Shabbat begins 9.06pm

Shabbat ends 10.24pm

Parashat Balak One of the first questions we ask is why is someone, who hates the Jews and wants them cursed and destroyed, honoured by giving his name to a parasha of the Torah? If the title of the Sidra is meant to give us an inkling of what it is about, surely it should have been called ‘Bilam’. After all it is the gentile prophet Bilam who is visited by G-d; even his donkey can see angels sent by G-d. It is Bilam who tries to curse the Children of Israel, but ends up blessing them three times. And it is Bilam’s words that begin our prayers every morning: “How goodly are your tents, Jacob, your dwelling-places, Israel”. (Numbers 24:5) The answer our sages give is that even though Balak was evil, he had at least one good attribute - honesty: he made no attempt to conceal his hatred of the Jews. Everyone knew where he stood, unlike Bilam who claimed to be spiritual, and G-d’s prophet, but was duplicitous, greedy and ready to trade moral standards for wealth. In our modern world, too many of us are like Bilam, proclaiming to have values that we don’t always follow or adhere to. We disapprove of child labour, sweat shops and undemocratic regimes, but continue to purchase products from countries that permit such practices and deny basic freedoms. We condemn cruelty to animals, but how many care, for example if the eggs they buy come from sources where the hens are forced to live in appalling conditions? It is also much easier to deal with an enemy like Balak, who leaves you in no doubt where he stands, unlike the two-faced Bilam. It is same again in our modern world. We can all name those enemies that seek an end to the Jewish people and the State of Israel, but how many of our so-called ‘friends’ are actually friends? How many times has Israel found itself alone when having to defend itself from those wishing to destroy it? It is one year since Hamas began firing over 10,000 rockets at Israel, yet Israel is vilified in the West for retaliating; how many ‘friends’ rushed to its support then and now? The final chapter of the parasha teaches us a lesson that, regrettably, is also still as true today as it was then. The children of Israel could win battles when their enemies sought to destroy them. They could have withstood the attempts of enemies to convert them, but they fell victim to assimilation and marrying out. Hitler (yimach shemo) sought to destroy the Jewish people, and six million paid the price of his evil, yet, incredibly, more Jewish people have been lost to assimilation than perished in the Shoah. As well as ensuring we remain strong and powerful enough to defeat our modern-day adversaries - whether they be Hamas, Isis or despicable Neo-Nazis who try to march in Golders Green - we must also put our resources into finding new ways of stopping the alarming trend of assimilation, and thus ensure the future of the Jewish people. Shabbat Shalom! Alan Goldberg

Announcements

4th July ‘15 /17 Tammuz 5775 Ministers: Rabbi Lionel Rosenfeld Rabbi Sam Taylor Chazan Emeritus: Moshe Dubiner

Parashat Balak

Kiddush in Honour of Jonathan Abro: We thank the generous anonymous sponsor

who invites us all to Kiddush in honour of Jonathan Abro, to acknowledge the huge

contribution he has made to WMA setting up and managing our web site from its

beginning, for which we sincerely thank him.

Breakfasts:

Breakfasts this week mark the Yahrzeit of our founding member Joe Goldberg (Yoseph ben

Binyamin z”l , and are sponsored by his wife Sheila and children Alan, Frances & Ian. We

thank them and wish them Long Life. Bar Mitzvah Mickael Topiol Mickael is Bar Mitzvah on Monday morning, 6 July in the Mintz Beth Hamidrash. We wish Mazal Tov to him, his parents Astrid & Maurice and grandparents Charles-Henri Weil and Esther Topiol. Happy Birthday to: Sky Joseph Theo Mandel Natasha Truman Emanuelle Lee Samuel Mintz Gabrielle Hart Deboraah Eker Dean Clifford Adam Zebrak Timothy Eppel Graham Colover Patricia Gold Faanya Rose Happy Anniversary to: Jahnene & Jonathan Green Patricia & Ronald Davis We wish a Refuah Shlemah to: Eliyahu ben Devorah Zelig ben Etta Rasha Avraham Mordechai ben Chaya Basha Sarah Emily bat Sarah Gita Chaya bat Chanah Habachur Yaakov Gavriel Yehudah ben Dina Chanah—Jacob Ziff Zorach ben Sarah Harav Pinchas Shmuel ben Pesya — Paul Laderman Dalia bat Patricia, Shulamit bat Tamar, Sultana bat Tamar, Evelyn bat Sarah Devorah Devorah bat Avraham

Hertz Cohen Stone Gutnick

Sedra 668 915 8356 1014

Haftarah 682 929 1189 1458

Sunday, 19th July Jnetics Event: “Take the test not the risk”

10.00am—1.00pm @ St John’s Wood Synagogue. A community screening for nine severe Jewish genetic

disorders, including Tay-Sachs—1 in 5 people of Ashkenazi origin are carriers of a Jewish genetic disorder.

A simple blood test can identify if you are at risk. To book a place please email: screening@jnetics.org

For more information visit www.jnetics.org

Yadgaroff Library

The Yadgaroff Library is open every day for those wishing to

study or browse the fine selection of books.

Monday Mornings—Healing at WMA:

Sonia Shalam continues with her healing sessions on Monday

mornings. Please phone her on 07770 903783 to book a

session or for further information.

Memorial Plaques:

For those members with permanent seats, plaques can be made

in memory of loved ones. Please contact Gina Drew-Davis in

the Office.

Sponsoring an Event:

If you are celebrating a Simcha or commemorating a family

Yahrzeit or if you are just feeling generous please consider

contacting the office about sponsoring a Shabbat Morning

Kiddush or breakfasts for the morning Minyan.

(Ladies: we would like help with the Kiddush rota. If you

are able to assist us, please contact Linda Sharpe directly

on: 07914766255 or: lindamaxine@icloud.com)

SERVICES ON FRIDAY EVENING, SHABBAT MINCHA AND WEEKDAYS TAKE PLACE IN THE

MINTZ BETH HAMIDRASH

Friday 3rd July 7.30am Shacharit followed by breakfast and Haftarah

Shiur by Ervin Landau

7.15pm Mincha & Kabbalat Shabbat 9.06pm Candle lighting

Shabbat 4th July

8:45am Shiur by Stanley Simmonds

9.15am Shacharit Sermon by Rabbi Sam Taylor 8.30pm Shiur in Pirkei Avot with Rabbi Sam Taylor

9.15pm Mincha, followed by Seudah Shlishit & D’var Torah by Rabbi Lionel Rosenfeld

10.24pm Ma’ariv and Havdalah

Sunday 5th July FAST OF 17TH TAMMUZ

Fast begins 1.05am 8.15am Shacharit & Selichot

7.30pm Mincha followed by Ma’ariv Fast ends 10.18pm

Monday 6th July 7.30am Shacharit followed by breakfast and

D’var Torah 10.30am Rabbi Rosenfeld’s Shiur for Ladies

6.40pm “Cheder for Grown-Ups” with

Rabbi Rosenfeld 8.00pm Krav Maga @ WMA

Tuesday 7th July

7.30am Shacharit followed by breakfast and D’var Torah By Rabbi Yosef Vogel

8.00pm Gemara Shiur with Rabbi Taylor

Wednesday 8th July

7.30am Shacharit followed by breakfast and D’var Torah by Ervin Landau

Thursday 9th July 7.30am Shacharit followed by breakfast and D’var Torah

1.00pm Rabbi Tali Lowenthal’s lunchtime learning session for men

Friday 10th July

7.30am Shacharit followed by breakfast and Haftarah

Shiur by Ervin Landau SUNDAY 5TH JULY — THURSDAY 9TH JULY

WEEKDAY MINCHA & MA’ARIV 7.30PM

PLEASE HELP US TO ENSURE A MINYAN THIS SUNDAY EVENING WHEN COMMUTERS ARE NOT IN TOWN

Next Shabbat: Parashat Pinchas—Shabbat Mevarchin

11th July 2015 Commences—9.02pm

Mincha & Kabbalat Shabbat - 7.15pm

For full details of service times and events please see our website: www.marblearch.org.uk

Western Marble Arch Synagogue, 1 Wallenberg Place, London W1H 7TN Tel: 020 7723 9333 Email: office@marblearch.org.uk

Website: www.marblearch.org.uk — Registered Charity No: 1154188