Our new Shomeret, Hannah Braune Friedman assumed her responsibilities on August the 1st. Her cell number is:

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1 YOUNG ISRAEL OF WEST HARTFORD YOUNG ISRAEL OF WEST HARTFORD 2240 ALBANY AVENUE WEST HARTFORD, CT Web Site: The Mussar of Greek Mythology Rabbi Dr. Abraham J. Twerski Sixty-five years ago, in high-school, I learned a powerful mussar lesson, but I did not realize it at the time. Ulysses was a traveler in Greek mythology. He heard of the "music of the sirens." This was music that was heard at a particular harbor, and it was so enchanting, so attractive, that it drew sailors to the shore. However, there were sharp, ragged reefs in the harbor, and the ships would crash into them and were destroyed. Sailors knew this, and passing by the harbor, they would see the wreckages of the ships that had been destroyed, but once they heard the music of the sirens, they were helpless and headed into the harbor to their own destruction. Ulysses wanted to hear the fabled music of the sirens, but knew that this would be fatal. He, therefore, stuffed his sailors' ears with wax so that they could not hear any sounds, and he told them that they were to sail by the harbor and pay no attention to anything he said. He then had himself tied securely to the ship's mast so that he could not move. As the sailors approached the harbor, Ulysses began hearing the music of the sirens. He began shouting to the sailors to head for shore, but of course, they could not hear him. He began screaming at them, "I am your captain! You must obey my orders!" As he heard the music of the sirens, he struggled to free himself from the ropes. "Head for the shore!" he shouted. "I will have you hung for mutiny!" But the sailors rowed on. Continued on Page 3 MINYAN NOTICE A few of our regular minyan attendees will be away this week. if you are able to attend to strengthen the minyan it would be much appreciated. Rabbi Brahm Weinberg or rabbi@youngisraelwh.org Debra Luger or deluge613@sbcglobal.net Shabbat Parashat Vaetchanan Nachamu August 9th, Av 5774 Kiddush this Shabbat Is sponsored by Arie, Inna, Sara, Rivka, and Binyamin Stein & Eli, Elie, Noam, and Eitan Wolfe in gratitude to the YIWH COMMUNITY for being so wonderful to our families these past years, and in recognition of Elie achieving Seudah Shlishit Sponsored by Miriam & Howard Rosenblum on the yahrzeit of Miriam s father, Joseph Leiderman, Yosef Asher ben Meir Eliezer ; and Judy & Sam Leichtberg on the yahrzeit of Judy s mother Frida Weiss, Toba Frida bat Ezra. מזל טוב to Rena & ELi Aroesty on the birth of מזל טוב Aiden Samuel! מזל טוב to proud grandparents Aaron Cohen & Karen Andres, Steven & Debbie Luger, as well as ELi s siblings Adam & Devorah Aroesty Cohen, and Rena s siblings Judith Luger, and Rachel & David Levi! to Elie Wolfe on successfully defending מזל טוב his dissertation earning him his PhD! Rabbi Weinberg will be away this week from Monday - Thursday. Please be in touch with Debbie Luger or Stu Kesler for all shul matters. MIKVAH BESS ISRAEL UPDATES Our new Shomeret, Hannah Braune Friedman assumed her responsibilities on August the 1st. Her cell number is: Editor: Judie Patel bulletin@youngisraelwh.org Affiliate of the National Council of Young Israel Synagogues, Member of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, Sponsor of West Hartford NCSY, National Conference of Synagogue Youth, Kashrut Commission of Greater Hartford, Mikveh Bess Israel of Greater Hartford, Eruv of West Hartford

2 FALL CLASSES AT YIWH MISHNA BRURAH CLASS With Rabbi Sheinkopf Shabbat Mornings at 8:15AM THE THOUGHT OF RAV HIRSCH With Rabbi Weinberg SHABBAT AFTERNOONS 45 MINUTES BEFORE MINCHA This week 7pm RABBI WEINBERG S SUNDAY MORNING GEMARA CLASS Masechet Beitzah ON BREAK READ WITH A CHILD. RESHAPE THE FUTURE. Do you want to make a positive difference in our community? Every year, one of every three American children begin kindergarten without the language skills needed to learn to read. Furthermore, 50 percent of third grade students in the Hartford area are unable to read at grade level. The ability to read is the foundation for excelling in school and achieving success later in life. Helping atrisk children learn to read grants them the opportunities necessary to have a better life and make a positive impact on their communities. YOU CAN HELP by becoming a Hartford Jewish Coalition for Literacy (HJCL) mentor! PRESCHOOL PALS: Attend our training session in West Hartford on September 4, 2014 from 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM to learn about reading with preschool students for 30 minutes a week. ELEMENTARY EXPRESS (kindergarten through third grade): Attend our training session in West Hartford on September 18, 2014 from 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM or our Manchester training on September 19, 2014 from 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM. If you cannot attend any of these trainings, us ask about our rolling trainings. Call Alana Blum at or hjcl@jewishhartford.org for more information. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Acknowledgment or Kid s Corner donations should be sent to: Debbie Luger at 37 Miamis Road, WH, CT Shoshana & Refael Blum: In appreciation of Gayle Harris Barbara & Ron Ashkenas In honor of Elie Wolfe achieving his PhD ADOPTING IDF UNITS WITH YIWH S 3 SOLDIERS We are in the process of adopting IDF units in which our three soldiers are serving. We will need permission from the army which should be forthcoming soon. A special campaign will be set up under the name - Young Israel of West Hartford - support for the IDF. Once permission is received, I have the information on how to contribute to this campaign either money or things the units may need. Any contributions can be made to the address below or on line. In either case, the name of the campaign should be placed on the check or in the descriptive box on web page. The name of the campaign is Young Israel of West Hartford - support for the IDF. US address: KIDS CORNER Eli & Elie Wolfe In honor of birth of a baby boy to Rena & Eli Aroesty Friends of Yashar Lachayal 49 Meadow Lane Lawrence, NY Web site - Thanks, Bob Harris BOOKKEEPER Martha Sperandio, martha@youngisraelwh.org or call her at the shul Her new hours at shul will be generally Monday 9-1 & Friday 1-4 As Martha's hours are limited, she only checks her messages while at the shul. Martha will not be at the Shul on the following days: Monday, 8/11. Martha is in as scheduled on Monday Friday, 8/ 15 should anyone need to be in contact with her Martha s regular schedule will resume the week of 8/18 THE GREATER HARTFORD GEMACH The Gemach is now up and running and consists exclusively of durable medical equipment available for loan free of charge. The Gemach is located at Beth David Synagogue Please contact Elisha Russ-Fishbane Please see the flier for more information. At or

3 Page 3 Dvar Torah, continued from page 1 After they had passed the harbor and the music was no longer heard, Ulysses fainted from exhaustion. The sailors then untied him, and he realized how helpless he had been, and had he not rendered the sailors unable to hear, they would have all been destroyed. Much later I realized that the "music of the sirens" is the yetzer hara. It can enchant a person and render one almost helpless to resist its temptation. Seeing the wreckage of the ships did not prevent sailors from rowing to their destruction. One cocaine addict worked in a mortuary, and buried people who were killed by cocaine, but that did not stop his use, and he died from cocaine at age 33. Cocaine, music of the sirens, yetzer hara they are all the same. How can we "stuff our ears" to the "music of the sirens" that can be heard almost anywhere in our environment? The Talmud cites Hashem as saying, "I created the yetzer hara, and I created Torah as its antidote" (Kedushin 30b). It is our only defense. However, just holding on to Torah is not enough, just as holding on to the mast would not have been enough. We must tie ourselves so tightly to Torah that we can not break loose from it. This is why Moses repeatedly stressed, "But you who cling to Hashem you are all alive today" (Devarim 4:4), "to Him you shall cleave," (ibid. 10:20) and "To love Hashem, to listen to His voice and to cleave to Him (ibid. 30:20). King David says, "I have clung to your testimonies (Tehilim 119:31). To cling and cleave means to be inseparably attached to Torah. Learning Torah and doing mitzvos is of greatest importance, but does not yet result in the necessary fusion. The Talmud says that the single verse that the entire Torah depends on is "Know Hashem in all your ways" (Mishle 3:6, Berachos 63a). Cleaving and clinging is not accomplished by relating to Hashem just in Torah study and in performance of mitzvos, but in everything we do eating, sleeping, transacting, socializing. The works of mussar tell us how we can accomplish this. It is this kind of observance of Torah that can save us from the destructive attractions of the yetzer hara. MANDATORY SCRIP PROGRAM MANDATORY SCRIP PROGRAM beginning July 1, Each family will be expected to bring in an extra $100 of income to the shul by buying gift cards through this program. This is how it works: With every purchase you make using Scrip or Shop with Scrip a percentage comes directly to the shul. These contributions range from 2% to as much as 16% of the amount of your purchase. It is now the job of every member to generate a minimum of $100 worth of income from any assortment of purchases. You can do this in a number of ways some examples: Purchase ~ 2 grocery cards per month. (Big Y, ShopRite or Stop and Shop) Purchase reloadable cards for such items as clothing, gas, drugstores or coffee. Buy them once and reload. (Whole Foods and Crown Market offer this option) Purchase wedding gifts or Chanukah gifts by buying gift cards Use Scrip Now for some of your clothing, household, or gift purchases This truly is SO simple and a WIN-WIN opportunity. By making your regular purchases, you are financially supporting YIWH. Daniella Robinson is the Coordinator of the Scrip Program. Your scrip earnings are individually tabulated through her scrip system. She can be reached at: (860) or at robinson.daniella@gmail.com. Please feel free to be in contact with Daniella should you have any questions. Also, Feel free to call or to arrange a pick up. Or she will be happy to deliver your cards to you!

4 August 8th - 15th, 2014 Shabbat Parashat Vaetchanan Friday, August 8th - Erev Shabbat Mincha/Maariv 7:00 p.m. bulletin@youngisraelwh.org Candle Lighting 7:42 p.m. to check the availability of the date Shabbat, August 9th at Rabbi Sheinkopf s Mishna Brurah Class- No Class to make the arrangements for the Sof Zman Kriat Shma 9:25 a.m. Checks need to be received the Rabbi Weinberg s Shabbat Afternoon Class 6:40 p.m. There are three types Mincha followed by Seudah Shlishit 7:25 p.m. of Kiddushim: Shabbat Ends & Maariv 8:41 p.m. Standard for $150, Sunday, August 10th- Thursday, August 14th & Deluxe for $350 Earliest Tallit & Tefillin 4:58 a.m. With supplements available. Shacharit...Sunday - No Gemara Shiur Shacharit Monday & Thursday 6:40 a.m. Jason Dulberg at Shacharit Tuesday & Wednesday 6:45 a.m. Please make checks out for $90.00 to YIWH; Mincha/Maariv...at YIWH 7:35 p.m. Jason Dulberg at Friday, August 15th - Erev Shabbat Shacharit 6:45 a.m. 8/9 Wolfe & Shteyntsayg Mincha/Maariv 7:00 p.m. 8/16 Wolfe-Schwarcz & Ashkenas Candle Lighting 7:32 p.m. 8/23 Reserved

5 August 15th - 22nd, 2014 Shabbat Parashat Eikev Friday, August 15th - Erev Shabbat Mincha/Maariv 7:00 p.m. bulletin@youngisraelwh.org Candle Lighting 7:32 p.m. to check the availability of the date Shabbat, August 16th at Sof Zman Kriat Shma 9:28 a.m. Checks need to be received the Rabbi Weinberg s Shabbat Afternoon Class 6:40 p.m. There are three types Mincha followed by Seudah Shlishit 7:15 p.m. of Kiddushim: Shabbat Ends & Maariv 8:31 p.m. Standard for $150, Sunday, August 17th- Thursday, August 21st & Deluxe for $350 Earliest Tallit & Tefillin 5:06 a.m. With supplements available. Shacharit...Sunday - Followed by Rabbi Weinberg s Gemara Shiur & Breakfast Shacharit Monday & Thursday 6:40 a.m. Jason Dulberg at Shacharit Tuesday & Wednesday 6:45 a.m. Please make checks out for $90.00 to YIWH; Mincha/Maariv...at YIWH 7:25 p.m. Jason Dulberg at Friday, August 22nd - Erev Shabbat Shacharit 6:45 a.m. 8/16 Wolfe-Schwarcz & Ashkenas Mincha/Maariv 7:00 p.m. 8/23 Reserved Candle Lighting 7:22 p.m. 9/20 Shamash

6 August 22nd - 29th, 2014 Shabbat Mevorchim Parashat Re eh Friday, August 22nd - Erev Shabbat Mincha/Maariv 7:00 p.m. bulletin@youngisraelwh.org Candle Lighting 7:22 p.m. to check the availability of the date Shabbat, August 23rd at Sof Zman Kriat Shma 9:30 a.m. Checks need to be received the Rabbi Weinberg s Shabbat Afternoon Class 6:30 p.m. There are three types Mincha followed by Seudah Shlishit 7:05 p.m. of Kiddushim: Shabbat Ends & Maariv 8:21 p.m. Standard for $150, Sunday, August 24th- Thursday, August 28th & Deluxe for $350 Earliest Tallit & Tefillin 5:15 a.m. With supplements available. Shacharit...Sunday - Followed by Rabbi Weinberg s Gemara Shiur & Breakfast Shacharit Monday & Thursday 6:40 a.m. Jason Dulberg at Shacharit Tuesday & Wednesday - Rosh Chodesh 6:30 a.m. Please make checks out for $90.00 to YIWH; Mincha/Maariv...at YIWH 7:15 p.m. Jason Dulberg at Friday, August 29th- Erev Shabbat Shacharit 6:45 a.m. 8/23 Reserved Mincha/Maariv 7:00 p.m. 9/20 Shamash Candle Lighting 7:11 p.m.

7 August 29th - September 5th, 2014 Shabbat Parashat Shoftim Friday, August 29th- Erev Shabbat Mincha/Maariv 7:00 p.m. bulletin@youngisraelwh.org Candle Lighting 7:11 p.m. to check the availability of the date Shabbat, August 30th at Sof Zman Kriat Shma 9:33 a.m. Checks need to be received the Rabbi Weinberg s Shabbat Afternoon Class 6:10 p.m. There are three types Mincha followed by Seudah Shlishit 6:55 p.m. of Kiddushim: Shabbat Ends & Maariv 8:10 p.m. Standard for $150, Sunday, August 31st- Thursday, September 4th & Deluxe for $350 Earliest Tallit & Tefillin 5:23 a.m. With supplements available. Shacharit...Sunday - Followed by Rabbi Weinberg s Gemara Shiur & Breakfast Shacharit Monday - Labor Day Jason Dulberg at Shacharit Tuesday & Wednesday 6:45 a.m. Please make checks out for $90.00 to YIWH; Shacharit Thursday 6:40 a.m. Mincha/Maariv...at YIWH 7:05 p.m. Jason Dulberg at Friday, September 5th- Erev Shabbat Shacharit 6:45 a.m. 9/20 Shamash Candle Lighting Mincha/Maariv 6:59 p.m. 7:04 p.m.

8 September 5th - 12th, 2014 Shabbat Parashat Ki Teitzi Friday, September 5th- Erev Shabbat Candle Lighting 6:59 p.m. bulletin@youngisraelwh.org Mincha/Maariv 7:04 p.m. to check the availability of the date Shabbat, September 6th at Sof Zman Kriat Shma 9:35 a.m. Checks need to be received the Rabbi Weinberg s Shabbat Afternoon Class 6:00 p.m. There are three types Mincha followed by Seudah Shlishit 6:45 p.m. of Kiddushim: Shabbat Ends & Maariv 7:58 p.m. Standard for $150, Sunday, September 7th- Thursday, September 11th & Deluxe for $350 Earliest Tallit & Tefillin 5:31 a.m. With supplements available. Shacharit...Sunday - Followed by Rabbi Weinberg s Gemara Shiur & Breakfast Shacharit Monday & Thursday 6:40 a.m. Jason Dulberg at Shacharit Tuesday & Wednesday 6:45 a.m. Please make checks out for $90.00 to YIWH; Mincha/Maariv...at YIWH 6:50 p.m. Jason Dulberg at Friday, September 12th- Erev Shabbat Shacharit 6:45 a.m. 9/20 Shamash Candle Lighting Mincha/Maariv 6:47 p.m. 6:52 p.m.

9 September 12th - 19th, 2014 Shabbat Parashat Nitzavim - Vayeilech Friday, September 12th- Erev Shabbat Mincha/Maariv 6:47 p.m. bulletin@youngisraelwh.org Candle Lighting 6:52 p.m. to check the availability of the date Shabbat, September 13th at Sof Zman Kriat Shma 9:38 a.m. Checks need to be received the Rabbi Weinberg s Shabbat Afternoon Class 5:45 p.m. There are three types Mincha followed by Seudah Shlishit 6:30 p.m. of Kiddushim: Shabbat Ends & Maariv 7:46 p.m. Standard for $150, Sunday, September 14th- Thursday, September 18th & Deluxe for $350 Earliest Tallit & Tefillin 5:39 a.m. With supplements available. Shacharit...Sunday - Followed by Rabbi Weinberg s Gemara Shiur & Breakfast Shacharit Monday & Thursday 6:40 a.m. Jason Dulberg at Shacharit Tuesday & Wednesday 6:45 a.m. Please make checks out for $90.00 to YIWH; Mincha/Maariv...at YIWH 6:40 p.m. Jason Dulberg at Friday, September 19th- Erev Shabbat Shacharit 6:45 a.m. 9/20 Shamash Candle Lighting Mincha/Maariv 6:35 p.m. 6:40 p.m.

10 September 19th - 24th, 2014 Shabbat Parashat Nitzavim - Vayeilech Friday, September 19th- Erev Shabbat Mincha/Maariv 6:35 p.m. bulletin@youngisraelwh.org Candle Lighting 6:40 p.m. to check the availability of the date Shabbat, September 20th - Leil Selichot at Sof Zman Kriat Shma 9:40 a.m. Checks need to be received the Rabbi Weinberg s Shabbat Afternoon Class 5:35 p.m. There are three types Mincha followed by Seudah Shlishit 6:20 p.m. of Kiddushim: Shabbat Ends & Maariv 7:34 p.m. Standard for $150, Community Wide Pre- Selichot Program 10:15 p.m. Followed by Selichot 11:30 p.m. & Deluxe for $350 Selichot Chatzot 12:50 a.m. With supplements available. Sunday, September 21st- Tuesday, September 23rd Earliest Tallit & Tefillin 5:39 a.m. Shacharit...Sunday - Jason Dulberg at Shacharit Monday 6:40 a.m. Please make checks out for $90.00 to YIWH; Shacharit Tuesday 6:45 a.m. Jason Dulberg at Mincha/Maariv...Su, M,Tu Selichot Su, Mo, Tu Nights 6:40 p.m. 9:00 p.m. Wednesday, September 24th- EREV ROSH HASHANNAH 9/20 Shamash Shacharit Make an Eruv Tavshilin Before Candle Lighting Candle Lighting Mincha/Maariv 6:45 a.m. 6:26 p.m. 6:31 p.m.