February 11, 2006 - Shevat 13, 5766

Rabbi Joshua Hammerman, Temple Beth El, Stamford, Connecticut

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WZO elections DEADLINE IS herE!

(see more below)

Contents of the Shabbat O Gram: (click to scroll down)

Just the Facts (service schedule)

The Rabid Rabbi (including E-mail from the Front)

Mitzvah/Tzedakkah Opportunities

Ask the Rabbi

Spiritual Journey on the Web

Required Reading and Action Items (links to key articles on Israel and Jewish life)

Announcements (goings on in and around TBE)

Joke for the Week

Quote for the Week

“Fanatic, apocalyptic, totalitarian, the mullahs who rule Iran see their destiny as waging jihad and extending theocracy across the entire Middle East. Under no circumstances can such enemies be permitted to acquire nuclear weapons—or to doubt that we will do what we must to make sure that they don't.

-- Jeff Jacoby The Boston Globe, January 25, 2006

Photos from last week’s World Wide Wrap

See lots more of them at www.tbe.org

JUST THE FACTS

Shabbat Shira – the Sabbath of Song

Friday Evening

Candle lighting for Stamford, CT: Candle lighting: 5:04pm on Friday, 10 February 2006. Havdalah is at 6:08 on Saturday evening. For candle lighting times, other Jewish calendar information, and to download a Jewish calendar to your PDA, click on http://www.hebcal.com/. To see the festivals of other faiths as well, go to http://www.interfaithcalendar.org/

Kabbalat Shabbat: 7:30 PM – in the chapel

Shabbat Morning: 9:30 AM – Mazal Tov to Chad Weissman, who becomes Bar Mitzvah this Shabbat Morning

Children’s services: 10:30

Torah Portion: Beshallach – Exodus 13:17 - 17:16 The crossing of the Red Sea and the Song of the Sea

1: 14:15-20
2: 14:21-25
3: 14:26-15:21
4: 15:22-26
5: 15:27-16:3
6: 16:4-7
7: 16:8-10
maf: 16:8-10

Haftarah – Judges 4:4 - 5:31 The Song of Deborah

See a weekly commentary from the UJC Rabbinic Cabinet, at www.ujc.org/mekorchaim. Read the Masorti commentary at http://www.masorti.org/mason/torah/index.asp. University of Judaism, JTS commentary is at: http://learn.jtsa.edu/topics/parashah/. USCJ Torah Sparks can be found at http://uscj.org/item20_467.html. UAHC Shabbat Table Talk discussions are at http://uahc.org/torah/exodus.shtml. Other divrei Torah via the Torahnet home page: http://uahcweb.org/torahnet/. Test your Parasha I.Q.: http://www.ou.org/jewishiq/parsha/default.htm. CLAL’s Torah commentary archive: http://click.topica.com/maaaiRtaaRvQhbV2AtLb/. World Zionist Organization Education page, including Nehama Liebowitz archives of parsha commentaries: http://www.moreshet.net/web/index.asp?f=1 For a more Kabbalistic/Zionist/Orthodox perspective from Rav Kook, first Chief Rabbi of Israel, go to http://www.geocities.com/m_yericho/ravkook/index.html. For some probing questions and meditations on key verses of the portion, with a liberal kabbalistic bent, go to http://www.jewishealing.com/learning.html or, for Kabbalistic commentaries from the Zohar itself, go to http://www.kabbalah.com/k/index.php/p=zohar/weekly/intro. To see the weekly commentary from Hillel, geared to college students and others, go to http://www.hillel.org/hillel/NewHille.nsf/FCB8259CA861AE57852567D30043BA26/DF7D129F15B3DF0885256AB80058E9C3?OpenDocument. For a Jewish Renewal and feminist approach go to http://rabbishefagold.hypermart.net/Torah1.html . For a comprehensive Orthodox viewpoint from the Israeli rabbi, Yaakov Fogelman, go to the Torah Outreach Program at http://israelvisit.co.il/top/previous.shtml. Guided meditations for each portion by Judith Abrams at http://www.maqom.com/kavannah.pdf For online Parsha quizzes from Pardes in Israel, go to http://www.pardes.org.il/online_learning/parsha_quizzes/ Torah for Kids: http://www.torah4kids.net/ Weekly Lesson of Popular Israeli Rabbi Mordechai Elon: http://www.elon.org/archives/archives.htm - and his parsha sheets: http://www.mibereshit.org/special/download_eng_pdf.htm From Bar Ilan University: http://www.biu.ac.il/JH/Parasha/eng/; http://www.torahproductions.com/weekly_article.jsp

THE ENTIRE HEBREW BIBLE (AS WELL AS OTHER JEWISH SOURCES) CAN BE FOUND WITH SIDE-BY-SIDE TRANSLATION AT

http://www.mechon-mamre.org/

Morning Minyan: Weekdays at 7:30, Sundays at 9:30 AM

TO ENSURE A “GUARANTEED MINYAN” FOR THE DAY OF YOUR YAHRZEIT – GO TO THE ROSNER MINYAN MAKER AT WWW.TBE.ORG AND ALSO CONTACT ME AT RABBI@TBE.ORG.

Winter Weather Advisory

Note that in the case of bad weather, weekday minyan does not take place when Stamford public schools are cancelled OR postponed. On Sunday, minyan is cancelled if our Religious School sessions are cancelled. Friday evening and Shabbat morning’s main service is never officially cancelled, but do use your best judgment in deciding whether to come. We will endeavor to get proper notification to WSTC radio regarding cancellations, but that may not always be possible for children’s services held on Shabbat.

“My Children are Drowning”

It’s not been a particularly happy week in the world – and it’s been quite frightening locally. Incidence of violence are intensifying in Europe and the Moslem world as result of the anti-Islamic cartoons published (see more on that below in the Web journeys section). So now people have died as a result, and the violence shows no sign of abating.

And now, here in Stamford, we are all suffering from the violence that has infected our city and society as a whole. I’ve attended several meetings of local officials and clergy, with the goal of sending a message to the entire community that we stand together in the face of fear and in the face of violence. The faith community will be doing several things, including speaking to the topic this weekend at services, collecting our thoughts into a page that will be published this weekend in the Advocate; we’ll also going to the teens, in schools and on the streets (an activity I plan to be part of), to talk to them but most of all to listen and to try in any way that we can, to douse the fires of anger, hate and revenge. And there will also be an interfaith service next Wednesday evening at Bethel AME Church (details just below), in the troubled West Side. As the pastors went around the room to choose a date, it became clear that none of the proposed dates would enable all the religious leaders to attend. Unfortunately, next Wednesday evening was not a time I could be there, but I do hope that many from our congregation will be.

I recall words I wrote years ago, when I preached from the same pulpit at Bethel AME: Stamford can and must be a healing city, a place where all citizens feel sustained and nurtured in its midst. We must be an organic city, not of disparate neighborhoods and conflicting groups, but a collage where the whole is far greater than the sum of its parts. We must reach heavenward, crying God’s tears, manifesting God’s kindness, and imprinting that kindness on every street corner, in every school and house of worship, in every skyscraper and neighborhood market, in every stone and girder. We must make Stamford the oasis of tranquility that we know it can be – and we must accomplish that goal together.

At our next “Learning and Latte,” this Tues. @ 7:30 at Borders my colleagues in interfaith dialogue will deal with our announced topic but also dwell on some of the issues underlying the tensions in Europe, the Moslem world and here at home. That is, after all, why “Learning and Latte” exists.

Among the legends of the crossing of the Red Sea, recounted this week in the Torah, is the one where God rebukes the angels, who were celebrating on High just as the Israelites were celebrating below. “The works of My hands, My children, are drowning in the sea,” God cries, “and you would utter song in My presence?” At the very moment of the triumph of good over evil, God recognizes that even that supreme victory cannot be complete when human beings are suffering.

Irony abounds here, especially when we think that just over a week ago, hundreds of Egyptians actually did drown in the Red Sea, in that horrible ferry accident. That midrash can be helpful here, in reminding us of our deep connection to all people, even people so different and so far away, in that we are all children of God.

“My Children are Drowning” part II

It’s been a real tough week for many of our kids. Those in middle schools all are aware of the tragic death of a 7^th grader resulting from a popular choking “game.” I personally spoke with our upper Hebrew School classes this week, as well as Kulanu High School students, both to offer the comfort of a listening ear and to implore them to be responsible, not only for their own safety, but to look out for their friends as well.

Having talked to the kids, I can only offer this very direct message to parents: they are closer to this than you might know. Some have seen friends doing dangerous things and/or have been invited to participate themselves in risky behavior. Talk to your kids about this. It is so important.

And then there are the dangers to our children online, highlighted in recent news reports and in the attorney general’s new attacks on those networking sites. Congregant Jeffrey Gold prepared this list of important links regarding popular online networking sites, including MySpace. Please look at them – and then talk to your children again.

1. http://www.wiredsafety.org/

http://www.wiredkids.org/ and for educators
MySpace Safety Tips
MySpace Tips for Parents
http://www.internetsuperheroes.org/ and cyberbullying
Advocate-2/4 Teen Web sites worry local parents
Newsweek-1/27 'Predator's Playground'? - A Web safety expert offers tips for keeping teenagers and children safe on social-networking sites like MySpace.com
Newsweek-12/26 The MySpace.com Guys

Prepared presentations that can be used:

A video report about Internet social-networking concerns that has more impact then reading any web page: Your Kid's Cyber Secret

Or http://video.msn.com/v/us/msnbc.htm?g=e5cd06e3-ca49-474d-839e-ad4a81fe322f&f=00

An Interfaith service expressing the religious communities’ stand against the recent violence in Stamford will be held on

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15

at 8:00 p.m.

at BETHEL A.M.E. CHURCH.

Fairfield Ave. in Stamford

E-MAIL FROM THE FRONT

In this time of transition and stress in Israel, with an ailing Prime Minister and an acting one, with the Palestinians sorting out implications of their political sea change and with Israeli elections at the end of March, we are renewing the dialogue between me and my sister Lisa, who lives in Mitzpeh Yericho and TBE congregant Jan Gaines, who lives much of the year in Netanya. Those wishing to see last week’s exchange can find it at http://www.tbe.org/site/sog/060204.htm. And if you want to respond, go to our bustling discussion forum at our web site, www.tbe.org – your opinion is highly valued.

FYI – Amona is mentioned here – the scene of last week’s government action removing Jews from an illegal settlement. The result was far more violent and the resistance far greater than anything experienced in Gaza last summer. It has been topic #1 in Israel this week.

Haaretz's Overview of Amona Evacuation Story
"At Wednesday's confrontation, some 3,000 settlers many of them teenagers faced off against thousands of soldiers and policemen during the three-and-a-half hour operation, which both sides agreed had been far worse than the disengagement from Gaza. Some 75 people were arrested...."

bs"d

Dear JJ and family (including your "sog family")

The picture here is shifting all the time, and it is sometimes hard to get a focus on what is mere "reflection" and what is reality.

Again, I keep imagining little Toto pulling back the curtain to expose the stuff going on behind the scenes. There is something so ominous about what is happening that it is often difficult to hold on to the true reality and know that whatever G-d promised has, so far, happened just as promised. This is our focus and our "key" for filtering the information we receive.

Amona: This is Gush Qatif with the gloves pulled off. I suspect that this is the way things are going to be from now on; more and more persecution of dissenting voices, more "controls" on what remain of democratic processes. More push and shove, less due process. I send you a link which you might find relevant. http://www.freeman.org/m_online/jul03/sones.htm

We gave up our satellite service after the High Holidays. We use the internet to keep in touch with the news, and after a few days of "cold turkey," we found that life is much, much better without the commercial and digital tv. We do indulge in a movie once in a while on the vcr. We hope, if Asher's work situation improves, to get a dvd, as well... I digress. It is interesting, however, that despite the Election Season, there is amazingly little propaganda on the media, and almost no broadsides out on the billboards and buses. This is very unusual; every other election I have participated in (I have been here 26 years now!), has been characterized by a blizzard of pamphlets and billboards. Kadima has yet to lay down a party platform, and is letting its "aktions" speak louder than words.... Needless to say, we are leery, at best, of their intentions. I will not interpret the reasons for the relatively thin and lackluster campaign. I am simply stating a fact.

As for the "wall," you assume, wrongly, that we are in favor of it. We never were. In light of the general atmosphere here of "giving' the bum's rush" to those living in villages in Yo"sh (Judea and Samaria), we will not be surprised at any scenario, including tipping off the PA that it is time to settle accounts with those pesky "settlers" living in Mitzpe Yericho; the army is now out of it, so have fun.... Oops, they sure were stupid to build their homes ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WALL....

Other than that, things are great; Adereth is growing beautifully, and we are tired, but happy. Asher is very busy using his time to both fix all the myriad things in the house and baby-proof it, and rustle up some work in home maintenance, which is one of his sidelines. He may be unemployed (as are almost half the adults we know these days!), but he is very far from idle! I, myself cannot find enough hours in the day (Adereth does NOT like to nap!) to get my coursework done for my sabbatical courses, and at the same time have received a number of illustration commissions to keep me up after midnight, too!

I think that is all for now. Hope Ethan's birthday was fabulous!

Love to all of you; I love you, Josh!

Lisa

ps;

I appreciated Jan Gaines’ take on things here; I think that there is no doubt that one's milieu affects how one perceives things, along with information gleaned along the way. I think she has a fine way of wording things, so that they become quite clear. At any rate, I look forward to her next contribution! J

Lisa

WELL—NO NEED TO WAIT VERY LONG – HERE IT IS!

Dear Josh and Lisa,

Yes, the scene changes every day in this guessing game as to what is REALLY happening. Like a kid's merry-go-round where you keep changing horses but somehow they all end up being the same horse in the end.

I think the fallout from Amona is just starting to penetrate. After the initial horrified reactions and the litany of blame in all directions, what is settling in is that 1. The parents never thought the police would be that brutal so sent their kids thinking it would be more like Gaza.

2. Big difference between Border Police and Tzahal/IDF. The Border Police don't play nice! They play really rough. That's their job. If it had been army it would have been a different scene.

3. Olmert may have thought he was setting an example so he wouldn't have to face this kind of thing with each evacuation, but it is beginning to backfire. He sent Livni off to Washington to say, "See, we can keep tearing down the illegal settlements, so make nice with us. What is our reward?"

I personally don't like and don't trust Olmert. We aren't seeing a lot of campaigning because maybe the general public is apathetic. I'm sure it will start soon. It already has in the press. I also am not so sure that Kadima will walk away with so many seats. The more Olmert exposes himself, the more there's a sense of unease. Sharon could get away with not tipping his hand because the public trusted him to put the country first. There's no one in this hustling political scene who even comes close.

As for Hamas, I feel like they are playing musical chairs with us. The longer the music goes on, the less we will know which moves they are making so that we can counter them and so each of our options is eliminated one by one until Hamas is sitting alone with a big green grin and we are on the sidelines wondering how it happened.

But there's a little good news. We've had fabulous rain for 2 whole days. I was up in the Golan yesterday visiting a lonesome army base (with the Friends of the IDF group) and it was coming in torrents. So at least we aren't hearing anymore

about boats carrying Turkish water in plastic containers to our shores. Maybe G-d is taking a little pity on his children.

Lisa, I wish there was something encouraging I could say about your lovely Yishuv staying there forever. But I can't. Maybe once they get E 2 built and at least start the fence around Ma'ale Adumum, there might be a way to snake up your hill with some kind of enclosure. But we have a long way to go before that happens.

Kol Tuv. Shabbat Shalom. Jan Gaines

Dear Jan and Lisa,

Lisa – how could you give up the satellite dish??? You had more stations than we’ve ever had over here. I loved sitting in the midst of your biblical scenery last summer, with the sheep and camels and the 8,000 year old city several barren mountains away, and be able to click on ESPN, then to see stations from all over Europe. It made me realize how Israel, which once upon a time was so isolated, has now become technologically more connected to the rest of the world than we are in America. I always love to tell people that I got better cell reception on top of Masada (and called in from messages in Herod’s palace) than I get here in Stamford.

Aliyah has become a far less isolating option for Americans – like moving to the next neighborhood in the global village.

But, despite their disappointment re. the dish, everyone here says hi – and Ethan thanks you for the birthday wishes.

I can recall that, when Mara and I were in Jerusalem for the year while I was in rabbinical school, I finally got to see the Super Bowl three weeks after it was played, on a videotape smuggled in by a disparate American student at Hebrew U. I actually paid to watch it (talk about desperate) and we had a great time. Now Israelis see the Super Bowl live (albeit in predawn hours), so they could all marvel last week at the accuracy of my prediction (again).

Several TBE families will be milling around the Promised Land over the coming few weeks, so tell Luz to keep a look out for smiling Stamford faces when she hangs out on the Midrachov. There are even about half a dozen from the shul who will be enjoying the lavish Reich hotel as part of the BiCultural 8^th grade trip. Stop by and give them a hug for me.

I have been surprised at the lack of partisan politicking this far as the elections approach, but I think that will change. It’s partly result of the quickly shifting landscape. It’s been too much for a single nation to digest, losing a Prime Minister – an event that still lacks finality, and all the changes in the neighborhood on top of it.

I never felt you were in favor of the security fence – and in fact recalled the special pride you had at being on the “other” side. I was just speaking on behalf of the rest of the family in wishing you were enclosed. Right, Mom?

Jan – happy to hear about the rain, although I’m right now praying for a few sunny days for the Ginsburgs, Greenwalds and others who will be over there. When we were at the Kineret last summer, the water level had gotten so high that a number of trees by the shore were partially submerged! The shoreline had moved out for so long that those trees had grown considerably.

Well, that’s it from the SOG front for this week. Keep us posted!

Love,

Josh

Mitzvah/Tzedakkah Projects

Beth El Cares

Sunday, April 30th 8:30am-1:30pm (before, during and after religious school)

Wanted: 125 adults looking to get involved in a short term project that will save lives.

No lengthy commitment required.

We need at least 125 volunteers to make this blood drive a success.

While the Red Cross provides the “beds” we need to put “arms in the beds”.

We also need volunteers to staff a sign up table during religious school,

make sign up phone calls, assist with registration, assist with information forms,

and generally help during the blood drive.

Don’t forget to sign yourself up to donate-we need 125 donors!

Please call Cheryl Wolff (968-6361) to get involved.

Religious School Book Sale:

One Day Only: Sunday, March 26.

BUY A DIFFERENT HAGGADAH, BUY AFIKOMAN PRESENTS and MORE.

Religious School Mitzvah Projects:

We are pleased to report that Grades K-3 have completed their annual class mitzvah projects.

Depending on the grade, the children gave a Chanukkah concert at Brighton Gardens

assisted living facility or made toiletry kits for the homeless.

During the next few months the upper grades will participate in their class mitzvah projects:

Grade 4- Make pictures to cheer up the sick at Stamford Hospital

Grade 5- Birthday closet

Grade 6- Temple/cemetery spring clean up

Watch for details!  Students in 7^th grade perform individual mitzvah projects

in conjunction with their Bar/Bat Mitzvah!

Please contact us if you have ideas for mitzvah projects

or if you are working on a mitzvah project that you need help with.

Special Thanks:

To all who were involved in our holiday projects.

In prior thank yous we may have left one out:

Again this year Julie (5th) and Todd (8th) Piskin donated all their Halloween candy

to St Lukes Lifeworks for the annual Chirstmas dinner prepared by TBE volunteers.

Cathy Satz (968-9191; csscounsel@yahoo.com)

Cheryl Wolff (968-6361; cwolff@optonline.net)

BETH EL CARES co-chairs

Hatred Unleashed - the Islamic Uproar

It is not with any sense of pride that I share with you a link so that you can see some of the anti-Islamic cartoons that have been the cause of all the rioting and killing throughout the world. Find them at http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/698. There is no question in my mind that they are offensive, just as I am appalled by so many stereotypes that appear in print, especially in cartoons, that are, by nature, well, cartoons, caricatures, superficial representations (and equally often misrepresentations) of reality.

Our world is now too filled with violence (see the Rabid Rabbi, above) to accept such affronts, even in the name of a free press. The press must be free AND RESPONSIBLE, and while I would never question their legal right to publish just about anything, they have a moral obligation not to cry “fire” in a crowded theater by enflaming passions of hate.

The idea of countering this damage with attacks on Jews is also appalling – but I’m not sure which bothers me more – that the Jews (and Holocaust) were singled out for reprisals or that it didn’t surprise anyone and that the world tacitly accepts and expects it.

A word about the Danes, who were, as we know, the only nation to stand up for the Jews during the Holocaust. There is an irony to their being victimized now, and it behooves Jews everywhere to show support for Denmark in whatever way we can.

Now, I invite you to take a tour of the following rogues’ gallery of anti-Semitic cartoons and other propaganda from recent times and from today, much of it from the Arab world. I’m not one for one-upsmanship with victimization, but I do wish that those so offended by the anti Moslem cartoons would check out what’s going on in their own backyards.

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Peace/egtoons.html

http://www.adl.org/egyptian_media/media_2001/Intro.asp

http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/sturmer.htm

http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/brenn1.htm

A much more complete listing of these links can be found at:

http://www.jafi.org.il/education/diaspora/links/LinksByACategory.asp?startcatid=6

bgestempelt http://www.region-oberrhein.de/museen/kpm/jd/doku.htm	Collection of anti-Jewish and anti-Semitic postcards, activity of students (German)
Anti What? http://www.snunit.k12.il/seder/anti/english/	Anti-Israeli or Anti-Jewish? Recent events, personal testimonials, etc.
Anti-Defamation League (ADL) http://www.adl.org/	Fighting anti-Semitism, bigotry and extremism
Antisemitic Caricatures in the Egyptian Media http://www.adl.org/egyptian_media/media_2001/Intro.asp	Anti-Semitic stereotypes continue to be prevalent in cartoons published in the Egyptian Media
Antisemitic Egyptian Cartoons