Guests of Honor Steve Graber Marvin Fortgang

Transcription

1 Erev Shabbat, First Seder 7:04PM Candle Lighting 7:10PM Minchah Speaker: Rabbi Yosie Levine Chatzot 12:58AM The Jewish Center S H A B B A T B U L L E T I N April 3-5, 2015 PESACH and SHABBAT Nissan 5775 Shabbat, Pesach I, Second Seder 9:30AM Shacharit 9:47AM Sof Zman Kriat Shema 10:30AM 12:30PM Youth Groups - 2-year-olds: Geller Youth Center; 3-6-year olds: 5th floor dance studio; 7-12-year-olds: 7th floor 6:55PM Minchah Speaker: Rabbi Netanel Wiederblank, A Psychological Approach to the Four Sons Candle lighting and all Seder preparations after 8:05PM 12:58AM Chatzot Sunday, Pesach II, Omer 1 9:30AM Shacharit 10:30AM 12:30PM Youth Groups (same locations as above) 7:10PM Minchah, afternoon youth groups Speaker: Rabbi Asher Herzberg, 365 days of Pesach: What is a Miracle? 8:06PM Yom Tov concludes Monday, April 6, Chol Hamoed I, Omer 2 Tuesday, April 7, Chol Hamoed II, Omer 3 Wednesday, April 8, Chol Hamoed III, Omer 4 Thursday, April 9, Chol Hamoed IV, Omer 5 Eruv Tavshilin 7:10PM Candle Lighting Speaker: Dr. Devora Steinmetz, Promises, Promises: Mushba ve Omed mehar Sinai Friday, April 10, Pesach VII, Omer 6 9:00AM Shacharit 10:00AM 12:00PM Youth Groups (same locations as above) 6:15PM Daf Yomi 7:00PM Minchah 7:11PM Candle lighting Shabbat, April 11, Pesach VIII, Omer 7 9:00AM Shacharit Shir Hashirim, Yizkor 10:00AM 12:00PM Youth Groups (same locations as above) 6:25PM Daf Yomi 7:05PM Minchah, afternoon groups Seudah Shlishit Speaker: Jeff Bogursky 8:12PM Shabbat and Yom Tov conclude. Please wait one hour before partaking of sold chametz Guests of Honor Steve Graber Marvin Fortgang SCHOLAR IN RESIDENCE ISRAELI SUPREME COURT JUSTICE ELYAKIM RUBINSTEIN, FROM YOM HASHOAH TO YOM HAATZMAUT: ISRAEL'S ROLE IN COMBATING GLOBAL ANTI-SEMITISM Shabbat, April 18 following 9:00AM services Supreme Court Justice Elyakim Rubinstein is the Vice President of the Supreme Court of Israel. He served as the Attorney General of Israel from 1997 to Rubinstein, a former Israeli diplomat and long-time civil servant, has had an influential role in the country's internal and external affairs, most notably in helping to shape its peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan. Sponsored by Hanno Mott The Annual Hanno Mott Lecture This lecture will highlight Supreme Court decisions both in America and Israel that directly confront religious values in liberal democracies and what the relationship between these two modalities should be. This event is free and open to the public. Please visit our website to register. The Jewish Center - The Modern Orthodox Center for Jewish Life and Learning HOW SHOULD OUR FAITH INFORM THE LAWS OF A LIBERAL DEMOCRACY? A CONVERSATION FEATURING PROFESSOR ROBERT GEORGE, PROFESSOR MICHAEL HELFAND AND ISRAELI SUPREME COURT JUSTICE ELYAKIM RUBINSTEIN Monday, April 20 at 8:00PM MARTHA SONNENSCHEIN MEMORIAL LECTURE BY ARNA POUPKO FISHER, THE HOLY HEIGHTS OF THE HUMAN HEART: FAMILY, FRIENDS AND FAITH Shabbat, May 2 at 11:00AM Arna Poupko Fisher, an internationally noted lecturer, educator and author, currently teaches at the University of Cincinnati. The Jewish Center Annual Dinner Tuesday, June 9, 2015 at Guastavino's HONORING Rabbi Dr. Leo Jung Memorial Award Marnie & Scott Black Community Service Award Dina Burcat

2 DON T FORGET... Oneg Shabbat Please help provide Pesach meals for the less fortunate families in our community by sending your donation to Oneg Shabbat at 650 West End Avenue, New York, NY or visit Cards are always available for donations to remember loved ones or to honor special occasions. Maot Chittim Help our needy Jewish brothers and sisters observe Passover with dignity in their homes by fulfilling the mitzvah of Ma ot Chittim, money for wheat, by sending a generous donation. Make your check payable to the Rabbi Leo Jung Memorial Fund and mail it to The Jewish Center office. Hospitality Committee If you are available to host guests for Pesach meals or if you would like to be hosted, please contact the Rabbi Zirkind at dzirkind@jewishcenter.org. MISSED OUT ON OUR PESACH LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES? Audio files of our Pesach classes and transcripts of our sermons are available on our website SEDER PEARLS An audio recording of Seder Pearls can be found on our homepage under the Weekly Torah Portion section. RABBI LEVINE S SHABBAT HAGADOL DRASHAH The transcript of the sermon can be found in the JC Updates section of our homepage. RABBI DANIEL FRIDMAN S PESACH CLASSES Audio recordings of Rabbi Fridman s classes can be found under the Online Learning section of our website. Please click through to the lectures section. JEWISH HISTORY SERIES SHABBAT AFTERNOONS, ONE HOUR BEFORE MINCHAH FROM APRIL 18 - JUNE 13 April 18: Justice Elyakim Rubinstein, The Jordanian Peace Process: A Negotiator's Reflections, Past and Present April 25: Rabbi Richard Hidary, Transmitting the Torah: Preserving an Authentic Bible and The Aleppo Codex May 2: Arna Poupko Fischer, Subversive Stories, Sanity and Survival: The Transformative Power of the Biblical and Rabbinic Narrative May 9: Rabbi Adam Mintz, The Chevra Kaddisha Comes to America: Burial Policies in Early American Orthodoxy May 30: Professor Jonathan Helfand, The Inscription and the Book: At the Crossroads of Modern American Jewish History June 13: Professor Sharon Flatto, Who is a Jew?: The Case of the Marranos - the First Modern Jews 4TH ANNUAL KETER TORAH AWARDS HONORING DR. ADENA BERKOWITZ AND MICHELLE CHREIN SHABBAT, MAY 16 FOLLOWING 9AM SERVICES In the spirit of Shavuot, which celebrates two great Jewish heroines, Naomi and Ruth, the Keter Torah Award ceremony will immediately precede Shavuot. We look forward to recognizing two women in our community this year: Dr. Adena Berkowitz and Michelle Chrein. If you would like to acknowledge the women of our synagogue, and our honorees, please visit Your donation will contribute towards honoring these women, as well as to support the work of The Jewish Center. Your name will be published in the program which will be distributed at the presentation. Keter Torah Sponsor- $180 Rimon Sponsor - $72 JEWISH CENTER UNIVERSITY SPRING SEMESTER APRIL 13-JUNE 18 DAILY (except Shabbat) Israel Friedman Daf Yomi, 7:45AM MONDAY Innovation & Conservation: Ancient Judaism & Christianity with Rabbi Ari Lamm, 8:00PM through May 3 and then at 7:00PM TUESDAY Advanced Talmud Chabura with Rabbi Daniel Fridman, 7:45AM Nosh & Drash with Dr. Adena Berkowitz, 10:15AM From Zionism to Zion: The Journey of Modern Israel with Rabbi Yosie Levine, 8:00PM (April, 21, April 28 & May 5 ) WEDNESDAY Advanced Talmud Chabura with Rabbi Daniel Fridman, 7:45AM Women of the Bible with Rabbi Yosie Levine, 11:00AM Iyun Tefilah: Study of Prayer with Rabbi Daniel Fridman, 6:30PM The Next Level with Rabbi Mark Wildes, 8:00PM THURSDAY From Supervision to Competition: Business Ethics and the Jewish Consumer with Rabbi Dovid Zirkind, 8:00PM through April 30 and then at 7:00PM SHABBAT Rabbi Israel Silverstein Mishnayot Class with Rabbi Yosie Levine, 8:30AM Ramban on the Weekly Parsha with Rabbi Daniel Fridman, 9:15AM Parent-Child Learning with Rabbi Daniel Fridman Youth Department Mishnayot Class with Rabbi Daniel Fridman Israel Friedman Daf Yomi with JCU Faculty, 45 minutes before Minchah 39 Melachot with Rabbi Dovid Zirkind

3 UPCOMING EVENTS READING OF THE NAMES: UWS YOM HASHOAH COMMEMORATION Wednesday, April 15 at 6:45PM - Thursday, April 16 at B'nai Jeshurun (257 West 88th Street) Once again we come together to commemorate Yom HaShoah in The Reading and Hearing of the Names of those killed during the Shoah. This year marks the Reading of the Names project s 20 th anniversary and the 70 th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. The Jewish Center time slot will be from 3:20-3:40AM. ANNUAL CHALLAH BAKE Thursday, April 16 at 7:15PM What is the reason for baking a key in a challah after Pesach? What makes challah baking a special mitzvah for women? Find out with a hands-on demonstration, and you get to take the challah home with you! The program costs $25 if you register before Monday, April 13 and $36 thereafter. Please visit our website to register. ADVANCED LEADERSHIP LUNCHEON: A CELEBRATION OF ISRAEL'S 67 TH BIRTHDAY FEATURING DAVID POLLOCK, THE CURRENT MIDDLE EAST: IS THERE ANY GOOD NEWS? Shabbat, April 25 Join other Jewish Center Advanced Leadership members for a lavish luncheon. The meals costs $50 for members, $55 for members guests. Sponsorships of $250 are available. This includes lunch for two people and your name will be featured in the Shabbat Bulletin. For more information and to register please visit our website. UPPER WEST SIDE CELEBRATES ISRAEL Tuesday, April 21- Sunday, April 26 Join the Upper West Side's spectacular annual celebration of Yom Ha'atzmaut. Synagogues, schools, and Jewish organizations are coming together to sponsor events throughout the neighborhood celebrating the rich and complex culture, history, and people of Israel. For a list of events please visit BOOK CLUB MEETING Sunday, May 10 at 7:30PM at the home of Maureen & Laszlo Marcus This year the Book Club theme is Holy Land: Spotlight on Israel. We conclude our book club series with Yossi Klein Halevi s Like Dreamers: The Story of the Israeli Paratroopers Who Reunited Jerusalem and Divided A Nation. This book is an account of seven paratroopers who participated in the reunification of Jerusalem in the 67 war and the unfolding of their lives and ideology in the decades that followed. For more information and to RSVP bookclub@jewishcenter.org. LINCOLN AND THE JEWS - A GUIDED TOUR WITH RABBI YOSIE LEVINE Wednesday, May 13 at 11:00AM As we commemorate the 150 th anniversary of President Lincoln's passing this spring, join Rabbi Levine for a special tour of this limited-run exhibit at the NY Historical Society. The exhibition explores the relationship between Abraham Lincoln and his Jewish contemporaries. For more information and to register, batsheva@jewishcenter.org. CHILDREN, JOIN US FOR ADON OLAM Children ages 2-6 are encouraged to come up during the Cantor s recitation of Kiddush and then sing Adon Olam together. ART CONTEST: WHAT ISRAEL MEANS TO ME Entry Date: April 23, Yom Ha'atzmaut Winners announced: May 17, Yom Yerushalyim Jewish Center youth of all ages (high school and below) are invited to take part in a contest that focuses on what Israel means to them. Paint, draw, photograph or sculpt something that tells us about your relationship with Israel, and submit it on Yom Ha'atzmaut. Entries will be judged by world renowned artist Tobi Kahn and photographer Shulamit Seidler-Feller. The artwork YOUTH DEPARTMENT should be signed on the back, as to allow for blind judging. The winner will be declared on Yom Yerushalayim, and the three top entries will be displayed on the 7th floor. The top entry will also receive a large Israeli flag and two books exploring Israel's past and present. Questions? yitz@jewishcenter.org YOUTH DEPARTMENT BIKKUR CHOLIM VISITS Shabbat, April 18, May 9, and June 13 JC youth grades 5 through 8 will be visiting homebound and semi-home-bound seniors. The program will begin with an orientation, followed by visits. RSVP to bethschwartz18@gmail.com. COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS MAZAL TOV Deena Blanchard & Akiva Novetsky on the birth of a boy Adelle & Leonard Schwartz on the birth of twin girls Dana & Neil Leibowitz on the birth of a girl THANK YOU TO OUR USHERS Thank you to Pamela Neikrug and Darrin Litsky who are our ushers this chag and Shabbat. THANK YOU TO CSS We would like to once again thank CSS and our dedicated CSS members for providing the security for our synagogue this week. DAF YOMI SCHEDULE OVER PESACH On Pesach, Daf Yomi will only be meeting on the 7 th and 8 th day, 45 minutes before Minchah. SEUDAH SHLISHIT SPEAKERS SERIES: Shabbat, April 18: Personal Stories of Survival: The Annual Yom Hashoa Seudah Shlishit Shabbat, April 25: Dr. Alan Kadish, President of Touro College, The Jew's Role in the Modern World Shabbat, May 2: Arna Poupko Fisher, Above and Beyond: Raising the Ethical Bar Shabbat, May 16: Rabbi Joshua Strulowitz LECTURE BY RABBI DR. JACOB J. SCHACTER, THE AMERICAN CHAPLAIN AND THE SURVIVORS In memory of Rabbi Herschel Schachter z l and in commemoration of the 70 th anniversary of the liberation of Buchenwald Sunday night, April 19 at 8:00PM at Congregation Rinat Yisrael (West Englewood Avenue, Teaneck, NJ 07666) WOMEN'S TEHILLIM GROUP Monday, April 13 at 7:15PM. Contact Joyce Weitz for more info at To sponsor Kiddush or Seudah Shlishit or a JC event, please contact Aaron at astrum@jewishcenter.org

4 The television world was abuzz this week, with the announcement that Trevor Noah, a South African comedian, would succeed Jon Stewart as the host of Comedy Central s The Daily Show. The promotion is significant for Noah, who takes the reins of the popular program, which has won numerous awards for news reporting and comedy since its launch more than 15 years ago. However, with the announcement came serious backlash as the world closely examined its newest celebrity news anchor. As was quickly discovered, Noah s Twitter account and social media platforms are littered with jokes that are perceived as (and often are outright) anti-semitic and sexist in tone. Ironically, while Stewart (Jewish himself) has had a complicated history with anti-israel reporting, Trevor Noah s humor appears to be even more distasteful, especially coming from someone so familiar with the climate of racism in apartheid South Africa in which he was raised. In a classic Chassidic interpretation of our Chag, Rabbi Shmuel Bornzstain, (author of the Shem MiShmuel) writes that Pesach can be broken down to mean Peh-Sach, or the mouth which speaks. As such, he suggests that the power of speech and freedom of speech are integral themes of this Yom Tov. The Midrash tells us, among the qualities with which the Israelites of Egypt earned their freedom was, shelo shinu et lishonam they maintained a certain uniqueness of language. Furthermore, the vehicle for their redemption, the single person tasked with confronting Pharaoh, is none other than Moshe Rabbeinu, a man whose greatest obstacle may have been his inability to clearly express the prophecy he so vividly received. On Seder night the Shem Mishmuel challenges us to think not only about the aspiration for physical freedom, but the right to express our views and values proudly. Noah s Arc Rabbi Dovid Zirkind, Assistant Rabbi Even looking at this year alone, the issue of Freedom of Speech is as glaring as ever. The American legal system and culture struggle with how and when we are entitled to express our views. The international Western community has banned together to protect the rights of journalists and cartoonists facing the threat of a violent Radical Islam. And Jews around the world monitor, ever closely, the manner in which Israel is described and portrayed. As a civilization, we struggle to balance our instinct for freedom and our right to reject and restrict falsehood in the public discourse. Each and every day of the year we are commanded to remember the Exodus, a mitzvah which is woven into the fabric of our prayers and mitzvot. On Seder night, however, the mitzvah develops into sippur the obligation to recount and the formula of the Haggadah, which implies the very same meaning. The transition may seem subtle or theoretical, but it is anything but that. When we transition from memory to expression, from ideas to words, the challenge to maintain authenticity is all the more complicated. Our formulations matter, our structure matters, even the tunes we sing our songs to - all these factors come together in molding the story into a memory for the next generation. T.V. audiences wait with bated breath for the outcome of Trevor Noah s appointment and his recently discovered positions. Will it lead to a clarification, an apology or a new anchor; now is too early to tell. But what is clear, is that we are once again reminded of the Pe-Sach, the power and effect of speech, on the public stage and the private one. What we say and how we say it can shape the way the world views its most crucial and timely issues. MAOT CHITTIM CAMPAIGN UPDATE I am pleased to share with you that the Rabbi Jung Fund has collected and distributed close to $15,000 this spring and has helped dozens of individuals and families prepare for Pesach with dignity. Thank you to all those who have already contributed. If you have not yet participated in this special Mitzvah, please make checks payable to the Rabbi Dr. Leo Jung Memorial Fund or contribute online. Please be sure to earmark your donations with the words maot chittim. Wishing you a chag kasher v sameach, Yosie Levine Clergy & Staff Yosie Levine Rabbi Dovid Zirkind Assistant Rabbi Chaim David Berson Cantor Daniel Fridman Resident Scholar Erica Brown Community Scholar Ari Lamm William Fischman Resident Rabbinic Scholar Aaron Strum Executive Director Eliane Glassman Director of Programming and Communications Yitzchak Sprung Youth Director OFFICERS Avi Schwartz President Andrew Borodach First Andrew Kaplan Mark Segall Rose Lynn Sherr Michael Jacobs Assistant Yaron Kinar Treasurer Len Berman Assistant Treasurer Miri Lipsky Secretary Phone Numbers Lisa Septimus Yoetzet Halacha Chevra Kadisha UWS Mikvah Hatzalah Eruv Status

5 UPCOMING SPEAKERS AT THE JC For more information please visit Scholar in Residence Justice Elyakim Rubinstein Justice Elyakim Rubinstein is the of the Supreme Court of Israel. Beforehand, he served as the Attorney General of Israel from 1997 to Rubinstein, a former Israeli diplomat and long-time civil servant, has had an influential role in that country's internal and external affairs, most notably in helping to shape its peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan. He will speak on Shabbat morning: From Yom Hashoah to Yom HaAtzmaut: Israel's Role in Combating Global Anti-Semitism and on Shabbat afternoon, The Jordanian Peace Process: A Negotiator's Reflections, Past and Present. For more information dzirkind@jewishcenter.org How Should Our Faith Inform the Laws of A Liberal Democracy? A Conversation featuring Professor Robert George, Professor Michael Helfand and Israeli Supreme Court Justice Elyakim Rubinstein, The Annual Hanno Mott Lecture on Jewish Ethics is dedicated to exploring the intersection of Jewish Law and secular ethics. Previous lectures have addressed the End of Life debate and the religious and social implication of cloning. This year s lecture will highlight Supreme Court decisions both in America and Israel that directly confront religious values in Liberal Democracies and what the relationship between these two modalities should be. This event is free and open to the public. Please visit our website to register Martha Sonnenschein Memorial Lecture by Arna Poupko Fisher, The Holy Heights of the Human Heart: Family, Friends and Faith Arna Poupko Fisher, an internationally noted lecturer, educator and author, currently teaching at the University of Cincinnati, has dedicated her life to Jewish issues, including the challenges and opportunities of Jewish leadership and the capacity for the Hebrew Bible and Jewish philosophy to inform contemporary communal life May & Samuel Rudin Lecture featuring Daniel Libeskind Join us to learn from an international figure in architecture and urban design, Daniel Libeskind. For more information, please visit our website. THE JEWISH CENTER 131 West 86 th Street, New York, NY

6 ADVANCED LEADERSHIP LUNCHEON UNCHEON: A Celebration of Israel s 67 th Birthday Shabbat, April 25 Join other Jewish Center Advanced Leadership members for a lavish luncheon Guest Speaker DAVID POLLOCK The Current Middle East: Is There Any Good News? David Pollock is the Kaufman Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy focusing on regional political dynamics and related issues Space is limited, reserve now! To register, please send your check (made payable to The Jewish Center) to The JC office or pay on our website $50 for members, $55 for members guests. Sponsorships of $250 are available. This includes lunch for two people and your name will be featured in the Shabbat Bulletin. The Jewish Center 131 W. 86 th Street, New York, NY