Fri., Dec. 25 Shacharit 8AM Daf Yomi 7:45AM Candle lighting 4:15PM Minchah 4:20PM

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1 The Jewish Center S H A B B A T B U L L E T I N DECEMBER 19, 2015 PARSHAT VAYIGASH 7 TEVET 5776 EREV SHABBAT 4:12PM Candle lighting 4:20PM (3 rd floor) Yachad Shabbaton SHABBAT Hashkama Minyan (The Max and Marion Grill Beit Midrash) 8:30AM Rabbi Israel Silverstein Mishnayot Class with Rabbi Ari Lamm 9:00AM Shacharit (3 rd floor) 9:15AM Hashkama Shiur with Rabbi Yosie Levine: Cold Case: Jacob, Joseph and the Unsolved Wagon Mystery (5 th floor) 9:30AM Young Leadership Minyan (The Max Stern Auditorium) 9:34AM Sof Zman Kriat Shema 10:00AM Youth Groups, Under age 3, 3-4-year-olds and 5-6-yearolds: Geller Youth Center; 2 nd -3 rd graders, 4 th -6 th graders: 7 th floor Community Kiddush (5th floor) WITH THANKS TO OUR KIDDUSH SPONSORS: Hashkama Kiddush: Joyce & Aaron Weitz Community Kiddush: Meira & Tobi Tugendhaft in honor of their new granddaughter 12:25PM Early (The Max and Marion Grill Beit Midrash) 2:45PM Bikkur Cholim/Bikkur in the Home (meet at 730 Columbus Avenue) 4:00PM (3 rd floor), Shabbat afternoon groups (5 th floor) Israel Friedman 39 Melachot with Rabbi Dovid Zirkind Seudah Shlishit Speaker: Rabbi Pinny Rosenthal Topic: Understanding the Challenges of Ba alei Teshuva and their families. Youth Dvar Torah: Daniel Wagman 5:12PM Shabbat concludes Parent Child Learning 1st-6th grade (The Max and Marion Grill Beit Midrash) 7:00PM Sixth Annual Teen vs. Clergy Basketball Game Sun., Dec. 20 Shacharit 8:30AM 4:20PM Mon., Dec. 21, Wed., Dec. 23 and Thurs., Dec. 24 Shacharit 7/8AM 4:20PM DAILY SERVICES Tue., Dec. 22 Asarah B Tevet Fast Begins 5:49AM Shacharit 6:45/ 4:05PM Fast Ends 5:02PM Fri., Dec. 25 Shacharit 8AM Candle lighting 4:15PM 4:20PM WOMEN'S TEHILLIM GROUP Monday, December 21 at 7:15PM. Contact Joyce Weitz for more information at WELCOME YACHAD WHO ARE JOINING US THIS SHABBAT The Jewish Center would like to extend a warm welcome to all of our guests visiting for the Yachad Shabbat this weekend: Yachad members, counselors, Manhattan Day School faculty, 8th grade students and families. The entire community is invited to an oneg at 8:00PM on the 5th floor. We look forward to spending Shabbat with all of you. Thank you to our sponsors for helping make this weekend possible: Serena Wieder & Jonathan Blank Vivian & Daniel Chill Debbie & Elliot Gibber Rona & Ira Kellman Amanda Nussbaum & Daniel Laifer Golda Reena & Henry Rothman Debrah DeWinter & Phillip Sussman SIXTH ANNUAL TEEN VS. CLERGY `BASKETBALL GAME SATURDAY NIGHT, DECEMBER 19 AT 7:00PM Please join our growing list of sponsors: Sharon & Clifford Brandeis Lori Zeltser& Len Berman Rachel Wolf & Andrew Borodach Susan & Arthur Degen Bosi & Yaron Kinar Leslie & Jeffrey Lang R. Yosie & Rachel Levine Sarah & Stuart Milstein Abby & Marc Posner Barbara & Guy Reiss Rose Lynn Sherr Rachel & Daniel Solomons See the insert for more information. SHABBAT OF SONG FEATURING SIX13 SHABBAT, JANUARY Be a part of this spirited Shabbat which will include lively services, a community Shabbat dinner, and musical Havdalah. Oneg following dinner Please visit The Jewish Center website for more information. The Jewish Center - The Modern Orthodox Center for Jewish Life and Learning 131 W. 86 th Street, New York, NY

2 Julie & Andrew Ackerman Allie & Jeremy Alperovich Elan Ariel Natalie & David Batalion Jeremy Berman Leslie Black Miriam & Steven Bram Zachary Breslaw Lauren Browdy Oren Charnoff Harry & Zoe Chiel Karen & Ivan Ciment Marissa Cinnamon Rabbi Dovid & Ruchi Cohen Ben Davidman Sarah Eagle WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS NOVEMBER IS MEMBERSHIP MONTH Tamar Feigenbaum Jodi & Alan Friedman Betina Schein & Alan Futerfas Lauren Glassman Robert Goldfarb Michal Greenspan Samuel Grossman Laura & Zohar Kastner Phyllis & Bernard Katz Allen Krulwich Suzanne & Billy Kukielka Isaac Lobel Daniel Mael Jordana & Avi Moche Daphne Morduchowitz Dorothy & Martin Prager Mikhayla Bibi & Daniel Reidler Rena Reiter Cynthia & Paul Rosenberg Rene Schloss Ronnie & Andy Schonzeit Ruby Gelman & Shimon Shkury Allie & Jeremy Simon Marlene & Michael Sperling Kira & Andrew Wigod Join us for our new members Kiddush on January 9 CHANUKAH OUTING TO THE NATIONAL ACADEMY MUSEUM Last week, Rabbi Levine led a special Chanukah outing to the National Academy Museum. Dozens of Jewish Center members and friends enjoyed the fascinating guided tour of Moshe Safdie's work. His projects in Israel, North America and beyond are nothing short of spectacular. If you have not yet visited the exhibit, be sure to do so before January 10. JEWISH CENTER UNIVERSITY WINTER SEMESTER For more information visit our website or contact Rabbi Dovid Zirkind at dzirkind@jewishcenter.org RABBI JUND FUND APPEAL DAILY (except Shabbat) Israel Friedman with rotating JCU Faculty, MONDAY Timing is Everything: Studies in Mesechet Kedushin with Rabbi Dovid Zirkind, 8:00PM TUESDAY Nosh and Drash with Dr. Adena Berkowitz, 10:15-11:30AM Jewish History: Judaism in a Christian Empire with Rabbi Ari Lamm, 7:15PM (7 th floor) David, King of Israel Sadye and Henry Bayer Chumash Class with Rabbi Yosie Levine will resume on Dec. 15 at 8:00PM WEDNESDAY Women of the Bible with Rabbi Yosie Levine, 11:00AM Parshah/Haftarah Round Table with Rabbi Daniel Fridman, 7:15-8:00PM Advanced Talmud Chabura with Rabbi Daniel Fridman, 8:00PM The Next Level with Rabbi Mark Wildes, 8:00PM SHABBAT Rabbi Israel Silverstein Mishnayot Class with Rabbi Yosie Levine, 8:30AM Hashkama Shiur with rotating JCU Faculty, 9:15AM Israel Friedman with rotating JCU Faculty 39 Melachot with Rabbi Dovid Zirkind Parent-Child Learning with rotating JCU Faculty. Check the bulletin for dates and times Thank you to everyone who has already responded so generously to our recent Rabbi Jung Fund appeal. If you have not yet contributed or redeemed your pledge, you may do so online or through our office by making a check out to the Rabbi Dr. Leo Jung Memorial Fund. To sponsor Kiddush or Seudah Shlishit or a JC event, please contact Aaron at astrum@jewishcenter.org

3 CHILDREN, JOIN US FOR ADON OLAM Children ages 2-6 are encouraged to come to the bimah during the Cantor s recitation of Kiddush and then sing Adon Olam together. CLERGY VS. TEEN BASKETBALL GAME SATURDAY NIGHT, DECEMBER 19 Come and cheer on your favorite rabbis as they are challenged by our youth players! Sponsorship opportunities available. Teens interested in playing should contact Gaby. See the insert for more information. TEEN MINYAN AND HOT KIDDUSH SHABBAT, JANUARY 9TH AT 9:30AM All teens and their friends are welcome to join. Davening will be led by JC teens with guidance from Rabbi Ari Lamm. Following the service, teens will enjoy an amazing hot Kiddush and sushi. For more information or to sponsor the Kiddush, contact Gaby. UPCOMING EVENTS YACHAD SHABBATON SHABBAT, DECEMBER 18 The JC is proud to partner with Manhattan Day School and the Orthodox Union as they host their annual Yachad Shabbaton. Participants will join us for Kabbalat Shabbat followed by a communal Shabbat Dinner. Sponsorship and hospitality opportunities available. For more information and to get involved, contact dzirkind@jewishcenter.org. PERFORMANCE BY THREE UPPER WEST SIDE CANTORS THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24 AT 8:30PM AT THE JEWISH CENTER Don t miss this performance by Cantor Zevi Muller of West Side Institutional, Cantor Chaim David Berson of The Jewish Center and Cantor Yanky Lemmer of Lincoln Square Synagogue. Light snacks, sushi, wine and drinks will be served. Visit our website to register. Tickets cost $40 in advance and $50 at the door. Visit our website to register and direct questions to cdberson@jewishcenter.org. NEW MEMBERS KIDDUSH Shabbat, January 9 following services Our Officers and Rabbis would love to get to know our new members better. All those who joined in 2015 are invited to join for this Kiddush. JEWISH CENTER BOOK CLUB MEETING: THE BETRAYERS BY DAVID BEZMOZGIS Sunday, January 10 at 7:30PM at the home of Dinah & Andy Mendes located at 262 Central Park West The Betrayers, David Bezmozgis prize-winning (National Jewish Book award 2015), is a page -turning novel about an ex-soviet Israeli politician who confronts the man who betrayed him to the KGB. Esther Nussbaum will lead the discussion for this meeting. The conversation should generate stimulating and lively back-and-forth, and will be followed by refreshments. We welcome new participants. If you have questions please bookclub@jewishcenter.org SAVE THE DATE: SHABBAT OF SONG FEATURING SIX13 SHABBAT, JANUARY Be a part of this spirited Shabbat which will include lively services, a community Shabbat dinner, and musical Havdalah. YOUTH DEPARTMENT PROGRAMS & UPDATES For more information contact Jenn & Gaby Minsky at jennandgaby@jewishcenter.org. LASER TAG SATURDAY NIGHT, JANUARY 9, 6:30PM - Ages 7 and up/8:00pm - Teens This sport will keep kids active and engaged while promoting positive game play and teamwork. For prices, sponsorship information and to register, visit our website. MOVIE NIGHT: ET SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20 All those ages 7 and up are welcome. Registration will open on January 20. *The youth department is looking for parent volunteers to accompany the children when making Bikur Cholim visits on Shabbat afternoons. Contact Jenn & Gaby at jennandgaby@jewishcenter.org for more details and to help with this important mitzvah. COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS MAZAL TOV Gladys & Dr. Robert Richter on the birth of a great grandson, born to their children Atara & Sender Gross Meira & Tobi Tugendhaft on the birth of their new granddaughter 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. THANK YOU TO OUR USHERS Thank you to our ushers Miriam Gutwein and Scott Black. DID YOU KNOW? Part of your membership dues help pay for the Manhattan Eruv and the West Side Mikvah. To provide additional support to these vital institutions, visit our website and click on West Side Resources. Worlds largest Jewish Book Sale completely run by Yeshiva University students for just 4 weeks a year. Will take place from February For more information Visit To advertise or list an announcement in The Jewish Center Bulletin, please contact us at eliane@jewishcenter.org

4 Each of us has a favorite chapter. We ve been studying the Chumash since we were children, listening to the Parsha each week and some chapters jump out at us more than others. Maybe it s Yaakov fighting with the angel of Esav, the sounds of song at the splitting of the sea, or Moshe hitting the rock. The most powerful narratives have a way crystalizing in our mind s eye and staying with us from year to year. The Gemara records how each time Rabbi Elazar would study Parshat Vayigash, particularly the moment when Yosef reveals his true identity to eleven speechless brothers, the great sage would cry. And each time Rabbi Elazar would declare, If the rebuke of our fellow man has the power to leave us speechless, how much more so the rebuke of Hashem himself (Chagiga 4b). Indeed, in the language of the Midrash, it was this indescribable moment that changed Yaakov s sons forever. Everything they thought about Yosef, every decision they made and every action they took was upended in the very moment they saw their brother s ascension to greatness. According to Talmudic tradition, from the moment Yosef s brothers saw him as viceroy, they knew deep down how terribly mistaken they had been all along. The Netziv points out however, that a close reading of the text indicates how Yosef was uncertain of how his brothers would react when seeing him upon the thrown. He said, I am Yosef your brother, who you sold to Egypt. Now do not be sad, and do not have anger in your eyes for selling me to this JC DELEGATION AT THE AIPAC POLICY CONFERENCE The AIPAC Policy Conference is the pro-israel community's preeminent annual gathering. The event attracts more than 16,000 community and student activists from all 50 states, and more than half of the Senate, a third of the House of Representatives 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 conference. Tickets with The JC discount cost $399 per person. Register before December 31 to lock in this deal. Please visit our website to purchase your tickets. Only 18 tickets left. The Moment of Truth Parshat Vayigash 5776 Rabbi Dovid Zirkind, Assistant Rabbi place In confronting his brothers, Yosef anticipates two opposing reactions. To those who might feel a sense of regret or shame he comforts by saying, do not be sad ; coming to terms with the reality that Hashem made this happen for a reason. But to those who still wished he was gone, to the jealous brothers even more consumed with anger than before, Yosef demands they come to terms with his resilience. If this Yiddish expression is correct, when man plans God laughs. But what happens when God plans? How do we react? Reading this story every cycle, knowing the conclusion and the pre-ordained trajectory of Yosef, it s easy to think of the story as unfolding perfectly. Hindsight is 20/20. But if we were Yosef s brothers, would our reaction have been faithful or fearful? Chazal are convinced that the brothers could no longer deny Yosef s destiny, but after Yaakov dies they are still convinced that Yosef would harm them, banish them or worse. While Chazal envision the story closing with an epiphany, regret and shame, the Netziv prefers an ending that is more complicated, but also more human. We may not control our circumstances completely but we do control our reactions. As Victor Frankl famously wrote: Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom. Much like Yosef s brothers we are presented with defining moments throughout our lives, how we choose to interpret them is solely up to us. Clergy & Staff Yosie Levine Rabbi Dovid Zirkind Assistant Rabbi Chaim David Berson Cantor Daniel Fridman Resident Scholar Ari Lamm Resident Scholar Erica Brown Community Scholar Noach Goldstein William Fischman Rabbinic Intern Aaron Strum Executive Director Eliane Dreyfuss Glassman Director of Programming and Communications Jenn & Gaby Minsky Youth Directors 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 Ilana Gadish Yoetzet Halacha nycyoetzet@gmail.com Jewish Center Chevra Kadisha x555 UWS Mikvah Hatzalah Eruv Status x4

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