Shabbat Noach October 31- Nov1, A Teaching from Rabbi Weintraub NOACH. Mazal Tov V Todah Rabah. Candle Lighting: 5:34 PM Shabbat Ends: 6:37 PM

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1 Shabbat Noach October 31- Nov1, 2008 Candle Lighting: 5:34 PM Shabbat Ends: 6:37 PM A Teaching from Rabbi Weintraub NOACH This Parsha opens as Noach, a righteous man in his generation is commanded by G-d to build an ark of gopher wood and save his family and two of all species. After a 120 year building project, at the age of 600, Noach is given a final call: Come to the Ark, you and all of your household for in seven days time I will send rain upon the earth and I will blot out all existence Immediately, then Noach with his sons, his wife and his son s wives went into the ark mipnei mei hamabul, because of the waters of the sea. (Genesis 7:1,7). Rashi, in his commentary writes, Noach was of those who had little faith; he believed and at the same time did not believe that the Flood would come and he did not enter the Ark until the waters forced him According to Rashi s Talmudic source, Noach didn t go in ilulei she higi u ha mayim ad karsu lav, until the water reached his ankles! Rashi shows an ambivalence about Noach s character found in many commentaries. On the one hand, he was righteous. On the other hand, righteous only in his (evil) generation. On the one hand, he labored painstakingly to build the huge Ark following G-d s blueprint. On the other hand, he is chastised for not preaching openly to his generation to repent. On the one hand, he gathered his family and appeared ready to go. On the other hand, he can t move until his pants get wet. Unlike Abraham, Moses, Miriam, and Deborah, Noach is noteworthy not because he is heroic but because he is an Everyman. He knows what is right, but acts with hesitation. He recognizes the abuses around him but can t find his voice. He sees dangers signs and hears warning, but still hopes for a way out. In other words, he does the right thing, but with half a heart. Years ago, a ten year old student complained to me about a teacher, saying I feel that she really doesn t believe what she s saying. Judaism is a religion based on teaching and learning, but if we don t really believe what we are saying, the message doesn t get across. As we begin again this year s reading of Torah, this New Year, it is worth asking ourselves not just whether our behavior is formally right, or whether we are saying the right words, but whether we feel deeply that our teaching is right. What do we espouse to our children, friends, spouses, partners, workers? If it s not coming across with passion, from inside, then what needs to change? SHABBAT SHALOM, RABBI WEINTRAUB Mazal Tov V Todah Rabah The Kane Street Community extends a warm Mazal Tov to Susan Freed, and Martin, Ben and Olivia Brandwein on the celebration this Shabbat of the Ben's becoming a Bar Mitzvah. We thank

2 Marty and Susan for their generous sponsorship of Kiddush in celebration of the Simcha, and look forward to continued study and "nachis" with Ben and his family. This Week s Services and Leaders Kabbalat Shabbat: Friday, 6:00 PM Shabbat Shacharit: Saturday, 9:30 AM Joey Weisenberg Torah Readers Lisa Kleinman, Elie Levy, Danny Magill, Ben Brandwein Haftarah Ben Brandwein Musaf Gisel Romang de Baler Mincha: 1:00 PM Shacharit: Sunday, 9:00 AM YOUTH SERVICES All of our Junior Congregations (Mini-Minyan for ages 2-5; Junior Congregation for grades K-3; KC Minyan for grades 4-6) take place on the Second Floor of the Goldman Education Center at 11 AM each Shabbat. Tikkun Olam / Social Justice MITZVAH OF THE MONTH SOLES 4 SOULS Join us to pack and ship this Sunday, November 2nd at 10am Volunteers needed this Sunday, November 2nd at 10am to pack and ship the many, many shoes already received. The current estimate says we're well over 100 pairs! Thanks to all who participated! Kane Street Food Rescue-- Many thanks to the Brandwein/Freed family for donating to KSFR! The KSFR helps our congregation fulfill the commandment of me'achal re'evim, feeding the hungry, and the commandment of ba'al tash'chit, not wasting food. Please ksfoodrescue@gmail.com if you are interested in donating the leftover food from an upcoming sponsored kiddush or are interested in joining the KSFR team. KSFR volunteers give a very small amount of time on either Shabbat or Sunday morning to ensure that our congregation's kiddush bounty is not wasted. Join us! FILM SCREENING OF TWILIGHT BECOMES NIGHT THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6TH AT 7PM Twilight Becomes Night is an intimate and emotional portrait of the struggle of small businesses today. The film will be followed by a questions and answers addressed to a panel including: David Yassky, City Council; Craig Hammerman, District Leader CB6; and Chelsea Maudin, Montague Street BID. Suggested donation $10. KANE STREET AWARDED JEWISH SOCIAL ACTION MONTH GRANT FROM UJA- FEDERATION OF NEW YORK The $2000 JSAM grant will enable Kane Street to increase its commitment at the Brooklyn Height Synagogue Homeless Shelter and provide meals and take-away packages for shelter guests. For more information or to get involved socialjustice@kanestreet.org. KOSHER CONSCIENCE Get a free-range, Heritage breed, Thanksgiving Turkey from Kosher Conscience See

3 Community Happenings COMMUNITY DINNER AND FAMILY PROGRAM Join the entire Kane Street Synagogue community for Kabbalat Shabbat prayer and dinner next Friday November 7th. Kabbalat Shabbat Service at 6:00p.m. in the chapel. Dinner at 7:15pm in the community room. RSVP by November 5 th to office@kanestreet.org. $25 for adults and kids age 13 and up; $10 for kids age 5-12; $3 for kids under 5. In addition, there will be a Family Program for all families with children age 4-8 at 5:30 p.m. Friday November 7 th. Come and meet Avraham and Sarah in their desert tent. Learn about some of the experiences they had in building Judaism long ago. Come and sing and pray with Avraham and Sarah to welcome Shabbat. The program costs $10 per family. Rsvp to Avraham and Sarah s personal assistant, Rabbi Valerie Lieber vlieber@kanestreet.org. Then Join the entire community for dinner at 7:15pm. Please sign up for dinner at office@kanestreet.org. The dinner costs $25 for adults and kids age 13 and up; $10 for kids age 5-12; $3 for kids under 5. ISRAEL FILM FESTIVAL We are happy to announce the dates for the 5th Annual Brooklyn Israel Film Festival at Kane Street in January 2009: Thursday, 1/22 at 8:00PM Saturday, 1/24 at 8:00PM Sunday, 1/25 at 7:00PM For Super Bowl lovers, you do not have to be concerned, the festival is a weekend before the Super Bowl. We cannot believe that this is the 5th year of this film festival. This has grown from a synagogue event to a major Israel film festival where people from the New York City Metro area come to. As many of you know, a testament to this success is that last year we were sold out Saturday night (more than 200 came) for the film "Someone To Run With" based upon David Grossman's novel. This success is due to so many of you from Kane Street helping out with it and supporting it, including telling your friends about it. So we are very excited about this year's festival. The film committee has been screening movies weekly since April. The quality of Israeli movies just gets better every year as Israeli movies garner attention from around the world, winning awards at major film festivals. We'll announce the slate of movies in November and as in previous years they will be thoughtful, compelling and entertaining. SO SAVE THE DATES! We look forward to seeing you at the film festival! If you would like to help out with the festival, let us know by ing Sara Porath at sporath@aol.com. ROY DOLINER VISITS KANE STREET DURING HIS BOOK TOUR FOR THE HIGHLY ACCLAIMED THE SISTINE SECRETS. On Shabbat morning, November 15, long time Kane Street member Roy Doliner will conduct a lunch and learn session about his new book, co-authored with Benjamin Blech, The Sistine Secrets: Michaelangelo s Forbidden Messages in the Heart of the Vatican. The following is excerpted from Roy s web page ( Five hundred years ago Michelangelo began work on a painting that became one of the most famous pieces of art in the world the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Every year millions of people come

4 to see Michelangelo's Sistine ceiling, which is the largest fresco painting on earth in the holiest of Christianity's chapels; yet there is not one single Christian image in this vast, magnificent artwork. The Sistine Secrets tells the fascinating story of how Michelangelo embedded messages of brotherhood, tolerance, and freethinking in his painting to encourage "fellow travelers" to challenge the repressive Roman Catholic Church of his time. "Driven by the truths he had come to recognize during his years of study in private nontraditional schooling in Florence, truths rooted in his involvement with Judaic texts as well as Kabbalistic training that conflicted with approved Christian doctrine, Michelangelo needed to find a way to let viewers discern what he truly believed. He could not allow the Church to forever silence his soul. And what the Church would not permit him to communicate openly, he ingeniously found a way to convey to those diligent enough to learn his secret language." from the Preface The Sistine Secrets has been featured on the New York Times Best Seller list and has recently been added to the Italian equivalent of the Book of the Month Club. It has sold out of its initial printing. Join Roy and fellow Kane Street members on November 15 following Kiddush for an exciting look into the secrets of the Renaissance. The Sistine Secrets is available at a discount at Book Court, starting Monday, November 3 rd. THE WORLD IN A CITY JOSEPH BERGER - NEW YORK TIMES COLUMNIST AND EDITOR TRIBUTE TO OLGA LIPSCHITZ AND MARTIN GREENFIELD PROMINENT HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS - 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF KRISTALLNACHT. Tuesday, November 11, pm New York City College of Technology (CUNY) 300 Jay Street -Atrium Auditorium Downtown Brooklyn -near Tillary Street Berger shows that New York is an endlessly fascinating crossroads. Naturally, tears exist in this colorful social fabric: the controversy over Korean-language shop signs in tiny Douglaston, Queens and the uneasy proximity of traditional cottages and new McMansions built by recently arrived Russian residents of Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn. Yet in spite of the tensions among neighbors, what Berger has found most miraculous about New York is how the city and its more than eight million denizens can adapt to and even embrace change like no other place on earth. Free Admission contact: Albert Sherman, ; asherman@citytech.cuny.edu Can you give an hour on some Shabbat mornings to welcome newcomers? In order to engage newcomers to our community warmly and knowledgably, we are reestablishing the welcome station, an innovation which was very successful during our experience on Synaplex Shabbats. Every Shabbat morning, near the Synagogue entrance, we will organize a table with Synagogue literature, and with two people to shake visitors hands, offer a Shabbat Shalom, answer questions about our community, and direct people properly to our Sanctuary, alternative or youth services. These small acts of welcome, as numerous studies have shown, influence people s later decisions about continued involvement in the Synagogue.

5 Please consider taking a shift on some Shabbat mornings. The membership committee will provide a very quick, easy training for those who want to be greeters. The shifts are 9:15-10:15, 10:15-11:15, and 11:15 12:15. We also ask greeters, if it is possible, to remain for the Kiddush after services to integrate newcomers even more into our community. If you can volunteer, please contact Idelle Abrams at irabrams@earthlink.net Education The Kane Street Hebrew School is in full swing; for any questions or registration, contact Rabbi Valerie Lieber, Educational Director vlieber@kanestreet.org or Kane Street s Goldman Educational Center is also home to our Preschool, Kane Street Kids. For information about Kane Street Kids, contact Director Joyce Heller, Kids@kanestreet.org, or call Joyce at Kadima/USY Sunday 11/16/08--USY & Kadima High School Night (In the Afternoon) 3:00-5:00 PM *An event for Pre-Teens, Teens, AND Parents* Location: Kane Street Synagogue Kane Court Street Price: FREE Applying to High Schools? Get info on great NYC High Schools, USY summer & Israel Programs, And application tips from OTHER TEENS! RSVP by November 11th to jesscohen.bbusy@gmail.com Hey 9th through 12th graders! DO YOU LIKE YOUR HIGH SCHOOL? Did you do a USY Program or Israel Trip? jesscohen.bbusy@gmail.com to PRESENT by Oct. 31st. Mazal Tov! Devorah Greenspan s essay "Vision Prison" was reprinted from "Vision Access" (Spring 2008) in "The Blind Californian" Fall It is available online in print and audio formats at the BC website. November 1st, this Shabbat is David Bloomfield and Vicky Vossen's twenty-first wedding anniversary! Website To find out all that Kane Street Synagogue has to offer, please visit our new website at Features include the KSS calendar, listing of weekly services and leaders, upcoming events, contact information, educational programs, application forms for new members and school enrolment, directions to our facilities and cemeteries, donation forms for giving online or by fax, a link to Amazon.com that supports the synagogue, access to our publications and so much more. Add to your Favorite's List today. Visit us often

6 Bulletin Board We would enjoy publishing more news from the congregational family. Send us news of your joys and sorrows, your sicknesses and your triumphs. Getting and Staying in Touch To reach the Synagogue Office and Executive Director Linda Kass-Mahler: or call To reach the Rabbi--Samuel Weintraub: or call The Rabbi maintains call-in hours Tuesdays 10:30-12:30 and Wednesdays 11-1; these are times when you can be sure to snag him to make an appointment, to ask questions, etc. Feel free to call at other times; these are the times when you know he ll be there, barring emergencies. Shabbat Customs Thank you for joining us as our congregation gathers for Shabbat (the Jewish Sabbath) services. It is a special time when we seek sanctuary from our busy lives to find community with friends and family, and participate in rituals and customs common to congregations throughout the world. Our services combine traditional nuscha ot (prayer forms and melodies) with an open spirit and democratic lay leadership. We invite you to join in our song and celebration. Our prayer books for Friday night and Shabbat morning Services include phonetic transliteration. On Shabbat, we create an atmosphere wherein each pray-er may reflect on his/her life, and so leave shul with renewed faith and optimism. Therefore, quiet is the proper mood for synagogue. We are blessed with an abundance of lively, lovely children. Without diminishing our kids playful natures and the enjoyment they take in each others company on Shabbat, we want to foster a safe and respectful atmosphere. When children are not participating in youth services or babysitting, we expect parents to maintain their oversight so injuries are avoided, services are not disrupted and synagogue activities and property are not disturbed. To preserve the sanctity of our bodies, our souls and the Sabbath, please refrain from smoking, using cell phones or other electronic devices and taking pictures at any time while in or around the synagogue. Our synagogue ushers will gladly provide more information about our community and our customs. After services we gather for an Oneg, refreshments and socializing, in the community room. Please join us. Submissions to the Kane Yirbu should be ed to Kane Yirbu editor Barbara Speregen at KaneYirbu@kanestreet.org by the Monday preceding publication. Kane Street Synagogue, Congregation Baith Israel Anshei Emes 236 Kane Street, Brooklyn, New York Phone: Fax: office@kanestreet.org Samuel H. Weintraub, Rabbi rabbi@kanestreet.org Jay Brodsky, President president@kanestreet.org