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The Jewish Center S H A B B A T B U L L E T I N
December 6, 2014 • PARSHAT VAYISHLACH • 14 Kislev 5775
The Jewish Center - The Modern Orthodox Center for Jewish Life and Learning www.jewishcenter.org • 212-724-2700
Erev Shabbat 4:11PM Candle Lighting 4:15PM Minchah 4:35PM Family Minyan (5th floor) 5:15PM Family Program in the Main Sanctuary 5:45PM Youth Department’s Pre-Chanukah Family Dinner
Shabbat 7:45AM Hashkama Minyan 8:30AM Rabbi Israel Silverstein Mishnayot Class with Rabbi Yosie Levine 9:00AM Shacharit followed by our Public Lecture by Yossi Siegel, Israel’s Water Story: Lessons for a Water-Stressed World 9:15AM Young Leadership Minyan (Max Stern Auditorium) 9:15AM Hashkama Shiur with Rabbi Daniel Fridman, The Roots of Ma'ariv, Part 2 9:26AM Sof Zman Kriat Shema 10:00AM Youth Groups, 2-year-olds, 3-4-year-olds and 5-6-year-olds: Geller Youth Center; 2nd-3rd graders: 7th floor, 4th-6th grad-ers: 7th floor 10:30AM Youth Group Parsha Palooza (for 2nd - 6th graders) Following Laining, Post Bat Mitzvah Learning with Chaya Fridman, Letting Go of Grudges 11:15AM Youth Department Mishnayot Class with Rabbi Daniel Fridman, Sanhedrin
With Thanks to our Kiddush Sponsors: Hashkama Kiddush, Vivian & Matthew Lazar in memory of the yahrtzeit of Matthew's mother, Sylvia Lazar, Yona bat Yitzchak Tzvi Hashkama Kiddush, Harriet Wagman in memory of her husband, Stanley Wagman
12:20PM Early Minchah 3:00PM Bikkur Cholim and Bikkur in the Home. Meet at the Westmont, 730 Columbus Avenue 4:05PM Minchah, Shabbat afternoon groups Israel Friedman Daf Yomi 39 Melachot with Rabbi Dovid Zirkind Seudah Shlishit Speaker: Rav Eliyahu Reich, Jelly Donuts on Chanu-kah – What’s the Point? (see page 2 for his complete bio) Seudah Shlishit Youth Speaker: Benjamin Eden
With Thanks to our Seudah Shlishit Sponsors: Tiki & Simcha Lyons in memory of Simcha's mother, Berenice Raskas Lyons
5:11PM Shabbat concludes, followed by Musical Havdalah
Parent-Child Learning will resume next week
6:30PM Bat Mitzvah Learning Program Opening Week with Rabbi Daniel & Chaya Fridman (Max and Marion Grill Beit Midrash)
Women's Tehillim Group - Mon., December 8 at 7:15PM. Contact Joyce Weitz for more info at 212-877-1176.
— DAILY SERVICES —
Sun., Dec. 7 Daf Yomi 7:45AM Shacharit 8:30AM Minchah 4:15PM
Mon., Dec. 8 - Thurs., Dec. 11 Shacharit 7/8AM Daf Yomi 7:45AM Minchah 4:15PM
Fri., Dec. 12 Shacharit 7/8AM Daf Yomi 7:45AM Candle Lighting 4:11PM Minchah 4:15PM
MEMBERSHIP MONTH HAS BEEN EXTENDED THE JEWISH CENTER • IT’S WHERE YOU BELONG
Become a member by December 15th and save 20% on the annual membership fee.
Apply for membership online at www.jewishcenter.org
or pick up an application in the lobby.
Pre-Chanukah Shabbat Dinner followed by a Community Dessert and Special Talk by Dr. Erica Brown Shabbat dinner, December 12 Please see page 2 for more information about the dinner, community dessert, special talk and how to register.
Shabbat Morning Public Lecture: Chanukah and Heroism: Who Are Today's Jewish Heroes?
COMMUNITY SCHOLAR • SHABBAT, DECEMBER 12-13 DR. ERICA BROWN
Mosab Hassan Yousef was born in Ramallah, son of Sheikh Hassan Yousef, the founder and leader of the terrorist or-ganization Hamas. As his father's eldest son, he was seen as his heir apparent and became an important part of the Hamas organization. Yousef was held by Shin Bet agents in 1996. During that interrogation he accepted the offer to become an Israeli informant. From that point forward he was regarded as Israel’s most reliable source on Hamas activities; credited with the saving countless lives and assist-ing in the arrest of the region’s most dangerous terrorists. In 2008, Yousef left the Middle East for California.
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MAY & SAMUEL RUDIN LECTURE TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9 AT 8:00PM MOSAB HASSAN YOUSEF
SON OF HAMAS: FROM A TERRORIST HOME TO ISRAELI SPY
Israel’s Water Story: Lessons for a Water-Stressed World
PUBLIC LECTURE • SHABBAT, DECEMBER 6 AT 11:00AM YOSSI SIEGEL
DAILY (except Shabbat) Israel Friedman Daf Yomi, 7:45AM
MONDAY A Talmudic Study of the Shema with Rabbi Dovid Zirkind, 8:00PM
TUESDAY Advanced Talmud Chabura with Rabbi Daniel Fridman, 7:45AM
Nosh and Drash with Dr. Adena Berkowitz, 10:15-11:30AM
WEDNESDAY Advanced Talmud Chabura with Rabbi Daniel Fridman, 7:45AM
Women of the Bible with Rabbi Yosie Levine, 11:00AM
Words from the Wise - The Book of Proverbs with Rabbi Daniel Fridman, 8:00PM
The Next Level with Rabbi Mark Wildes, 8:00PM
THURSDAY Innovation & Conservation: Ancient Judaism & Christianity with Rabbi Ari Lamm, 8:15PM
SHABBAT Rabbi Israel Silverstein Mishnayot Class
with Rabbi Yosie Levine, 8:30AM
Ramban on the Weekly Parsha with Rabbi Daniel Fridman, 9:15AM
Youth Department Mishnayot Class with Rabbi Daniel Fridman
Israel Friedman Daf Yomi with rotating JCU Faculty, 1 hour before Min-chah
Parent-Child Learning with Rabbi Daniel Fridman
39 Melachot (through December 27) with Rabbi Dovid Zirkind
JEWISH CENTER UNIVERSITY FALL SEMESTER
JC Online - Become a fan for the latest news and events. Facebook.com/TheJewishCenterNY
WELCOME, ERICA BROWN - OUR NEW COMMUNITY SCHOLAR
Dear Friend: I am writing to share with you the exciting news that Dr. Erica Brown will be joining The Jewish Center in the capacity of Community Scholar. Many of you know Erica from her talks and from her writing. We are very much looking forward to learning from her and with her over the coming weeks and months. Both I and The Jewish Center's lay leadership feel strongly that the presence of an accomplished female role model deeply root-ed in Torah and mitzvot will enhance our educational team. Through her dynamic initiatives, activities and teaching, we are confident that Erica will add value to the Jewish lives of our members across the de-mographic spectrum. Erica will be a regular presence in our community. She will be with us for four weekends over the course of the year; she will join us for several mid-week events; and she will be with us for the holiday of Shavuot. Both on Sunday mornings in person and by phone and email from afar, Erica will be available to members who wish to speak with her. If you would like to schedule a time to speak with her, please con-tact my assistant, Batsheva Ritholtz at [email protected]. I hope you will join me in welcoming Erica to our community. She will be joining us on the weekend of December 12-13 and I en-courage you to attend our Friday night dinner as well as Erica's public lecture on Shabbat morning.
Warmest regards, Yosie Levine, Rabbi
PRE-CHANUKAH SHABBAT DINNER AND COMMUNITY DESSERT AND SPECIAL TALK BY DR. ERICA BROWN
Dr. Erica Brown is a writer and an educator. She writes for The New York Jewish Week, Psychology Today and JTA on Jewish leadership. She is the author of Inspired Jewish Leadership, Spiritual Boredom, Confronting Scandal, In the Narrow Places, Return, Happier Endings, Leadership in the Wilderness and co-author of The Case for Jewish Peoplehood.
Prices for Shabbat Dinner: $50 for members, $55 for non-members, $25 for children (ages 3-8) Sponsorship Opportunities: $250 includes dinner for two and a mention in our Shabbat Bulletin
Following dinner please join us for a Community Dessert and Special Talk by Dr. Erica Brown, Guilt and Gelt: Judaism's Attitude To Money at 7:15PM This program is free and open to the community.
Registration: Please visit our website to register for the dinner or email Eliane at [email protected].
Committee: Michelle Chrein, Barbara & Guy Reiss, and Grant Silverstein
SEUDAH SHLISHIT SPEAKER: RAV ELIYAHU REICH
Rav Eliyahu Reich is a graduate of Yeshivat Sha'alvim and Yeshiva University. He holds a B.A. in Jewish Studies and an M.A. from the Ber-nard Revel Graduate School. Rav Reich made Aliyah and rejoined Sha'alvim, completing his Semicha studies there. He has been teaching at the Sha'alvim Overseas Program since 2002.
THANKSGIVING FIREHOUSE VISIT
To say thank you to our firefighters,
JC children visited our local firehouse on Thanksgiving.
They climbed on a fire truck, and delivered cards and treats
to the firefighters.
SCREENING OF THE GREEN PRINCE
Thank you to the 150 individuals who attended our screening of The Green Prince. We look forward to host-ing Mosab Hassan Yousef on Tue., December 9.
The JC is proud to host the inaugural Jewish Learning Initiative on Cam-pus (JLIC) winter learning program in our Max and Marion Grill Beit Midrash. The program welcomes students and educators from university campuses from around the country for a 5-day Beit Midrash program addressing the theme of "The Jewish Community and The Broader World." Jewish Center members are welcome to join the program free of charge for all or part of the week. Topics and times for the specific lectures, including presentations from our clergy, coming soon. For more information contact Rabbi Zirkind at [email protected].
JLIC INTERCOLLEGIATE WINTER BEIT MIDRASH (JANUARY 4-8)
COMMUNITY ACCOMPLISHMENTS Rabbi Benjamin Blech’s book, The Sistine Secrets: Mi-chelangelo's Forbidden Mes-sages in the Heart of the Vati-can will be featured as a documentary film on the Dis-covery Channel on Sunday, December 14 at 9:00PM.
Elza Weinman on being hon-ored at the Bikkur Cholim of the West Side's upcoming annual luncheon on Tuesday, December 9
Deborah de Winter & Philip Sussman whose daughter, Carolyn Sussman, was elected president of Cornell University's Hillel
THANK YOU TO OUR USHERS Thank you to Ami Aharon and Tehillah Blech Harris who are our ushers this Shabbat. THANK YOU TO CSS We would like to once again thank CSS and our dedicated CSS members for providing the security for our syna-gogue this week. DID YOU KNOW? A portion of your membership dues supports our local Eruv and Mikvah. ONEG SHABBAT DONATIONS Please help provide Chanukah meals for the less fortunate families in our community by sending your donation to Oneg Shabbat at 650 West End Ave., New York, NY 10025 or visit ww.onegshabbatny.org. RUTH B. WILDES MEMORIAL LECTURE: GUEST SPEAKER RABBI DR. MEIR SOLOVEICHIK Wednesday, December 10 at 8:00PM at Manhattan Jewish Experience (10th floor) Register at the following website for your free ticket: RuthWildesMemorial.Eventbrite
COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
To sponsor Kiddush or Seudah Shlishit or a JC event, please contact Aaron at [email protected]
UPCOMING EVENTS
YOUNG COUPLES & FAMILIES TOY DRIVE Through December 8 The JC is collecting new toys to be donated to children at Ohel. Stop by The JC lobby to drop off a toy.
YOUNG LEADERSHIP BOOK CLUB Sunday, December 7 at 8:30PM at 175 W. 87th Street, Apt. 21B Join us for the first meeting of the Young Leadership Book Club, featuring The Children Act by Ian McEwan. Questions? Please contact [email protected] or [email protected].
PRIVATE TOUR OF LETTERS TO AFAR: BY PÉTER FORGÁCS, MUSIC BY THE KLEZMATICS AT THE MUSEUM OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK Wednesday, December 10 at 11:00AM Join Rabbi Levine for a private tour of this exhibit, which is an immersive video art installation based on home movies made by New York City’s Jewish immigrants who traveled back to visit Poland during the 1920s and ‘30s. The films document poignant family reunions and everyday life in small towns in the years before the Second World War, capturing a culture on the brink. Tickets cost $20 members; $22 non-members. For more information and to register, email [email protected].
YOUNG LEADERSHIP CHANUKAH DINNER FEATURING RABBI BENJAMIN BLECH, CHANUKAH & MICHELANGELO'S SECRET MESSAGES IN THE SISTINE CHAPEL Friday, December 19 at 5:45PM Please join us for Young Leadership’s Shabbat Chanukah Dinner. Rabbi Blech will speak about his book, The Sistine Secrets: Michelangelo's Forbidden Messages in the Heart of the Vatican. The dinner costs $37 for members and $44 for non-members. Registration will open shortly.
JC & CONGREGATION SHEARITH ISRAEL SKI AND SNOWBOARD TRIP Thursday, December 25 at 7:00AM First-timers and black diamond skiers and snowboarders welcome! Hit the slopes for a day at Hunter Mountain with friends and family. All levels ages 7 and up welcome. This trip is all-inclusive (lift tickets, optional rentals, transportation and quality time with our clergy), but it is BYOL (bring your own lunch). Except for the beginners package, group lesson tickets will be available for purchase for ages 13 and up. The cost for a reservation ranges from $60-$110. For more information about the different price packages and to register, please visit our website.
YOUTH DEPARTMENT
PARSHA PALOOZA IN YOUTH GROUPS Shabbat, December 6 at 10:30AM POST-BAT MITZVAH GROUP Shabbat morning, December 6 All JC post-Bat Mitzvah teens and their friends are welcome to join for some fun learning with Chaya Fridman. Start davening in the main shul. After haftorah reading, head up to the 4th floor for learning on subjects of interest to teens. Snacks are sponsored by Beth & Josh Schwartz.
BAT MITZVAH PROGRAM Motzei Shabbat, December 6, 13, 20, January 3, 10, 24, and February 7 at 6:30PM A six-week course for Bnot Mitzvah, and those about to become Bnot Mitzvah, on the Torah val-ues of Jewish womanhood. Topics covered, through the lens of Biblical Jewish heroines, will include familial leadership, prayer, kindness, per-sonal modesty, loyalty, courage and fearlessness. The course will conclude with presentations by all the student participants at a family gathering at the shul. Co-taught by Rabbi Daniel & Chaya Fridman. Visit our website to register.
TEEN MINYAN Shabbat, December 13
5TH ANNUAL TEEN VS. CLERGY BASKETBALL GAME Saturday night, December 13 at 8:00PM Come support the JC teens, Rabbis and officers in this all-star game and help raise money for our Youth Department. Tickets - Teen registration: no charge; General admission: $10 in advance, $15 at the door; Reserve seating: $36. Sponsorship Opportunities - Fan: $100 which includes 2 re-served tickets; Patron: $180 which includes 2 re-served tickets; Junior Varsity: $360 which includes 4 reserved tickets; Varsity: $500 which includes 4 reserved tickets and customized game night t-shirt; General manager: $1,000 which includes 10 re-served tickets and two customized game night t-shirts. Please visit our website to register. With thanks to our growing list of sponsors: Lori Zeltser & Len Berman, Rabbi Yosie & Rachel Levine and Rachel & Jonathan Sopher in memory of Judith Levine.
Yosie Levine Rabbi
Dovid Zirkind Assistant Rabbi
Chaim David Berson Cantor
Daniel Fridman Resident Scholar
Rabbi Ari Lamm William Fischman Resident Scholar
Aaron Strum Executive Director
Eliane Glassman Director of
Programming and Communications
Yitzchak Sprung Youth Director
OFFICERS Avi Schwartz President
Andrew Borodach First Vice President
Andrew Kaplan Vice President
Mark Segall Vice President
Rose Lynn Sherr Vice President
Michael Jacobs Assistant
Vice President
Yaron Kinar Treasurer
Len Berman Assistant Treasurer
Miri Lipsky Secretary
Lisa Septimus Yoetzet Halacha 917-382-9008
Chevra Kadisha 212-724-2700
UWS Mikvah 212-579-2011
Hatzalah 212-230-1000
Eruv Status 212-724-2700
Clergy & Staff
Phone Numbers
The Sages of the Talmud, with rare excep-tion, were great believers in earning one’s keep1. Taking as an axiom that life is replete with innumera-ble challenges, honest struggle is preferable, from the rabbinic viewpoint, than any form of naive escap-ism, on the one hand, or feeding from the silver spoon, on the other. Apparently, having it made, contrary to the conventional wisdom, isn’t all its cracked up to be. If this is the case regarding per-sonal struggle, the same is true concerning national challenges. As the Talmud taught, the Land of Israel itself is acquired by the Jewish people, not with ease, but through difficulty and struggle2.
The life of Jacob presents itself as a case study in support of this thesis. Under different circum-stances, and for distinct reasons, the common denomi-nator of Jacob’s response to the challenges presented by Esav, and Lavan, is to look for the exits. In this week’s sedra, Jacob, all alone, stands and confronts the mysterious man-angel, wrestling him through the night. Only through this struggle, and not despite it, does Jacob receive the blessing of a new identity, Israel, one which reflects the willingness to struggle, and thereby, to develop, in one’s relationship both with God and man.
It seems quite poetic that Jacob, on account of this struggle with the man-angel, sustains an injury, and loses, at least temporarily, his capacity to run3. Whereas Jacob might have opted for that path, of decidedly lesser resistance, Israel had no need to do so. He was perfectly capable of standing his ground,
and meeting life’s challenges with his signature blend of faith and resilience.
It hardly needs to be said that on that fate-ful night, Israel blazed a path for his descendents, who consecrate that night of struggle with an eternal ban on consumption of the gid ha-nasheh, where Isra-el was wounded by the man-angel. As the Prophet stated4, the Children of Israel are, like their illustrious ancestor, ‘survivors of the sword’, who have struggled many a painful day, and many a long night. Battle-tested, clear-eyed, we see our present challenges in Israel as another round in a generational bout, whose glorious ending has already been foretold. As such, we are unshaken.
1 See for example, Brachot 8a, Brachot 35a, Menachot 99b, Avot Chapter 2, for a small sampling of sources concerning procuring sustenance at the per-sonal level. Maimonides Hilchot Talmud Torah Chap-ter 3 for a particularly strident formulation of the well-worn rabbinic sentiment. Naturally, the willingness to engage in grueling struggle is a cardinal spiritual val-ue, across the board, and in particular, with respect to Torah study. Reish Lakish said, the words of Torah are preserved in he who kills himself, in a figure of speech, over them (Brachot 63b). 2 Brachot 5a. 3 According to the rabbinic tradition, he was healed shortly thereafter, concomitant with his arrival in She-chem. See Shabbat 33a 4 Jeremiah 2:1.
JC TRIP: PESACH 2015 IN ISRAEL The Jewish Center is organizing an extraor-dinary journey to Israel this Spring. We will be staying at the beautiful Inbal Hotel in the heart of Jerusalem, where we have a block of rooms at a very good rate. The trip will be 10 days/nights and will include daily breakfast and six Shabbat/Yom Tov meals. There is no better way to express your solidarity with Israel than to be there. Email Eliane at [email protected] if you are interested in joining the trip. If you have questions, you can contact our tour operator: Joey Freudmann, 718-395-3755 or [email protected].
JC DELEGATION AT THE AIPAC POLICY CONFERENCE MARCH 1-3, 2015
The AIPAC Policy Conference is the pro-Israel community's preeminent annual gathering. The event attracts more than 14,000 community and student activists from all 50 states, and more than half of the Senate, a third of the House of Repre-sentatives and countless Israeli and American policymakers and thought leaders. Over three jam-packed days, Policy Conference participants choose from hundreds of informative sessions and participate in the pro-Israel community's largest and most important advocacy day. The JC is proud to be sending a delegation to this conference. Tickets cost $399 per person. Register before December 31st to lock into this deal. Questions? Please visit our website to purchase your tickets.
...10 TICKETS REMAINING…
To Stand our Ground Rabbi Daniel Fridman, Resident Scholar
PRE-CHANUKAH SHABBAT WITH
COMMUNITY SCHOLAR
DR. ERICA BROWN S H A B B A T , D E C E M B E R 1 2 - 1 3
T H E J E W I S H C E N T E R 1 3 1 W E S T 8 6 T H S T R E E T • N E W Y O R K , N Y 1 0 0 2 4
W W W . J E W I S H C E N T E R . O R G • 2 1 2 - 7 2 4 - 2 7 0 0
DR. ERICA BROWN writes for The New York Jewish Week, Psychology Today and JTA on Jewish leadership. She is the author of many books including Inspired Jewish Leadership, Spiritual Boredom, and Leadership in the Wilderness and co-author of The Case for Jewish Peoplehood.
PRICES: $50 for members, $55 for non-members, $25 for children (ages 3-8) Please visit www.jewishcenter.org to register.
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: $250 includes dinner for two and a mention in our Shabbat Bulletin
DINNER COMMITTEE (IN FORMATION): Michelle Chrein, Barbara & Guy Reiss, and Grant Silverstein
Please email Eliane at [email protected] with questions.
S H A B B A T D I N N E R , D E C E M B E R 1 2 A T 5 : 1 5 P M T H E J E W I S H C E N T E R • 1 3 1 W E S T 8 6 T H S T R E E T
Stay tuned for more details about Dr. Erica Brown's new role in our community.
D E S S E R T A N D S P E C I A L T A L K
A T 7 : 1 5 P M
Gu i l t a nd Ge l t : J ud a i sm 's A t t i t u de
To Mon ey
This event is free of charge and
open to the community.
CELEBRATE CHANUKAH WITH THE JEWISH CENTER
For more information about Chanukah events and programs at The JC, visit www.jewishcenter.org
JOIN US DAILY FOR CANDLE LIGHTING FOLLOWING MINCHAH AT 4:20PM
YOUTH DEPARTMENT CHANUKAH ART PROJECT
Sunday, December 14 Join us and build electric Chanukiot! More information to follow. Please contact Yitz at [email protected] with questions.
PRE-CHANUKAH SHABBAT DINNER FOLLOWED BY A COMMUNITY DESSERT
AND SPECIAL TALK BY DR. ERICA BROWN Shabbat, December 12
Meet our new Community Scholar, Erica Brown during a lovely Shabbat dinner.
Following dinner, please join us for a com-munity dessert followed by a special talk, Guilt and Gelt: Judaism's Attitude To Money
YOUNG LEADERSHIP SHABBAT CHANUKAH DINNER FEATURING RABBI BENJAMIN BLECH
Friday, December 19 at 5:45PM Please join us for dinner with young profession-als, followed by a special talk by Rabbi Bejamin
Blech, Chanukah & Michelangelo's Secret Messages in the Sistine Chapel.
The Jewish Center • 131 West 86th St., New York, NY 10024 www.jewishcenter.org • 212-724-2700
CHANUKAH KIDDUSH Shabbat, December 20
Celebrate Chanukah with the community at this special Kiddush.
