Boca Raton Synagogue WEEKLY RABBI EFREM GOLDBERG Marah D asrah reg@brsonline.org PARSHAT VAYERA November 7 November 14 2014 14 Cheshvan 21 Cheshvan 5775 This week s Weekly is sponsored by Bob & Penny Pearlman in commemoration of the 3rd Yahrzeit of her beloved father, Seymour Meltzer. And in honor of the 1st birthday of their grandson, Jason Steven Pearlman. RABBI PHILIP MOSKOWITZ Associate Rabbi rpm@brsonline.org DAVID L. WOLGIN, PHD President president@brsonline.org RABBI DAVID SHABTAI, MD Rabbi, Sephardic Minyan rds@brsonline.org RABBI MORDECHAI SMOLARCIK Rabbi, BRS West rms@brsonline.org RABBI JOSH BROIDE Outreach Rabbi rjb@brsonline.org RABBI SIMMY SHABTAI Rosh Beit Midrash rss@brsonline.org RABBI KENNETH BRANDER Rabbi Emeritus rkb@brsonline.org Candle Lighting Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat FRIDAY NIGHT SHABBAT DAY 5:16 pm 5:20 pm Rabbi s Class 4:05 pm Britain s Original Sin or the Spark of Redemption: Reactions to the Balfour Declaration Rabbi Philip Moskowitz Shabbat Mincha 5:05 pm Ma ariv/havdalah 6:10 pm MATTHEW HOCHERMAN Executive Director mjh@brsonline.org RABBI GERSHON EISENBERGER Youth Director rge@brsonline.org RABBI ELI ZIANS Teen Director rez@brsonline.org ESTHER LUPIN, LCSW BRS/JFS Social Worker esther@brsonline.org KERRY PURCELL Editor-in-Chief of the Weekly kerry@brsonline.org FRIEND Friend us on Facebook FOLLOW Follow us on Twitter @RabbiGoldberg @RabbiPhilip @Broide @MatthewJHoch SHARE Check out Jewish Pride Films for our latest videos HAHN JUDAIC CAMPUS 7900 MONTOYA CIRCLE N. BOCA RATON, FLORIDA 33433-4912 (561) 394-0394 FAX (561) 394-0180 WWW.BRSONLINE.ORG OFFICE@BRSONLINE.ORG
FROM THE RABBI S DESK Comedian George Carlin had a fantastic routine called Baseball vs. Football. Baseball vs. Football Helping the Homeless be Safe at Home Baseball is a 19th-century pastoral game. Football is a 20th-century technological struggle. Baseball is played on a diamond, in a park. The baseball park! Football is played on a gridiron, in a stadium, sometimes called Soldier Field or War Memorial Stadium. Baseball begins in the spring, the season of new life. Football begins in the fall, when everything is dying. In football you wear a helmet. In baseball you wear a cap. Football is concerned with downs. What down is it? Baseball is concerned with ups. Who s up? Are you up? I m not up! He s up! In football you receive a penalty. In baseball you make an error. Football has clipping, spearing, piling on, personal fouls, late hitting, and unnecessary roughness. Baseball has the sacrifice. Baseball has the seventh-inning stretch. Football has the two-minute warning. Baseball has no time limit: We don t know when it s gonna end! Football is rigidly timed, and it will end, even if we have to go to sudden death. In baseball, during the game, in the stands, there s kind of a picnic feeling. Emotions may run high or low, but there s not that much unpleasantness. In football, during the game in the stands, you can be sure that at least 27 times you were perfectly capable of taking the life of a fellow human being. And finally, the objectives of the two games are completely different: In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his receivers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy s defensive line. In baseball the object is to go home. And to be safe. I m going home! I hope I ll be safe! While Carlin s routine is witty and clever, the recent NFL scandals are no laughing matter. After serious allegations against star players, the NFL announced the appointment of one of its female executives to run a social responsibility team and hired three domestic violence and sex crimes experts as advisers. The question of whether or not the violent and ferocious nature of football impacts players behavior off the field has been widely debated. Given the lack of statistical evidence, it is difficult, and perhaps unfair, to ascribe a causative relationship between playing football and ruthlessness off the field. However, what is undeniably clear is that on the field football players are to show no mercy. The former pro football defensive tackle and current NFL Network announcer, Warren Sapp, was interviewed on a Tampa radio station a couple of weeks ago. He chose that platform to vent about the behavior of a member of his old Buccaneers team, the defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, who helped an opponent to his feet after a play was over. To see him reach down and help the running back up and help the lineman up, I almost threw up, Sapp said. A few years ago, James Harrison of the Pittsburgh Steelers was fined $75,000 for using his helmet to knock not just one Cleveland Brown player out of the game, but two. After the game, he wasn t shy to explain: I don t want to see anyone injured, but I m not opposed to hurting anyone. There s a difference. When you re injured, you can t play. But when you re hurt, you can shake it off and come back, maybe a few plays later or the next game. I try to hurt people. I try to hurt people is the kind of thing we would expect to hear from the residents of Sedom, the wicked city whose destruction is described in our parsha. We are told that in Sedom women were routinely abused and men were sodomized (etymology from Sedom). And yet, it is not this abusive behavior but a different behavior, one that seems entirely reasonable, that our Rabbis criticize and label midas Sedom, the behavior of Sedom. In civil law, there are circumstances where one person gains and the other does not lose ze nehene, v ze lo chaser. For example, if a person is driving to a wedding and someone asks for a ride, the passenger gains a ride and saves on the gas and tolls, while the driver loses nothing as he was going anyway. The Talmud gives the example of two brothers who inherit a field from their father. One of the brothers already owns the adjacent field and requests the portion of the inheritance that abuts his field. He stands to gain, while his brother will not lose by accommodating him. In such situations of ze nehene v ze lo chaser, if the one who does not stand to lose nevertheless denies the other person the benefit they seek, they are described by the Talmud and later the Shulchan Aruch as exhibiting middas Sedom, the character or quality of a member of Sedom. Why does refusing to be gracious qualify as Sedom behavior? How can it compare to abuse and sodomy to the extent that our Rabbis could associate it with Sedom? I suggest that not accommodating someone when it costs you nothing is not in fact benign or pareve, but is in reality cruel and ruthless. If you have an opportunity to help someone and it will cost you time, money, energy, political capital, social standing or anything else, it is understandable to hesitate and perhaps to even say no. However, if all else is equal and you refuse to accommodate someone though it has zero impact on you, such behavior is downright cruel. Page 2 Valuing Diversity Celebrating Unity
We listen to James Harrison say, I try to hurt people, or hear Warren Sapp say he almost threw up when he saw a player helping another and we think we have nothing in common with them or their attitude. When we learn of the behavior of the people of Sedom, we think we would never live in such a place or associate with such people. And yet, middas Sedom is not only exhibited when we do something actively cruel, but also when we are passively cruel and heartless by not doing something that could be helpful or beneficial, especially in circumstances where it would have absolutely no impact on us whatsoever. Kindness, compassion, helping and supporting others should not be extraordinary or outstanding behavior. Rather, they should be our default reaction to a person in need, unless there is some major reason not to get involved. Earlier this week, 90 year-old Arnold Abbott was cited by police for feeding the homeless on a beach in Ft. Lauderdale. In October, the City of Fort Lauderdale Commission passed an ordinance that banned organizations from distributing food outdoors in public spaces. Every Wednesday for the past 23 years, Abbott and his non-profit organization, Love Thy Neighbor, have been feeding the homeless on the same beach. This Wednesday was no different, except that this time he was approached by police officers. One of the police officers said, Drop that plate right now, as if I were carrying a weapon, Abbott said. He will get his court subpoena in the mail and a judge will decide if he will spend up to sixty days in jail and be fined $500. Mayor Jack Seiler defended the ordinance. It s a public safety issue. It s a public health issue. The experts have all said that if you re going to feed them to get them from breakfast to lunch to dinner, all you re doing is enabling that cycle of homelessness. They don t interact with anyone; they don t receive the aid that they need. Abbott insists he will not stop feeding the homeless. He says it is cruel to see hungry people with nothing to eat and not offer them something. One cannot consider the ordinance middas Sedom, cruel and ruthless behavior, in light of the Mayor s explanation that the law is designed for the benefit and long-term welfare of the homeless. Moreover, halacha teaches dina d malchusa dina, the laws of the land when not in contradiction to Torah are binding and must be observed. If Abbott and those who agree with him feel strongly that the homeless deserve immediate support and food and that Ft. Lauderdale should find another way of encouraging the homeless to seek a shelter or use government services, then they should work within the system to change the ordinance. Until then, they should invite the homeless to eat in locations and venues that are within the law. Though perhaps executed in the wrong place, Arnold Abbott s compassionate instinct is admirable and commendable. Not only would he never try to hurt people, his natural inclination is to intercede on behalf of those people who are hungry and hurting. We should be inspired by him to practice greater kindness, compassion and concern for others. Our goal should be the same as in baseball to make sure that everybody, especially the homeless, are simply safe at home. Good Shabbos, Follow the Rabbi at twitter.com/ rabbigoldberg Friend the Rabbi on facebook Efrem Goldberg Share the Rabbi s blog on www.brsonline.org Rabbi Efrem Goldberg BOCA RATON SYNAGOGUE DERECH ERETZ STATEMENT In the spirit of our mission Valuing Diversity and Celebrating Unity, we believe that a community is built on the collective engagement of individuals representing differing perspectives, whether religious, political, or social. As is an environment where all of its members and visitors need to feel valued and welcomed, members are required to comport themselves in a manner which reflects mutual respect and a sense of inclusiveness. In our Synagogue, we value debate about pressing issues. This is consistent with the American democratic tradition. Our sages saw the value of arguments conducted L Shem Shamayim, for the sake of heaven, believing that great minds who engage in respectful debate will arrive at better solutions. They valued and welcomed alternate views, as do we. Derech Eretz, good and proper conduct, and mutually respectful dialogue are core values of the Synagogue community. These create a safe place for inspiration and spiritual growth, the central purpose of the Synagogue. It is a violation of Jewish law and ethics to use harsh language (vitriol) to demonize or to marginalize people with whom one may disagree. Uncivil expression reflects negatively on our Synagogue as well as on the individuals who engage in such behavior. expects its members to act and to speak with kindness and sensitivity to others. It is only in this fashion that a strong, vibrant, and harmonious community can be created and maintained. Adherence to this policy is a requirement for membership in good standing at the. In line with our recently published Derech Eretz Statement, we mention some examples of how we can be more sensitive towards others and create an even better community. BRS does not allow members to claim a Makom Kavuah. If you wish to sit in a specific location, come early. One must never ask another person, whether a member or especially a guest, to get up and move. Children will be asked not to enter the Rand Sanctuary to collect candy during the Rabbi s Shabbat morning Derasha. Please instruct your children and teach them to cooperate. If you have a Mensch Message you would like us to promote, please email us at office@brsonline.org Page 3 Valuing Diversity Celebrating Unity
SHABBAT SCHEDULE FRIDAY NIGHT Sephardic Mincha () Candle Lighting Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat (Rand Sanctuary) Friday Night Live: Please invite someone to this Outreach Program SHABBAT DAY 5:15 pm 5:16 pm 5:20 pm 6:00 pm Neitz Minyan () 5:50 am Hashkama Minyan () 7:30 am Sephardic Minyan () 8:30 am Ashkenazi Minyan (Rand Sanctuary) 9:00 am Sermon: Rabbi Efrem Goldberg *Sof Zman Kriat Shema 9:19 am Shtiebel Minyan (Shtiebel Beit Midrash) 9:30 am Teen Minyan (Berdugo Beit Midrash) 9:45 am Youth Tefillah Groups (Jacobs and Rubin Youth & Senior Center) 10:00 am Early Mincha (Rand Sanctuary) 3:00 pm Rabbi s Class 4:05 pm Britain s Original Sin or the Spark of Redemption: Reactions to the Balfour Declaration Rabbi Philip Moskowitz Sephardic Mincha () 5:00 pm Ashkenazi Mincha (Rand Sanctuary) 5:05 pm Daf Yomi (Berdugo Beit Midrash) between Mincha/Ma ariv Sh kiah 5:34 pm Ma ariv/havdalah 6:10 pm SHABBAT LEARNING Tefillah Insights with Rabbi Josh Broide (Rand Sanctuary) 8:30 am Advanced Gemara Chabura 15 minutes after Hashkama Minyan Junior Congregation (Shechet Beit Midrash - Rooms 205 & 206) 10:00 am Youth Groups (Drop-off begins at 10:00 am) 10:30 am Sephardic Roundtable () 11:00 am Father & Son Learning (Senders Library) 4:00 pm PARSHAT CHAYEI SARA Sephardic Mincha () Candle Lighting Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat () Friday Night Live: Please invite someone to this Outreach Program Ma ariv/havdalah (Shabbat) 5:10 pm 5:13 pm 5:15 pm 6:00 pm 6:07 pm MAIN MINYAN GALA KIDDUSH SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES The Gala Kiddush is now in its second year and we need your help to make sure it continues! In order for the Kiddushim to continue, we need everyone s support. The Gala Kiddushim for this year are tentatively scheduled as follows: November 29, 2014(Exclusive Sponsor) March 14, 2015 December 27, 2014 April 18, 2015 January 24, 2015 May 16, 2015 February 21, 2015 June 13, 2015 (Graduation Kiddush) We are very grateful to our Executive Chef Sponsors who contributed $1,000 for the year and our Sous Chef Sponsors who contributed $500 for the year. These sponsorships are what makes the Gala Kiddush possible. EXECUTIVE CHEF Dr. Albert & Evelyn Begas Donny & Dr. Freyda Cohen Martin & Ileana Flics Avi & Dr. Laura Greenbaum Drs. Jeffrey & Naomi Gross Dr. Kermit & Natalie Halperin Dr. Larry & Debra Halperin Yanki & Lauren Hofstatter Daniel & Caroline Katz Philip & Jennifer Landau Michael & Esther Lupin Anonymous BRS WEST (At the Hillel Day School, 21001 95th Ave. (305) 725-2292 www.brswestonline.org) Candle lighting Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat Shacharit Youth Groups Kiddush follows Davening Mincha (Shabbat) Shabbat Ends/ Maariv SOUS CHEF Joseph Bensmihen Dr. Hillel & Chayi Cohen Leo & Heni Ehrlich Yaakov Kronfeld Dr. David & Reena Makover Dr. David Markowitz & Dr. Sara Levine Martin & Sara Schandelson Evan & Orly Shapiro Dr. Zorik & Ellen Spektor SPONSORSHIP LEVELS Executive Chef Sponsor $1,000 Sous Chef Sponsor $500 Bar Mitzvah / Aufruf $360 Bat Mitzvah / New Baby / Engagement $250 Birthday / Anniversary $100 Grandchild / Other Occasion $100 Sponsorships are announced from the pulpit on Shabbat morning of the Kiddush and listed in the Weekly. If you would like to sponsor on any level in this coming year, please contact Matthew Hocherman at mjh@brsonline.org or our Kiddush Club chairs, Donny Cohen and Avi Greenbaum. FRIDAY NIGHT SHABBAT DAY 5:16 pm 5:20 pm 9:30 am 10:30 am 5:05 pm 6:10 pm DAILY MINYAN TIMES Sephardic Shacharit 6:00 am Ashkenazi Shacharit 6:25 am Ashkenazi Shacharit 7:15 am Sephardic Shacharit 7:55 am Ashkenazi Shacharit 8:00 am Ashkenazi Shacharit 9:00 am Early Ashkenazi 1:00 pm Mincha Senders Library Sephardic Mincha/Ma ariv 5:10 pm Ashkenazi Mincha/Ma ariv 5:15 pm Late Ashkenazi Ma ariv 9:30 pm Senders Library SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY 6:00 am 6:15 am 7:00 am 7:55 am Berdugo Beit Midrash 7:45 am 8:30 am 3:05 pm 5:10 pm 5:15 pm 9:30 pm Senders Library 6:00 am 6:25 am 7:00 am 7:55 am Berdugo Beit Midrash 7:45 am 8:30 am 3:40 pm 5:10 pm 5:15 pm 9:30 pm Senders Library 6:00 am 6:25 am 7:00 am 7:55 am Berdugo Beit Midrash 7:45 am 8:30 am 3:05 pm 5:10 pm Berdugo Beit Midrash 5:15 pm 9:30 pm Senders Library 6:00 am 6:15 am 7:00 am 7:55 am Berdugo Beit Midrash 7:45 am 8:30 am 3:50 pm 5:10 pm 5:15 pm 9:30 pm Senders Library 6:00 am 6:25 am 7:00 am 7:55 am Berdugo Beit Midrash 7:45 am 8:30 am Page 4 Valuing Diversity Celebrating Unity
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS MAZAL TOV Rabbi Noam & Alex Lipshitz on the birth of their daughter. AND to her proud siblings, Leeba, Talia, Mia and Nava Zissel. Dr. Avraham & Elana Belizon on their son, Shmuel, becoming a Bar Mitzvah. AND to his proud siblings, Batya & Efrat. AND grandparents, Yitzchak & Naomi Belizon and Herb & Renee Burack, AND great grandparents, Alvin & Mindy Klausner. Rabbi Yossi & Devorah Kahan on their son, Zalmy, becoming a Bar Mitzvah. AND to his proud siblings, Yanki, Chanala, Shuey, SholomBer and Shayna AND grandparents, Harold & Judy Kahan and Harav Chaim & Briena Mellul. Larry Hirsch on his AufRuf and forthcoming marriage to Rhonda Epstein. Jaime Alalu on the marriage of his son, Brian, to Danielle Sanders, daughter of Larry & Mary Calder of Denver, CO. Dr. Daniel & Rochelle Ettedgui on the forthcoming marriage of their son, Michael, to Pnina Luban daughter of Rabbi Binyomin & Suri Luban of North Miami Beach. AND to his proud siblings, Yehudit, Aharon, Shoshana, Yosef, Shalom and Moshe. Sam & Rita Rubin on the forthcoming marriage of their daughter, Felicia, to William Guttenplan. AND to siblings, Linda & Michael Kazinec and Mark Rubin. Rabbi Samuel & Beatrice Levine on the birth of their grandson. His proud parents are Elie & Jody Levine of New York. AND to his proud Aunt Yitty, AND Aunt Sara, Uncle David and the Markowitz cousins. Moshe Leib & Ruth Stuart on their granddaughter, Sora Freida, becoming a Bat Mitzvah. AND to her parents Yanky & Dini Stuart and siblings of Monsey, New York. AND to uncle and aunty, Harold & Mimi Furst. Dr. Israel Drazin for the recent publication of his 26th book Unusual Bible Interpretations: Five Books of Moses, the first in a new series of books. KIDDUSH Hashkama Minyan Kiddush sponsored by The Hashkama Minyan Kiddush Fund Sephardic Minyan Kiddush sponsored by Dr. Daniel & Rachel Ettedgui on the forthcoming marriage of their son, Michael, to Pnina Lubin. AND in honor of their 25th Wedding Anniversary. Seudah Shlishiet sponsored by Dr. Avraham & Elana Belizon in honor of their son, Shmuel s Bar Mitzvah. Guest Speaker: Rabbi Eli Belizon NEW AVOT U BANIM LEARNING PROGRAM THIS SATURDAY NIGHT BRS Night Seder is proud to announce a new Motzei Shabbat Avot U Banim learning program that will run throughout the winter months. This program is designed for Chavruta learning between fathers and their sons that are in 4th grade and above and begins this week, November 8, in the Senders Library from 7:00 8:00 pm. Following the learning, there will be donuts, pizza and a raffle. Please contact Rabbi Simmy Shabtai at rss@brsonline.org for more information. Our incredible program for parents and younger children, Veshinantam Season XV will begin Saturday night, December 6. SHALSHELET BAT MITZVAH PROGRAM BRS is proud to present its 10th annual Shalshelet Bat Mitzvah program! Please join us for a 10-week series of classes about women throughout Jewish history. This program is for Bat Mitzvah age girls and their mothers and is taught by Mrs. Michal Schochet and Mrs. Rina Lanner. The first class will be held this Sunday, November 9. Please e-mail Rebbetzen Yocheved Goldberg at goldbergmom@ gmail.com to register and for more information. PEOPLE OF THE BOOK III NEW YEAR. NEW TOPICS. NEW OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN! There are two options for registration: Option #1 Sign up for all four sections (12 classes in all) for one lump sum of $75 for BRS members and $100 for non-members. Option #2 Sign up for individual sections (3 classes each) and, if you choose, register for other sections as you go along. $25 per section for BRS members, $35 per section for non-members. The cost covers weekly classes, source materials, refreshments, and make-up recordings. To register for the BRS People of the Book course please visit www.brsonline.org/pob or contact Jamie at (561)394-0394 or jamie@brsonline.org. Nobody is turned away due to lack of funds. GPATS CLASS BRS is partnering with Yeshiva University s Graduate Program in Advanced Talmudic Studies for Women (GPATS) for an evening of intense, high level learning for both men and women. Monday, November 17, 2014 with Yehudit Goldberg in the BRS. Seeking the Sublime through Methods of Crime: Do the Ends Justify the Means? 7:15-8:00 PM Beit Midrash - 8:00-9:00 PM Class Feel free to attend one or both of these great learning opportunities. Sponsored by Anita Stern and Sam Heering in memory of her beloved parents Shloime Leon and Elisabeth Pienica Stern z l (Shlomo Aryeh ben Avraham and Esther Feige bat Nachum) and the Jewish Women Alliance for Learning and Leadership. For more information call (561)756-3704. SPECIAL CLASS THIS SHABBAT This Shabbat morning, Rabbi Eli Belizon will be giving a chabura for men at 8:15 am in the Senders library in honor of Shmuel s Bar Mitzvah. ZIONISM SERIES Join BRS West for a five week series on the historical figures and events that defined today s Zionism, with Rabbi Mordechai Smolarcik. Wednesday evenings beginning this Wednesday, November 12, 8:00-9:00 pm at BRS West. For more information, please call (305) 725-2292 or email rabsmo@me.com. SCHOLAR-IN-RESIDENCE - NEXT SHABBAT RABBI MENACHEM PENNER Rabbi Menachem Penner is Dean of the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary at Yeshiva University and the Men s Undergraduate Torah Studies programs at Yeshiva University. Rabbi Penner also serves as the spiritual leader of the Young Israel of Holliswood in Queens, a position he has proudly held since 1996. He and his wife, Adeena, are the parents of a child with special needs, and they speak across the country on issues of children with disabilities. Sponsored by Yachad, the National Jewish Council for Disabilities HELP SUPPORT THE IDF! Register for the Ping Pong for Israel tournament scheduled for Sunday, November 23, 9:00 am to noon at BRS. Separate divisions for kids and adults. Contact Ari Cohen for more information (561) 886-8991 or aricohen1@yahoo.com NEW CLASS - SEFER DANIEL WITH RABBI MOSKOWITZ Join Rabbi Moskowitz on Tuesday mornings from 10:30-11:30 am for a new class on the Book of Daniel. Enjoy its fascinating stories and explore its unique and important lessons for our lives. SAVE THE DATE Chanukah Extravaganza, Thursday, December 18, 4:30-6:30 pm. at the Fountains Center. There will be Bounce Houses, Candle Lighting Ceremony, Fire and Juggling show, Blood Drive and Food for purchase by Mozart Cafe. In the event of rain, this program will be moved to the. Valuing Diversity Celebrating Unity Page 5
WEEK AT A GLANCE DAILY DAF YOMI (Sunday - Friday) with Rabbi Ben Sugerman at 7:00 am in Rooms 211/212. MISHNA BERURA YOMI (Sunday -Thursday) 15 minutes before Mincha NIGHT BEIT MIDRASH (Sunday - Thursday) community learning in the Senders Library at 8:00 pm NIGHTTIME DAF YOMI (Sunday - Thursday) with BRS Rabbinate at 8:40 pm in the Room 104/105 TUESDAY PARSHAH CLASS with Rabbi Efrem Goldberg at 9:30 am in the SEFER DANIEL CLASS with Rabbi Philip Moskowitz at 10:30 am in the The Rabbis Tuesday morning classes are sponsored this week in commemoration of the first Yahrzeit of Dr. Howard Trachtenberg, beloved husband of Elaine Trachtenberg, beloved father of Andrea & Alan Lieberman and grandfather of Devora & Hillel Lefkowitz. WEDNESDAY CUP OF JOE & KNOW with Rabbi Efrem Goldberg after 7:45 am Minyan in the IN-DEPTH STUDY OF BOOK OF SAMUEL I with Malka Morris at 9:30 am in the KABBALAH & SPIRITUALITY: THE INNER WISDOM OF THE 5 BOOKS OF MOSES (BEGINNERS) with Anne Deakter at 7:00 pm at Room 101 KABBALAH & SPIRITUALITY: THE INNER WISDOM OF THE 5 BOOKS OF MOSES (ADVANCED) with Anne Deakter at 8:30 pm at Room 101 THURSDAY AVIGAIL ROCK with Rabbanit Avigail Rock at 9:15 am in the Board Room SATELLITE LECTURES with Rabbi Yissocher Frand at 9:00 pm in the Board Room WEEKLY SHMOOZE will take place at 9:45 pm in the Senders Library FAY GREENE S CLASS You are cordially invited to attend on Tuesday, November 18 at 12:30 pm. She will speak on Thanksgiving According to Leah. Will be hosted at the home of: Carol and Saul Kahn, 7870 Tennyson Court in Boca Hamlet A light lunch will be served. Please RSVP with Sue Lowenkron at bubbesue@att.net. BIRTHDAYS Ariella Herman Daniel Krasna LIFE CYCLE Shoshana Marcus Julie Ehrlich WELCOME TO THE COMMUNITY Harold & Judy Kahan Koslowe Family Harav Chaim & Briena Mellul Belizon Family The Kahan Family Burack Family The Mellul Family Klausner Family Friends here in honor of the Kahan Simcha Silver Family Perlow Family Houben Family REFUAH SHLAYMAH For members of BRS Community. For all other Refuah Shlaymah needs, please call Linda at (561) 394-0394 Rabbi Shmuel Jarashow Shmuel Tzvi ben Shayna Merv Jacobs Meir ben Sarah Moshe Applebaum Moshe Zvi ben Rachel Leah Yosef Chaim ben Faiga Bob Silver Reuvan Lieb ben Miriam Stuart Silverman Yeshaya Moshe ben Nacha Sarah Nachum Gedalia ben Sara Baila Jacob Kazinec Yaakov Tzvi ben Leah Mordechai ben Malka Helen Ijac Alta Haita bat Devorah Joan Noven Rochel Tova bat Malka Ariella Berman Ariella Sarah bat Elisheva Malka Beverly Kassirer Briendle bat Pessel Chana Guta bat Rochel Ruth Malinowitz Rivka bat Freyda Noa Maya Carmel Noa Maya bat Devora Rachel Perel bat Chaya Sara Jacquie Padow Ya akova Chava Rus bat Beyla Or Ester bat Dina Rivka YAHRZEITS Sophie Osnah in memory of her mother Elsa Kleinmann, 14 Cheshvan David Antine in memory of his father Sam Antine, 16 Cheshvan Hyla Levine in memory of her mother Ruth Miller, 16 Cheshvan Dr. Alan J. Goldman in memory of his mother Thea Rosenthal, 17 Cheshvan Debra Petrover in memory of her father Herman Winter, 17 Cheshvan Natalie Halperin in memory of her father Joseph Mager, 18 Cheshvan Dr. Joyce Hopkins in memory of her mother Rose Svarc, 18 Cheshvan Dr. Wayne Kotzker in memory of his father Joseph Kotzker, 19 Cheshvan Andrea Lieberman in memory of her father Howard Trachtenberg, 19 Cheshvan Elaine Trachtenberg in memory of her husband Howard Trachtenberg, 19 Cheshvan Janet Zwiebel in memory of her father Reverend Moses Nussbaum, 19 Cheshvan Naomi Stemp in memory of her mother-in-law Tema Stempnitzky, 19 Cheshvan Rachel Bensimon in memory of her father Salomon Abikhzer, 20 Cheshvan Saul Friedman in memory of his father Samuel Friedman, 20 Cheshvan Shirley Eschwege in memory of her father Nathan Hudes, 20 Cheshvan Michael Stall in memory of his grandfather Abraham Levin, 20 Cheshvan Dr. David Makover in memory of his mother Sylvia Makover, 20 Cheshvan Dr. Cynthia March in memory of her grandfather Jack March, 20 Cheshvan Franck Saragossi in memory of his father Albert Saragossi, 20 Cheshvan Daniel Toledano in memory of his father Meyer Toledano, 20 Cheshvan Dr. Ronald Gabor in memory of his father Steven Gabor, 21 Cheshvan Jackie Markovitch in memory of his father Simon Markovitch, 21 Cheshvan Harold Mechanic in memory of his mother Lillian Mechanic, 21 Cheshvan Leo Petrover in memory of his father John Petrover, 21 Cheshvan Dr. Neal Weinreb in memory of his mother Sarah Weinreb, 21 Cheshvan Boca Del Mar Pediatric and Adolescent Center U J D Office open 365 days a year! 6909 S.W. 18th St. Suite 202 Boca Raton, FL 33433 Y. Aaron Kaweblum, M.D. F.A.A.P Board Certified Certified Mohel (Since 1980) Robert Relkin, M.D. F.A.A.P Board Certified Only Boca practice that takes care of hospitalized patients. (561) 347-8382 Fax (561) 347-8487 Valuing Diversity Celebrating Unity Page 6
BRS AUXILIARIES, ETC. 1ST ANNUAL BRS JUNIOR HODU BOWL JUNIOR Hodu Bowl is for boys 1st through 8th grades. Cost is $10 and will be run concurrently with the Men s Hodu Bowl on Thursday, November 27 at 9:00 am at Veteran s Park. 7TH ANNUAL BRS HODU BOWL Save the date for the 7th Annual BRS Hodu Bowl. It will take place on Thursday, November 27 at 9:00 am at Veteran s Park (off of Palmetto Park Road between Lyons and 441). The cost is $240 per team or $35 per individual without a team. If you are interested in signing up, or for available sponsorship opportunities, please contact Eric Pinkis at epinkis@hotmail.com. Enjoy for BOTH events, Free T-Shirts, Light Breakfast, Pizza and Refreshments for participants and their families. Bounce Houses for all ages, Park Playground and Sporting Activities for children. Men s Trophies for First and Second Place Teams. Shirts are graciously sponsored by Dr. Barry Schechter and Florida Eye Microsurgical Institute. BIKUR CHOLIM Hospital tip: Never disturb a resting or sleeping patient, unless you were specifically told by the patient to wake them when you arrive. Leave a note with the nurse to indicate you were there and that you cared. Quietly say a prayer for the patient s well-being. In Shamayim, you get full credit for the visit. EMPTY NESTERS Annie Get Your Gun at Sugar Sand Park on Sunday afternoon February 1, followed by dinner at Asia. Tickets cost $24. The cost of the dinner is $20 a person.. Payment must be received at the Shul office by December 25. Please contact Rita Rubin (561)445-6330 or Sylvia Broide (561)859-6953 with any questions. We ll have a Bang up time! HAND WASHING The Maimonides Society would like to remind everyone to frequently wash their hands. Also, please remember to use the readily available Purell hand washing lotions that can be found around the campus. Please remember that, if you are sick or under the weather, it is unkind to attend Shul and potentially infect others. COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS DELIVER MORE THAN MEALS... DELIVER SMILES All it takes is once a week on Friday mornings, or at least once a month.. The JFS Meals on Wheels Program provides nutritionally balanced prepared meals to enable seniors to age in place safely for as long as possible. Kosher meals are prepared by clients of JARC and are frozen to be ready for Friday deliveries. Volunteers pick up meals before 9:00 am and deliver to 5-8 households in the Boca Raton and Delray Beach areas. Maps and instructions are provided to each driver, and the meals are picked up on the Jewish Federation campus in Boca Raton. JFS can reimburse your mileage at a designated rate from the meal pick up site to the homes on your delivery route. For more information, please contact the JFS Volunteer department today at (561) 852-3357 THE 2014-2015 PILLAR SOCIETY CAMPAIGN IS NOW UNDERWAY PILLAR SOCIETY 2014-2015 EMERALD Daniel & Caroline Katz Paul S. & Lynn H. Pariser PLATINUM Leo & Heni Ehrlich Martin & Ileana Flics Bernie & Melanie Kaminetsky Lothar & Carlyn Mayer Dr. William & Debbie Rand Michael & Jill Rose Larry & Deborah Silver Harry & Marilyn Wanderer GOLD Daniel & Dr. Liora Adler Dr. Albert & Evelyn Begas Howard & Bonnie Block Dr. Steve & Yael Charlap Donny & Dr. Freyda Cohen Drs. Eli and Orlie Cohen Dr. Hillel & Chayi Cohen Dr. Meyer & Laura Cohen Nachman & Jamie Feig Dr. Mark & Tilda Fisher Dr. Ben & Cara Freedman Michael & Barbara Frenkel Hensha Gansbourg Rabbi Efrem & Yocheved Goldberg Murray & Basheva Goldberg Glen & Rosa Golish Drs. Charles & Simone Griff Stanley & Ana Haar Dr. Larry & Debra Halperin Dr. Chanoch & Rachel Harow Ben & Hanna Henschel Dr. Moshe & Shari Hirth Yanki & Lauren Hofstatter Dr. Mervin & Elaine Jacobs Dr. David & Sharona Kay Gary & Judi Krasna Yaakov Kronfeld Drs. Joseph & Seema Loskove Stephen & Linda Melcer Bob & Penny Pearlman Dr. Michael & Dana Petrover Dr. Daniel & Rachel Rudensky Mike Senders Dr. Leor & Gabriela Skoczylas Dr. Zorik & Ellen Spektor Teddy & Linda Struhl Dr. Jonathan & Suri Winograd Drs. Allen & Amy Wolnerman Michael & Risa Zimmerman Anonymous Anonymous SAPPHIRE Dr. Mark & Helen Cohan Rabbi Simcha & Anna Freedman Elaine Trachtenberg Dr. Neal & Bonnie Weinreb Anonymous SILVER Dr. Avraham & Elana Belizon Evan & Orly Shapiro Dr. Josh & Stephanie Stern Dr. Ashi & Chava Weisstuch Anonymous List in formation NEW PILLAR SOCIETY CATEGORY We have added a new $4,000 Pillar Society level this year called Sapphire. This is for BRS Members that at least one spouse is 70 years old or over. The Sapphire Level members will receive all of the same benefits of the Silver Level as well as a Half Page Ad in the Annual Journal. Pillar Society brochures with additional information are available in the lobby. To join the Pillar Society for 2014/2015 please contact Matthew Hocherman at mjh@brsonline.org or (561) 394-0394. Page 7 Valuing Diversity Celebrating Unity
ISRAEL UPDATE SOCIAL ACTION Two accounts from what might be called theater of the absurd.-- Last month, Father Gabriel Naddaf of Nazareth spoke before the ironically-named United Nations Human Rights Council on behalf of the watchdog group, UN Watch. He proclaimed what many in the international community and the global media refuse to acknowledge, including that If we look at the Middle East, Mr. President, we realize there s only one safe place where Christians are not persecuted. One place where they are protected, enjoying freedom of worship and expression, living in peace and not subjected to killing and genocide. It is Israel, the country I live in. The Jewish state is the only safe place where the Christians of the Holy Land live in safety. The sister of Hamas spokesperson Moussa Abu Marzouk is being treated for cancer in an Israeli hospital. She is reportedly suffering from latestage cancer. Hamas leaders continually call for the destruction of the Jewish State on the political level but also send their sick family members to Israel for medical care. PLEASE KEEP IN YOUR PRAYERS ALAN GROSS Alan Gross has been in prison for over 1500 days. Now you are able to write to him via his website www.bringalanhome.org/write Aba Chonah ben Hava Chana - Alan Gross American Jew Alan Gross has been wrongly held in a Cuban prison since December 2009. Since that time, Alan s physical and emotional state has deteriorated. He has lost over one hundred pounds and has suffered partial paralysis. Join us to call upon the Cuban government and the international community for the immediate release of Alan on humanitarian grounds. For more information and to get involved, visit www.jcouncil.org JONATHAN POLLARD Your letters - the only ray of light in Jonathan s dreary cell. Write to him today: Jonathan Pollard #09185-016, c/o FCI Butner, P.O. Box 1000, Butner, North Carolina, U.S.A 27509-1000. Yehonatan ben Malka - Jonathan Pollard. Jonathan Pollard has been imprisoned in the United States since 1987. While working as an American civilian intelligence analyst, Pollard admitted to passing classified information to Israel. Although even his most ardent supporters agree that he was in the wrong and guilty, the nature and length of his imprisonment is disproportionate and unparalleled. Join a multitude of prominent politicians, officials from the national intelligence world, and the legal world who have called for Pollard s sentence to be commuted. For more information and to sign a petition, visit www.jonathanpollard.org. WARREN WEINSTEIN The 72-year-old Weinstein, Yisrael Yitzchak ben Hannah Faygel, was a consultant for the US Agency for International Development in Pakistan when terrorists broke into his home in 2011 and dragged him away. Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-zawahiri has since claimed to be holding him. Weinstein made news in a just-released video in which he pleads for President Obama to help. No Jew should ever feel abandoned or forgotten. Please add him to your prayers. ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES (IDF) PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS OF IDF SOLDIERS The Emek Learning Center in Baka has a program that offers support to IDF Soldiers without families in Israel. If your child or grandchild is in the IDF and would like the center to reach out to them, please send Linda their name and contact information and it will be forwarded to the center. If you want to learn more about the center, the website is emeklearningcenter.com. Linda can be reached at linda@brsonline.org or by calling (561) 394-0394. Please have in mind children and grandchildren of members of our community currently serving in the IDF: Amiel Abir, Asher Kaplan, Adam Barel, Daniella Borenstein, Yosef Brander, Stav Gare, Menachem Kaplan, Shabtai Kaplan, Jeremy Siegman, Daniel Louis, Arie Hizkiya, Albert Lupin, Daniel Makover, Charlie Pollack, Yakov Simcha ben Moshe Yisroel, Yehuda Strauss, Elad Shachar, Liel Reinfeld, Ron Hirschhorn, Yehoshua Strauss, Amichai Berman, Matt Firestone, Dov Lieber, Chanan Wolfson, Isaac Marco Romano, Eitan Yitzchak ben Etel Rochel, Yuchiel Shlomo Lowenstern, Amir Tsarfati, Reuben Gladstone, Dean Tansman, Joshua Weiss and Mordechai Wolfson. If you have children or grandchildren currently serving in the IDF, please let us know their names so we can include them. Please have in mind-our-missing in action Israeli Soldiers. Page 8 Valuing Diversity Celebrating Unity
BRS OUTREACH Participants in the free Hebrew Reading Crash Course will learn to read Hebrew in six weekly sessions. Designed for Jews with little or no background in Hebrew, it concentrates on teaching the Hebrew alphabet and reading skills. Each participant will receive a free copy of the National Jewish Outreach Program s (NJOP) Reishith Binah Hebrew primer. Day & Time: Wednesday at 10:00am - 11:00am NEW DATES!!! 11/12/2014, 11/19/2014, 11/26/2014, 12/3/2014 & 12/10/2014 KABBALAH & SPIRITUALITY: THE INNER WISDOM OF THE 5 BOOKS OF MOSES Beginners course: Wednesday @ 7:00pm for 7 consecutive weeks (free) Location: - Hahn Judaic Campus ALL WELCOME! The Wisdom of Kabbalah is the practical guidebook on how to live a life of enduring fulfillment, purpose, love and abundance. Join us on a journey of sublime discovery on how a wisdom thousands of years old is; user friendly, relevant, applicable and practical for today s life. Free your potential, think outside of the box and learn how to connect to the source of fulfillment in all areas of your life as you transform into the person you were destined to be. Designed specifically for the novice worshiper, these free explanatory prayer services are conducted in both Hebrew and English, and provides a comfortable non-judgmental venue for those with little synagogue experience to participate in traditional synagogue services. Discussions, questions, and curiosities are encouraged in this unorthodox, traditional service, which has been praised for its widespread appeal and congenial approach to synagogue education.
BRS TEEN PROGRAMS JSU SHABBATON! Friday, November 14 in North Miami Beach, Islands of Adventure on Sunday! Cost $125 AWESOME SUMMER PROGRAMS! Looking for an incredible and inspirational summer? Visit ncsysummer.org for more information! TEEN SEUDAH SHLISHIET Every Shabbat in the Boardroom after main BRS Mincha BRS YOUTH PROGRAMS YNAGOGUE S N O T A R A C O B PRESENTS NZA EXTRAaVt TAheGFA ountains 6TH GRADE SEUDAH SHLISHIET At the home of Michal Skocyzlas, 7657 London Lane, Thornhill Estates. Begins 1 hour before Shabbat ends. Please pick your daughter up at the conclusion of Shabbat. RABBI EISENBERGER MISHNA CHABURAH CANCELLED FOR THIS WEEK 7300 W CAMINO REAL, BOCA RATON, FL 33433 DECEMBER 18, 2014 3RD NIGHT OF CHANUKAH 4:30-6:30 PM BOUNCE HOUSES CANDLE LIGHTING CEREMONY FIRE AND JUGGLING SHOW BLOOD DRIVE FOOD FOR PURCHASE BY MOZART CAFE In the event of rain, this program will be moved to the. HAHN JUDAIC CAMPUS 7900 MONTOYA CIRCLE N. BOCA RATON, FLORIDA 33433-4912 (561) 394-0394 FAX (561) 394-0180 WWW.BRSONLINE.ORG OFFICE@BRSONLINE.ORG Page 10 Valuing Diversity Celebrating Unity Center
Women s This program is free and open to the entire community. With advanced registration, free breakfast, lunch and babysitting will be provided. To register for this incredible seminar, go to www.brsonline.org/health or contact Jamie at 561.394.0394 or jamie@brsonline.org. Suggested donation of $10. Sponsored by the BRS Sisterhood Special track for teenagers! Health & Halacha Day Clinical and Torah perspectives on intimacy, fertility, postpartum mental health, pre/post menopausal health and illness. Sunday, December 7, 2014 8:45 am 1:00 pm Seminar Co-Chairs: Dr. Laura Greenbaum Mrs. Fay Greene Jill Kaminetzky Dr. Sara Levine Dr. Ahava Oppenheimer Dayna Wald Syd Tannenbaum REGISTER NOW BRSONLINE.ORG/HEALTH Featured Speaker: Mrs. Talli Rosenbaum Individual and Couples Therapist and Associate Editor of the Journal of Sexual Medicine Featured Speaker: Rabbi Gideon Weitzman Director of PUAH Institute Visiting Professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine
, ay sd ne 9th ed 1 W er g b in m rt ve ta o S N MEN S AFTERNOON KOLLEL WEDNESDAYS 3-5 PM Cost per semester: $25 Refreshments Guided text-based chavruta study and shiurim (classes) Led by Rabbi Efrem Goldberg, Rabbi Phillip Moskowitz, and Rabbi Simmy Shabtai Engage in serious Torah study All levels welcome Learn Gemara, Halacha and Tanach For more information, please contact the Rosh Beit Midrash, Rabbi Simmy Shabtai, at rss@brsonline.org
Alan Linker First Vice President Branch Manager 1691 MICHIGAN AVENUE Miami Beach, FL 33139 +1 305 695-6124 alan.a.linker@morganstanley.com 2014 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC. CRC897541 06/14 Stuart A. Rubin, M.D. Board Certified: Rehab Medicine / Pain Boynton Beach Deerfield Beach Do You Remember When it did not hurt? Musculoskeletal Medicine Epidural and Joint Injections Balance and Fall Clinic Stroke and Cancer Recovery Sports Medicine EMG-Disability Acupuncture 561.738.2000 WWW.STUARTRUBINMD.COM
CALLING ALL TALENT We Want You! Are you a singer, musician, actor or dancer? BRS West Presents InSpire Women and girls ages 12 and up are invited to participate First Annual Women s Only Talent Performance West Presents: The History of Modern Zionism A Þve week series on the historical Þgures and events that deþned todayõs Zionism. With Rabbi Mordechai Smolarcik WEDNESDAY EVENINGS 8-9 PM November 12 Pre and Post-State Jewish Life in the Diaspora November 19 Practical, Revisionist & Religious Zionism November 26 Yerushalayim - The United City December 3 The Arab - Israeli Conßict Space is limited. Registration required. Registration deadline 12.12.14. For more information please contact Robyn Cohen at brswestshow@gmail.com Dress Rehearsal: Wednesday evening, February 4 Performance: Sunday, February 8 All classes will be held at West 21011 95th Avenue South (On the Hillel Day School of Boca Raton Campus) December 10 What is Our Responsibility to the Jewish State? For More Information please call (305)725-2292 or email rabsmo@me.com
Women are invited to an evening of inspiration and conversation regarding our community Mikvah Securing the Sanctity of our Mikvah Thursday Night, November 20 8:00 pm in the Dvar Torah by Rebbitzen Yocheved Goldberg followed by an open conversation with our Mikvah President Dori Zaghi and Rabbi Efrem Goldberg To submit questions or concerns anonymously in advance, please go to www.brsonline.org/mikvah HAHN JUDAIC CAMPUS 7900 MONTOYA CIRCLE N. BOCA RATON, FLORIDA 33433-4912 (561) 394-0394 FAX (561) 394-0180 WWW.BRSONLINE.ORG OFFICE@BRSONLINE.ORG
A Weekend TO Remember Thanksgiving Weekend, November 28-29 with Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks Weekend Sponsors The Tripp Family in honor of Rabbi Sidney and Jewel Shoham and Marcia Tripp. In memory of Leon Aryeh Leib Tripp Z L Weekend Chair Daniel and Caroline Katz Host Committee (in formation) Donny & Dr. Freyda Cohen Chaim & Rebecca Elkoby Dr. David & Sharona Kay Daniel & Sue Kaskel - NEW Philip & Jennifer Landau - NEW Drs. Joey & Seema Loskove Dr. David & Reena Makover David & Joyce Muller - NEW Warren & Robin Struhl To become a Weekend Chair ($2,500) or to join the Host Committee ($1,000) and receive an invitation to an exclusive and intimate Friday night dinner and lecture with Lord and Lady Sacks, please contact the shul office at (561) 394.0394 or email Jamie at jamie@brsonline.org Also featuring Chazzan Shimon Craimer!