New Envoys from Egypt and Jordan Recommit to Peace with Israel  
Israeli Minister in Oman to Attend Transport Conference  
UAE Minister Scolds Hamas over "Solidarity" with Iran   
BRIDGING A GULF:   In a departure from the status quo in the Persian Gulf, Oman's sultan, Qaboos bin Said is strengthening ties with Israel in an effort to garner more support for his country in Washington  
Evangelical Voters Throw Their Support to a Pro-Israel President - in Brazil             





Pop Culture
2 "Jewish" Episodes of Carpool Karaoke                                                                     
Barbra Streisand Carpool Karaoke
Barbra Streisand Carpool Karaoke

Carpool Karaoke with James Corden & Aja9
Carpool Karaoke with James Corden & Aja9
         
 
This (Kosher) Bone Broth is Like Jewish Penicillin with an Asian Twist





 





Dear Friends,
We are happy to invite you to  PARALLEL LINES- breathtaking jewelry created by 7 Israeli designers and Bezalel Alumni from the Jewelry and Fashion Design Department.  Please join us for the reception on  Nov. 14th at 5:30PM  at Maison Gerard Gallery on  53 E 10th st, NYC
Coming up on November 27th is GIVING Tuesday
  #GivingTuesday is a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration.
Celebrated on the  Tuesday following Thanksgiving (in the U.S.)  #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving.  Let's make a difference in  Bezalel  students lives on this great day!
* SAVE THE DATE *
OUR ANNUAL GALA WILL TAKE PLACE ON
January 23rd 2019  tickets will be on sale soon- stay tuned!
Tali Rubinstein: Mémoire
Dizzy's Club at Coca-Cola
November 14 | 7:30 pm
Israeli Jazz Festival @ Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola
The extraordinarily talented Israeli born and raised and making her Jazz at Lincoln Center debut tonight, is the internationally renowned recorder innovator and vocalist Tali Rubinstein. Studying in Israel's top music institutions and eventually attending Berklee College of Music on full scholarship, Tali became the school's first-ever recorder student. Rubinstein now collaborates with acclaimed artists from around the world, partaking in unique cross-cultural projects with Javier Limon, Anat Cohen, Tomatitio, Chick Corea, Chucho Valdéz, Pacio de Lucía's original band, Lauth Sidiq, Shilpa Ananth, Jamey Haddad, and Shedrick Mitchell, in addition to dozens of Israel's top musicians.


Music
Uri Gurvitch Quartet
Dizzy's Club at Coca-Cola
November 14 | 9:30 pm
Israeli Jazz Festival @ Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola
Gurvich was only 20 years old when he won Israel's prestigious Jazz Player of the Year competition, and he has since worked with artists including Esperanza Spalding, John Zorn, Chris Potter, Avishai Cohen, Paquito D'Rivera, Anat Cohen, and Lionel Loueke. His group is a prime example of jazz transcending borders, and it honors Gurvich's unique musical vision while also remaining unmistakably collaborative. They're here for one set only, so make sure to swing by Dizzy's and hear what the quartet is all about.


Music
Isaac DaBom & AvevA Dese
Live at Rockwood Music Hall
November 11 | 9:30 - 11:30 pm
Rockwood Music Hall FREE EVENT
Aveva Dese, an Ethiopian-Israeli singer & songwriter, is a rising star in the Israeli music scene. Her music brings stimulating African groove with a touch of the fresh urban beat of Tel Aviv. As a child to Jewish parents, who have suffered from persecution and struggled in their journey from Ethiopia to Israel, Aveva brings a unique life story to her music.


Exhibition
"Parallel Lines" Jewelry Exhibition
November 12th - 18, 2018
NYC Jewelry Week
Parallel Lines explores jewelry as wearable contemporary art and the role it plays in importing and exporting culture and practices. NYC Jewelry Week will showcase groundbreaking exhibitions, lectures, workshops, and tours of unique industry and artist collaborations. Featuring Israeli artists Naama Bergman, Tamar Navama, Ruta Reifen, Dana Hakim, Noga Harel, Vered Kaminski, and Einat Leader.


Music
Avi Avital - Stars Aligned
Mandolin and Accordion Duo
Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
Saturday November 10 | 7:00 pm
Stern Auditorium/ Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall
Avi Avital mandolin- Ksenija Sidorova accordion
Avi Avital (mandolin) and Soloists Ksenija Sidorova (accordion) each bring modern glitz and glamour to their old-world instruments, whether playing a reconfigured Bach concerto or debuting the brand-new work written for them by Golden Globe®, GRAMMY® and Emmy® nominated British composer Benjamin Wallfisch (Andy Muschietti's It, Blade Runner 2049, Hidden Figures).


Music
Matan Porat Composer
People's Symphony
November 10 | 7:30 pm
Washington Irving High School NYC
Joel Link, violin- Bryan Lee, violin- Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, viola- Camden Shaw, cello
Their instrumental virtuosity, impeccable ensemble and musicality, and their warmth, both as artists and as people, has made them one of the most in-demand ensembles in the world. The Dover will perform the world premiere of a piece by Matan Porat commissioned by PSC with the support of the Adele and John Gray Endowment Fund.



Literature
Muck: A Novel  by Dror Burstein
In Conversation with Joshua Cohen
Tuesday, November 13 | 7:00 pm
Community Bookstore Brooklyn
Dror Burstein was born in 1970 in Netanya, Israel, and lives in Tel Aviv. A novelist, poet, and translator, he is the author of several books, including the novels Kin and Netanya. He has been awarded the Jerusalem Prize for Literature; the Ministry of Science and Culture Prize for Poetry; the Bernstein Prize for his debut novel, Avner Brenner; the Prime Minister's Prize; and the Goldberg Prize for his 2014 novel, Sun's Sister.


Music
Carmen, 2018
Omer Meir Wellber, Conductor
The Metropolitan Opera
November 10 | 8:00 pm
November 15 | 7:30 pm 
Omer Meir Wellber will be conducting several performance of Bizet's Carmen in his Metropolitan Opera debut this season. Wellber has established himself as one of today's leading conductors of operatic and orchestral repertoire alike. In September 2018 he begins his tenure as Principal Conductor at the Semperoper Dresden. In July 2019 he will take up the position of Chief Conductor of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and from January 2020 the position of Music Director of the Teatro Massimo in Palermo.


Dance
EVENINGS
New Ballet by Andrea Miller
November 8 - 11, 2018 | 7:00 pm
The Merriam Theater Philadelphia
Andrea Miller, Artistic Director and choreographer of Gallim, has spent the last several weeks in the studio with dancers of Pennsylvania Ballet, creating a new ballet that springs from the transition of day to night and dark to light after losing someone dear. Miller's commission will share the program with Jiří Kylián's Petite Mort, and a premiere from PA Ballet company dancer Russell Ducker.


Music
Yoav Eshed Trio Millionaires
November 11 | 11:30 am 1:30 pm
Blue Note Jazz Club NYC
Yoav Eshed - Guitar
Oren Hardy - Bass
Eviatar Slivnik - Drums
Guest: Dayna Stephens - Saxophone
Trio Millionaires is an exciting journey of guitar, upright bass and drums led by Yoav Eshed. Storytelling jazz musicians with an innovative playing and exciting sound featuring some of the top musicians in the NYC scene. Tonight they will feature the great tenor saxophone player Dayna Stephens


Music
Inbal Segev Cellist
November 17 | 7:30 pm
Washington Irving High School New York City
Wu Han, piano- Paul Huang, violin- Arnaud Sussmann, violin- Paul Neubauer, viola- Inbal Segev, cello
The Mann Series of The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center will present Beethoven's Trio in E-flat Major for Piano, Violin, and Cello, Op. 1, No. 1 Kodály's Serenade for Two Violins and Viola, Op. 12 and Dvorák's Quintet in A Major for Piano, Two Violins, Viola, and Cello, B. 155, Op. 81.


Music
CALLING GLENN by Ate 9 by Danielle Agami Choreographer
Saturday, November 10 |7:30 pm
SCHIMMEL CENTER AT PACE UNIVERSITY
Choreography Danielle Agami
Costume Design Eli James (Ghostcircus Apparel)
Lighting Design Jeff Forbes
Ate9's calling glenn is a astounding collaboration of the visual and audible arts. The expressive Ate9 cast embodies Agami's rare presence and vocabulary. Along with surprising moments of honesty and humor, the sensorial journey of the work is full of rich physicality and complex atmospheres. This combination of brilliant strength and nuanced precision elicits a refreshing sense of pleasure in a contemporary work of dance and music.


Film
Family in Transition
DOC NYC
Israel | 2018 | 70 min.
November 11 |12:00 pm
CINEPOLIS CHELSEA
Director Ofir Trainin- Co-producer Tal Barda- Film subjects Amit Tzuk, Yuval Tzuk
INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE Amit, a father of four living in a small town in Israel, tells his wife, Galit, that he is a woman and wants to transition. Galit pledges her support, ready to overcome surgery, social stigma and bureaucracy to maintain her marriage. But, as Amit transforms, tensions arise while everyone in the family readjusts.
Hebrew with English subtitles


 

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