Weekly E-News 2022/5783
November 18 - November 25
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Rabbi's Message
This week’s Parsha, Chayei Sarah, opens with an account of how old Sarah was when she passed away. Famously in rabbinic circles, the exact phrasing of Sarah’s age is rather odd. “וַיִּהְיוּ֙ חַיֵּ֣י שָׂרָ֔ה מֵאָ֥ה שָׁנָ֛ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וְשֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֑ים שְׁנֵ֖י חַיֵּ֥י שָׂרָֽה” “These were the lives of Sarah—being one hundred years and twenty years and seven years—the years of the lives of Sarah.” There is a lot of rabbinic commentary on this verse. Rashi, summing up much Rabbinic thought, claims that the numbers are spaced out to tell us about Sarah’s life: that when she was at one hundred, she was as sinless as she was at twenty, and at twenty she was as graceful as she was at seven, and that the beginning of the verse is repeated again at the end to tell us “all the years of her life were equally good”. Ibn Ezra, a Spanish commentator and grammarian, argues that all of this reading into the verse is missing the point: in Hebrew, “chayyim” or “life” always appears in the plural, and this verse is just how Hebrew writes lifespans. But with respect to Ibn Ezra, while he may be right about the grammar, his explanation removes a lot of what is interesting about the verse.
It is worthwhile to consider Sarah’s many lives. She started as Sarai, living in one the great empires of the world. She moved to the backwater of Canaan and become Sarah. She was abducted, rescued, mothered a child, fought with her handmaid, and according to Midrash, constantly taught other women about the oneness of God. Sarah did, in many ways, live many different lives. And yet Rashi says “כֻּלָּן שָׁוִין לְטוֹבָה”, they were all equal in goodness. The translation I used above filled in the word “years,” but it could just as equally apply to “lives.” All of Sarah’s lives had a constant throughline of moral goodness.
We ourselves live many lives in our years. We are children, teenagers, adults. We are students, workers, bosses, retirees. We play so many different roles over the course of our lifetime, it can feel like we are many different people. And yet, like Sarah, we should strive to have a throughline of goodness that runs through our life. A moral code that connects us to ourselves. Change is good, and no one can escape the multitude of roles we will take in our lives. What we do have the power to do is to ensure that what connects all the different lives we will lead is that they are all, fundamentally, good.
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Gelman
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This week's (11/18) Friday night theme is Nosh 'n' Knowledge Learner's Shabbat! Hors d'oeuvres and drinks will start at 5:30. It is sponsored by Sisterhood. Please join us!
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Join us for Kiddush after services. On the menu is PBJ triangles for kids of all ages, herring and onion in cream sauce, tuna salad, hard boiled eggs, tossed salad, veggie pasta salad, bagels, cookie assortment and fruit.
Kiddush is prepared by Charna & Marvin Cweibel.
Interested in preparing or sponsoring a Kiddush, in whole or in part?Please contact Motti.
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Please come out on Sunday December 11th at to watch Savannah’s new Hockey Team the Ghost Pirates. The Ghost Pirates will give the Shalom School $5 back for each ticket sold. The goal is to sell 200 tickets. Please follow the link to purchase your tickets.
Hope to see you there,
Bryan Guthrie
President, Shalom School Board
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Service Leader Sign Up
Are you interested in leading services? Reading Torah? You can sign up on our service leader sign up sheet! We now have 2 sheets-one through the end of October, and the other from November to February. If you are interested in learning how to read Torah or lead services, contact Rabbi Gelman at [email protected]
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The upcoming themes:
11/25 - No services due to Thanksgiving holiday
12/2 - Classic Shabbat
12/9 - Shalom School Kabbalat Shabbat: We will be hosting as students from Shalom School lead our Friday night services beginning at 6pm. Dinner will immediately follow services. Both services and dinner are open to all. Dinner will be $10/person or $18/family. Please RSVP to the office by replying to this email or calling so that we have enough food and seating set up.
Please add these to your calendars!
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Tuesday: 7:30 AM
Wednesday: 8:00 AM
Friday: 8:00 AM (followed by breakfast) & 6:00 PM
Shabbat: 9:45 AM
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This Shabbat:
2022 | 5783
Parashat Chayei Sarah
Candle Lighting: 5:05 pm
Havdalah: 6:02 pm
(all times are for Savannah)
Annual Torah reading: Genesis 23:1-25:18 (Etz Hayim pp. 127-141)
Triennial Torah reading: Genesis 23:1-24:9 (Etz Hayim pp. 127 -132)
Haftarah: 1 Kings 1:1-31 (Etz Hayim pp.143-145)
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Talmud Torah K'Neged Kulam - Torah Study for Everyone
We are excited to begin offering classes with Rabbi Gelman! We will start with one class a week (Talmud Page of the Week) and expand from there. Come and see what we have to offer!
1. Daf Shevui/Talmud Page of the Week:
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Always wanted a chance to learn a bit of Talmud? In this class we will be going through the first tractate of the Talmud, Berachot (Blessings). We will get a good variety of rabbinic legends, Jewish law, wit, and arguments. Lots and lots of arguments. Class will be held Wednesdays at 6 PM in person and on Zoom. The ZOOM link can be found below... |
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2. Learn to Lead: Have you always wanted to lead a service, but never quite got the melody? Always wanted a second shot at reading Torah after your Bat Mitzvah, but never seemed to have the time? Well, now is your chance to learn! Join Rabbi Gelman as he takes you through Kabbalat Shabbat, Torah trop, Haftarah Trop, and more. Please email Rabbi Gelman for more information!
3. Rotating Class with Rabbi Gelman: Fall Semester: We’re going to try something new this year at Agudath Achim. Each season, Rabbi Gelman will teach a different class of 6-10 sessions each on various topics. In the fall it might be on the history of Jewish characters in plays, while in the winter it might be on Jewish humor or Rashi’s commentary. To start things off, we want to hear from you what you want to learn. If you’re interested in learning with Rabbi Gelman, please fill out form below, or contact Rabbi Gelman at [email protected] or 912-521-7225.
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4. Rabbis of the Mishnah Class will take a deep look into the Rabbis of the Mishnah; who they were and what they were thinking. Our next class will be November 23rd at 10:30am. Please contact Motti for class link or email [email protected]
5. Women in the Talmud: Ever wondered what the Talmud has to say about women? Wonder no further! In this limited series, Naima will take us through an exploration of how the Talmud talks about women. We’ll explore halachic (Jewish legal) disputes as well as meet the women who appear in the pages of the Talmud. All ages and genders are welcome! The class will be meeting in person. Please contact the office to let us know you are coming. Reach out to Naima Gelman with questions: [email protected]. Dates of classes are 11/20, 12/4, 12/11, 12/18, 1/8/23, 1/15 – all Sundays at 7:30pm.
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New Class Offering:
From The Merchant of Venice to Something Rotten: Jews on Stage
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6+ Tuesdays at 1pm, Starting November 22, In Person Only
From the origins of modern theater in the Renaissance, Jews have been a presence on the stage. Sometimes they have been written by Jewish playwrights, but most of the time, Stage Jews and their Judaism are more of a reflection of their non-Jewish authors and their society. Jews on stage have served as heroes, villains, and comic relief; as wise philosophers, poor devils, and everything in between. In this class we will look at some classic portrayals of Jews on the stage, including such plays as The Merchant of Venice, Nathan the Wise, Driving Miss Daisy, and Angels in America. We will look at both Jewish and non-Jewish playwrights, and always ask the question: Why is it important that this character be Jewish? Join Rabbi Gelman as we unmask the humanity of these characters, and find that if you prick them, they do in fact bleed.
Rabbi Samuel Gelman
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Kindness goes a long way....Packages of hope from the Red Cross make lifelong impact on WWII POW. |
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Herman & Helen Cranman
The feeling must have been horrifying. A loud explosion, the sound of bending metal, and hot smoke rising in the air around him. 20-year-old bombardier and B-24 navigator, Herman Cranman, strapped a parachute to his back, brought his toes to the edge of an open plane door, and jumped out into the gunfire.... click the link to read the whole article
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Deadline to order is Friday, January 27, 2023 |
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Birthdays
November 19
Stephen Morris
November 20
Cecil Pollen
Hilary Kronowitz
November 22
Lynn Simon
November 25
Gerald Caplan
Gale Hirsh
Morgan McGhie
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Anniversaries
November 22
Arthur & Linda Brill
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If we have missed your birthday or anniversary, please email the office with the information so we can update your account. We apologize for the omission. |
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Yahrzeits For:
November 18 - November 25, 2022
25 Heshvan - 1 Kislev 5783
Friday, November 18/Saturday, November 19 - 25 Heshvan
Louis Kamine - uncle of Roberta Kamine-Haysman
Lawrence Konter - father of Jerry Konter & Sally Greenberg
Madeline Rubin - mother of Elise Shernoff
& aunt of Brenda Salter
Joseph Schmalheiser - father of Helen Cranman,
grandfather of Paul Cranman & Lynn Reeves,
& great grandfather of Kasey Berman & Morgan McGhie
Saturday, November 19/Sunday, November 20 - 26 Heshvan
Lillian Young - mother of Arnold Young
Sunday, November 20/Monday, November 21 -27 Heshvan
Abrom Daitch - grandmother of Michael Zoller
Julius Kaminsky - father of Myron Kaminsky,
Danny Kaminsky, & Toby Friedman
Charles Reeves - father of David Reeves, &
grandfather of Kasey Berman & Morgan McGhie
Monday, November 21/Tuesday, November 22 - 28 Heshvan
Annie Karp - grandmother of Sheryl Kreh & Sidney Karp
Tuesday, November 22/Wednesday, November 23 - 29 Heshvan
Max Handshu - father of Dayle Levy
Elaine Zerden - mother of Solomon Zerden
Thursday, November 24/Friday, November 25 - 1 Kislev
Moshe Hoffman - great grandfather of Kenneth Hoffman
Commemoration of the Yahrzeit begins the evening of the first noted date.
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Promoting Justice in Savannah
Help advance the cause of justice in Savannah! Congregation Agudath Achim is a member of JUST (Justice Unites Savannah Together) an interfaith alliance of 22 Jewish, Christian and Muslim congregations. The purpose of JUST is to bring together people of faith to advance justice in Savannah and Chatham County. Every year, the member congregations agree on two critical areas in which to advance justice and work together to make progress through dialogue, research and advocacy. AA congregants are invited and encouraged to participate.
If you want to become involved, please contact Rabbi Gelman or Maurice Middleberg ([email protected])
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The Savannah Jewish Community Presents:
Youth Theater!
Are you (or your child) in 5th grade or up? Have the acting itch? Want to be in a musical with other pre-teens and teens in the Savannah Jewish community? Join Rabbi (and Director) Samuel Gelman of Agudath Achim at Sunday, November 20th, 12 PM at Mickve Israel right after Shalom School. We will be discussing what play we will perform, audition, rehearsal, and performance dates, and more! This will primarily be a meeting for parents, but actors are welcome to attend as well. If you are interested, but cannot attend this meeting, please email Rabbi Gelman at [email protected]
We look forward to seeing you there!
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Dear Community Leadership,
While we know that Summer just began, we are well in to planning for the New Year (school year, Jewish year, etc). Towards that end, the JEA is offering CPR/First Aid training. This is part of a series of preparation courses offered to the community.
If you have staff members, or organization members (feel free to share broadly) who want to get certified/recertified in CPR and basic first aid we are offering the following:
Join us for this community class to learn how to confidently intervene in life-threatening emergencies.
This course is held through the American Health & Safety Institute (ASHI) by an approved instructor.
This is a blended learning course, meaning that you will have to complete an online course prior to attending the in-person skills session. Classes will be limited to ten (10) people. Adult, child and infant CPR/AED/First Aid will all be covered in this course.
Class Dates:
December 10, 2022 - 12:30 pm
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