June 24, 2006 –Sivan
28, 5766
Rabbi Joshua Hammerman,
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“TO
DO” LIST FOR THE SUMMER
·
How about
learning some Hebrew prayers?
Here’s a developing site that will help you do just that: http://www.learnhebrewprayers.com/
- and speak to the cantor if you wish to become part of a synagogue skills
class.
·
Or maybe read
a Jewish book or listen to Jewish podcasts. Some summer reading suggestions are
below
·
Or maybe
learn how to give a d’var Torah.
More info below.
·
And of
course, “to do” is to be here – we are open 365 days a
year. Join us for morning minyan,
Shabbat services or whatever!
HAVE A GREAT SUMMER
Contents
of the Shabbat O Gram:
(Click
to scroll down)
Just
the Facts (service schedule)
Mitzvah/Tzedakkah Opportunities
Required Reading and Action Items (links
to key articles on Israel and Jewish life)
Announcements (goings on in and around
TBE)
Quotes for the Week
“Only
those who see the invisible can do the impossible.”
-
author unknown
JUST THE FACTS
Friday Evening
Candle lighting: 8:11
pm on Friday, 23 June 2006,- Havdalah is at 9:12 pm 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: 6:30 PM – in the
sanctuary (due to predicted storms)
Tot Shabbat: 6:45 – in the chapel. The final one of the season. Tot Shabbat will be
hosted this week by Steve and Cheryl Bader-Goldblum and their children, Evan,
Rachel, and Danny in honor of Danny’s 6th birthday.
For those who can’t
get enough of Tot Shabbat, Nurit conducts Tot Shabbat Morning at 10:30
am every Saturday morning. All are
welcome to attend.
AND SIGN UP NOW TO HOST A
TOT SHABBAT FOR NEXT YEAR!!! Contact Jeff and Heidi Trell at jefft@acmesignco.com or contact our Tot
Shabbat committee contacts:
Jeff and Heidi Trell 203-322-1531
Deb Goldberg: 203-323-3307
Stuart Nekritz: 203-322-0872
Shabbat
Morning: 9:30 AM – Mazal tov to Morgan Temple who will become Bat
Mitzvah this Shabbat morning.
Children’s services: 10:30
Torah Portion: Shelach Lecha Numbers 13:1 - 15:41
1: 14:8-10
2: 14:11-20
3: 14:21-25
4: 14:26-38
5: 14:39-42
6: 14:43-15:3
7: 15:4-7
maf: 15:4-7
Haftarah Joshua 2:1
- 2:24
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
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
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.
Please
sign up at www.tbe.org - Rosner Minyan Maker
We’ve had several people coming lately
who are saying kaddish following recent deaths in the family. We want to make sure we have a minyan
each day. Your presence any morning is greatly appreciated!
A
Midsummer Night’s Dream
British psychologists
evidently consider the 23nd of June to be the
happiest day of the year.
I’m not sure how they
came up with that conclusion, but a plethora of good things happened this week
in the Jewish world, things that one would have considered unthinkable only a
short time ago:
The Israeli Magen David
Adom at long last received legitimacy in the eyes of the international Red
Cross, the Presbyterians reversed their position on divestment and Israel,
surveys in France indicated a sharp rise in support for Israel (on the eve of
the 100th anniversary of the exoneration of Alfred Dreyfus) and a
soccer star from Ghana proudly waved an Israeli flag as his team was advancing
(he’s also on an Israeli professional team). Plus, as you’ll see below, some
great news out of the Zionist congress, which took place this week.
What does all this
mean? I’ll try to figure that
out at services tomorrow, in light of this week’s portion. Meanwhile, maybe its best not to
overanalyze, lest we awaken from this dream. Here’s more about these stories
from the JTA:
Red Cross vote reflects decades of work
The Presbyterian Church declared
suicide bombing and terrorism as crimes against humanity.
The 35th Zionist Congress
The 35th World Zionist Congress took place this week and
ended on a hopeful note (http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/730461.html
also see an earlier report at http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/729848.html). You might recall our campaign for more
Conservative (Mercaz) representation this past fall. If you click on the Election
Results, you’ll find that Marcaz did as well as last time, 33 seats,
well under the Reform (Artza) representation, but still enough to press a
pluralistic agenda featuring human rights for all Israelis and freedom of
religion. The 35th World Zionist Congress came 109 years after Theodore Herzl,
the founder of the modern Zionist movement, gathered about 200 Jewish leaders
from around the world in
Read about the Congress at
In 2004 the previous congress passed the landmark Jerusalem
Program, aimed at revitalizing a Zionist movement that is now over 100 years
old. Here is the plan:
The Jerusalem
Zionism, the national
liberation movement of the Jewish people, brought about the establishment of
the State of Israel, and views a Jewish, Zionist, democratic and secure State
of Israel to be the expression of the common responsibility of the Jewish people
for its continuity and future.
The
foundations of Zionism are:
1. The unity of the
Jewish people, its bond to its historic homeland Eretz Yisrael, and the
centrality of the State of Israel and Jerusalem, its capital, in the life of
the nation;
2. Aliyah from all
countries and the effective integration of all immigrants into Israeli Society.
3. Strengthening Israel
as a Jewish, Zionist and democratic state and shaping it as an exemplary
society with a unique moral and spiritual character, marked by mutual respect
for the multi-faceted Jewish people, rooted in the vision of the prophets,
striving for peace and contributing to the betterment of the world.
4. Ensuring the future
and the distinctiveness of the Jewish people by furthering Jewish, Hebrew and Zionist
education, fostering spiritual and cultural values and teaching Hebrew as the
national language;
5. Nurturing mutual
Jewish responsibility, defending the rights of Jews as individuals and as a
nation, representing the national Zionist interests of the Jewish people, and
struggling against all manifestations of anti-Semitism;
6. Settling the country
as an expression of practical Zionism.
This week’s congress featured an important milestone for
Conservative Judaism. Our movement
joined Kadima and two other groups in coalition for the Congress. This is
not meant to be a political endorsement as such, but a working agreement, which
will enable us to achieve committee positions and working relationships within
the WZO-Jewish Agency structures and enable our movement to influence policy
and decision-making.
There is still a long way to go in achieving equal rights and a
pluralistic perspective. For
instance, the president of
Olmert:
Masorti Movement Represents the Golden Path
June 21, 2006
Yesterday an
agreement was signed between representatives of MERCAZ Olami, the world Masorti
Zionist Movement, and representatives of the "Kadima" party in the
presence of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, the text of which is printed below.
The agreement
gives Jews of the Masorti-Conservative stream in
Rabbi Vernon
Kurtz, President of MERCAZ Olami, said, "We found in the Kadima party an
open door and true support for our social-spiritual approach. We enter
this partnership not only for purposes of the Congress, but see it as a
strategy that will allow us to have an impact on Israeli society as a
whole."
From Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert's letter to members of the United Faction composed of
Kadima, MERCAZ Olami, the Green Zionist Alliance, Pensioners Party and the
Zionist Youth (Hanoar Hatzioni), "The Conservative (Masorti) Movement
exemplifies what Maimonides praised as the 'Golden Way', the middle path of
tradition, which distances itself from all extremes and advances a vision of
unity through tradition, faith and Jewish culture."
Dear Friends,
I apologize that I am
not able to attend this conference with you – delegates of Kadima, Hanoar
HaZioni, the Pensioners Party and the Conservative Movement to the 35th Zionist
Congress. Although I cannot be
there in person, I did not want to give up this opportunity to say a few words
to you, even if they are only in writing.
The united faction of
Kadima, HaNoar HaZioni, the Pensioners Party and the Conservative Movement
restores the unique and primary purpose of the Zionist Movement. The delegates that Herzl assembled at
the First Congress in 1897 represented the unity of the Jewish People and took
action together – secular and religious, Socialists and Liberals, workers
and bourgeoisie, young and old, from all over the Jewish world – in order
to ensure the future of the Jewish people and its return to its historic
homeland.
Our new party
continues this tradition today, unifying four different bodies, each of which
decided on its own, to put aside its political differences and unite around
joint principles.
The Kadima Movement is
the result of political forces in Israel that could not bear the old political
party frame; engulfed in their old fashion doctrine, and came together to
create a unified centre that expresses the beliefs and aspirations of the
majority of Israeli citizens in Israel.
Kadima’s members include former right and left wingers, friends
from the Religious Zionist Party, Israeli born citizens along with new
immigrants, Jews and others from various minorities. These people understood that they have
more in common than that which separates them, that a clear understanding of
reality is better than clinging to obsolete slogans that have no content.
The Pensioners Party
is a result of similar unification of people who knew how to put their
differences aside and unite behind a cross party platform, promoting the elder
and weak populations within Israeli society.
It’s not by
chance that Kadima found it easy to find a common language with the Pensioners
Party, and it was not by chance that they were the first party to join the
coalition that we put together. The
alliance in the Zionist Movement is a natural continuation of this, and I hope
that the parties in the Knesset will follow the representatives of the Zionist
Movement, and form one unified faction.
The Zionist Youth
Movement, being the oldest among the copartners of this new faction despite the
young age of its members, has been doing the very same thing for the past 80
years. It rose against the backdrop
of separations from right and left within the Zionist Movement as a unifying
movement that gives priority to national interests over sectarian interests. It
works within 48 different countries, educating generations of young Jews on the
base of Herzl’s political Zionism and Trumpeldor and Weitzman’s
idea of personal fulfillment.
The fourth partner,
the Conservative Movement represents the middle road that Maimonides speaks so
greatly of, a golden path of tradition that steers away from extremes of all
kinds and prefers the unifying way of tradition, faith and Jewish heritage.
The alliance that we
have built between these four bodies portrays the central stream of Zionism,
the Zionism of Herzl and Weitzman.
A Zionism that incorporates ideals with pragmatism, dreams with reality,
keeping to tradition while understanding the changing reality.
I am convinced that
this alliance of enlightened and moderate voices, dedicated with their heart
and soul to the Zionist cause, will become a major factor in the Zionist
Movement, leading it towards fruitful action for the future of the Jewish
People.
Sincerely,
Ehud
Olmert
Summer Reading and Listening
While you travel or on the beach, here are a couple of fascinating
podcasts to consider (programs to download on your iPod or mp3 player).
http://www.nextbook.org/ (A
gateway to Jewish culture and ideas – especially books)
http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/
(fascinating programs on faith, ethics and ideas)
If reading is your thing, some books I’m planning to take a
close look or have recently read include:
Some books by the new chancellor-elect of the Jewish Theological
Seminary,
The Chosen People in America: A Study in
Jewish Religious Ideology (Modern Jewish Experience) by
Rethinking Modern Judaism : Ritual,
Commandment, Community (Chicago Studies in the History of Judaism)
by
The Jew Within: Self, Family, and Community
in America by Steven M. Cohen and Arnold M. Eisen
The Modern Jewish Girl's Guide to Guilt
by Ruth Andrew Ellenson
Aliya : Three Generations of American-Jewish
Immigration to Israel by Liel Leibovitz
A Code of Jewish Ethics: Volume 1 : You Shall
Be Holy by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin (which was interorduced right here
last winter) – If you would like to host a monthly book group discussion
of this important text at your office or home in the fall, let me know.
Why
Do We Come to the Synagogue?
“What does a person expect to
attain when entering a synagogue?
In the pursuit of learning one goes to a library; for aesthetic
enrichment one goes to the art museum; for pure music to the concert hall. What
then is the purpose of going to the synagogue?
Many are the facilities which help us to
acquire the important worldly virtues, skills and techniques. But where should
one learn about the insights of the spirit? Many are the opportunities for
public speech; where are the occasions for inner silence? It is easy to find
people who will teach us how to be eloquent; but who will teach us to be still?
It is surely important to develop a sense of humor; but is it not also
important to have a sense of reverence? Where should one learn the eternal
wisdom of compassion? The fear of being cruel? The danger of being callous?
Where should one learn that the greatest truth is found in contrition?
Important and precious as is the development of our intellectual faculties, the
cultivation of a sensitive conscience is indispensable. We are all in danger of
sinking into the darkness of vanity; we are all involved in worshiping our own
egos. Where should we become sensitive to the pitfalls of cleverness, or to the
realization that expediency is not the acme of wisdom?
We are constantly in need of self-purification. We are in need of experiencing
moments in which the spiritual is as relevant and as concrete, for example, as
the aesthetic. Everyone has a sense for beauty; everyone is capable of
distinguishing between beautiful and ugly. But we must also learn to be
sensitive to the spirit. It is in the synagogue that we must try to acquire
such inwardness, such sensitivity.
To attain a degree of spiritual security, one cannot rely on one's own
resources, One needs an atmosphere where the concern for the spirit is shared
by a community. We are in need of students and scholars, masters and
specialists. But we also need the company of witness, of human beings who are
engaged in worship, who for a moment sense the truth that life is meaningless
without attachment to G-d.
I grew up in a home of worship where the spiritual was real. There was no
elegance but there was contrition; there was no great wealth but there was
great longing. It was a place where seeing a Jew, I sensed Judaism. Something
happened to the people there when they entered the house of worship. To this
day, every time I go to a synagogue my hope is to experience a taste of such an
atmosphere.
This is why we come to synagogue.”
- Abraham Joshua Heschel
(As quoted on the website of Temple Beth Zion, Brookline, MA)
"Like a multi-screen theater,
Synaplex™ offers a variety of Shabbat
experiences
for our diverse Jewish community."
-- starsynagogue.org
INTRODUCING
OUR NEW LOGO…
Save the date for our Grand Opening:
Oct. 27-28
Featuring
SHABBAT UNPLUGGED,
THE FIRST ANNUAL TBE “ROSNER BOWL” TOUCH FOOTBALL GAME, TBE PET
PALLOOZA, TORAH YOGA, and much more…
And save the following dates as well…
SYNAPLEX at TBE 5767
Friday and Sat., October 27-28 GRAND
OPENING Synaplex Shabbat
(Including Shabbat Unplugged on Friday night)
Friday, December 8 - Synaplex Shabbat
(theme of diversity, Sephardic dinner, December Dilemma)
Friday and Sat. January 19 and 20 - Synaplex Shabbat/Shabbat
Unplugged
Scholar in Residence Dr. Benjamin Gampel
Fri and Sat. February 9 and 10 - Synaplex Shabbat
Scholar in Residence, Rabbi Burt Visotzky
Havdalah Unplugged
Friday March 9 - Synaplex Shabbat, Shabbat Unplugged,
Shabbat, April 7 – Beth El Cares Synaplex Shabbat -
Passover
Friday and Sat. May 4 and 5 - Synaplex Shabbat/Shabbat Across
Shabbat Unplugged
Shabbat, June 23 -Synaplex Shabbat, adult b’nai mitzvah
Download a volunteer form at
http://www.tbe.org/site/sog/SynaplexVolunteerPackage.htm
Fill it out and send it back – and join the dozens who
have already stepped forward!
And for more general information about Synaplex,
go to www.starsynagogue.org
Mitzvah/Tzedakkah
Opportunties
Beth El Cares
Cathy Satz (968-9191; csscounsel@yahoo.com)Cheryl Wolff (968-6361; cwolff@optonline.net)BETH EL CARES co-chairs
From the family of Joan Rosenthal,
this request:
Live-in companion/housekeeper for
self sufficient
Call Allan at 631 499-8827 or e-mail
allangoldstein@optonline.net
FROM JACKIE SCHECHTER, BAT MITZVAH
STUDENT
Dear Temple Beth-El families,
My name is Jackie Schechter, and I'm
in 7th grade. In preparation for my upcoming Bat Mitzvah, I have decided
to run a Jewish book drive to supply newly founded Jewish libraries in
- Jackie
Robert Grossman, the new Executive Director of WFHA (
In August he will move his family from
Perhaps someone in the TBE congregation knows of an available
accommodation.
Robert can be reached by email: Robert Grossman robert.grossman@wfha.org
HELP ME HELP OTHERS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY WHO NEED OUR ASSISTANCE BY DONATING TO PERSON TO PERSON. Person to Person located in Darien , Connecticut such as clothing for babies, kids and adults.They are looking for donations for only Spring and Summer items.Needy families in emergency situations will go to Person to Person for assistance.Person to Person services the Stamford , Norwalk and Darien You may donate clothing, food (canned items) and only brand new unopened toys. We will be bringing a large donation of items on the first of every month.Please help me with any donations that you would like to make.I would greatly appreciate it.I am hoping you can help me with this for my Mitzvah Projectbecause it is important for us to help others who may need it. This is how you can help:Please bring your donation to my house, 116 Wedgemere Road or e-mail coopbry@aol.com to make arrangements for us to pick it up.We will do this during June, July and August. Thank you so much for helping the needy. Eric Cooper 968-9591 The Annulli family will be staying at an ulpan in
Netanya for a few weeks this summer
and would
like someone to house and dog sit from July 22 through August 24 or 25.
Please call Richard or Melanie at
203-569-7562 or email mrdrannulli2@yahoo.com.
How Do I Write a D’var Torah?
As
rabbis always do, I will be away for several Shabbatot over the summer,
vacating the pulpit to recharge internal spiritual batteries. During that time, each summer we are
privileged to hear from congregants and others who opine on the portion of the
week. While I’ve already
gotten people to “cover” for most of those Shabbats, I’d like
to offer you the chance to participate.
If you would like to do a D’var Torah (literally, a “word of
Torah”) this summer, let me know and I’ll help you develop it. If
you would like to try your luck (even on weeks when I AM here,) let me know at rabbi@tbe.org
Meanwhile,
to get started, http://www.myjewishlearning.com/daily_life/TorahStudy/Dvar_Torah/7_Approaches_DT.htm,
where you’ll find an essay by the late and loved Rabbi Richard Israel, Seven
Approaches to a D'var Torah.
Here is an excerpt:
Your d'var
Torah will almost inevitably fall into some rather specific categories or combinations
of a couple of them.
The
Microscope
From
close up you look at very small fragments of a text in great detail and hope
that as you magnify the specks you will discover whole worlds within them. You
have to be sure to pick up your specks with care, but you will know that you
have some nice ones if the commentators are as interested in them as you are.
If they aren't, chances are you should forget it, too.
Example:
Take the first word of Genesis
or, better yet, the first word of Leviticus
(which you'll need more because the story line is not as interesting), and
describe how a series of biblical commentators have treated that word, what
problem it represented for them, and what generalizations can be made about
their resolutions.
The
Airplane
Observe
the text from a distance, survey the panorama, take note of interesting
details, and then as you descend make observations on why the trip was worthwhile
in the first place and how to appropriate what you have just observed for your
more earthbound existence. The Airplane is especially suitable for those Torah
readings that deal with ritual details at great length.
Example:
After describing the architecture of the Mishkan [the Tabernacle that served as
the Israelite's place of worship during their wandering in the wilderness] and
its role in the lives of people, you might want to discuss the role of minutiae
in the building of a religious life. As the French say, God is to be found in
the details.
Or:
A discussion of the Mishkan often suggests an evaluation of the difference
between a Judaism that is fixed in one place, Jerusalem and the Temple, and the
portable Judaism of the Mishkan that can be carried about wherever we go.
The
Diving Board
This
one begins with an idea from the text, takes a big jump, and carries it into
another issue of greater interest to you.
Example:
If the text deals with the furniture of the Mishkan, you can talk about the
history of the artifacts used in the synagogue. Or if the text
devotes a lot of attention to the dress of the priest, you can discuss Jewish
traditions about dress and articles of clothing, the significance of the tallit [prayer shawl],
the kippah [yarmulke], the
special hats Jews were required to wear in the Middle Ages, or the self-imposed
restrictions that Jewish communities once placed on fancy clothing.
If
the text contains long lists of names, you can present a history of the origins
of some characteristic Jewish names, including the names of some of the people
who will be present when you speak.
If
you are new at giving divrei Torah, the thematic approaches represented
by the Airplane and the Diving Board may be the easiest for you to handle.
Unless you are basing yourself on a traditional commentator, stay away from
forms like Microscope or Puzzle (see below) until you know enough Hebrew to be
able to distinguish between a real nuance in the text and a mere idiosyncrasy
of translation.
The
Snuff Box
This
is a less respectable version of the Diving Board. A visiting maggid, or preacher,
used to go from one community to the next. Just before he began his only sermon, his snuff box
would drop out of sight. "Where is it?" he would ask loudly. "It
has vanished, swallowed up the way the earth swallowed up Korah and his company
... which reminds me of an important thought about Korah."
Inventing
a non-existent relationship between the text and a talk you would like to give
is a technique generated by desperation. If you have just looked at the parashah (the weekly
Torah reading) for the first time the morning you have to speak and you have
discovered that there isn't even any good commentary on the text, then you are
in deep trouble and may have to bail yourself out. But even then, the Snuff Box
approach is definitely shabby. When you are finished speaking, your listeners
have the right to expect that they will know at least some small new thing
about the Torah they didn't know before. The Snuff Box rarely provides that.
You may be sufficiently stuck that you have no alternative, but this is not a
method of which you should be particularly proud.
Occasionally
you will have an idea that can legitimately be attached to a number of texts.
If, for example, you want to talk about the significance of miracles and have a
talk in mind, you can probably hang it on several parashot (plural of
parashah) where miracles are found. Such a d'var Torah should not be
considered a Snuff Box.
The
Biblical Personality
Dealing
with the narrative portions of the Torah, it is possible to analyze the
characters of biblical figures and the events of their lives in ways that will
shed some light on our own. Some of the standard subjects in this category
include Jacob and Esau
or Joseph and his brothers and the problems of sibling rivalry and preferred
children, or Sarah and Hagar and the jealous wife. Louis Ginzberg's Legends
of the Jews can often be of great assistance in supplementing your sense of
a biblical character. Originally published in six volumes, it is also condensed
into one thick paperback [called Legends of the Bible]. A Certain
People of the Book by Maurice Samuel can also be helpful in this area.
Peace Seeds
As we scatter throughout the world this summer, touching people of
all backgrounds and beliefs, we realize just how small and “flat”
the world has become. Here are some
prayers for peace from various traditions to ponder – courtesy of The Peace Abbey in Sherborne
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Let’s
begin with GOOD NEWS from
From http://www.jewlicious.com/
(Jewlicious is a very funky site)
based on the NT Times article from this week
Welcome to Temple Beth Wal-Mart!
Posted on
06.20.06 by ck @ 1:16 pm
In
The
synagogue is officially non-denominational, but their Rabbi who comes in once a
month is Conservative and the congregation allows photography (without flash)
during sabbath services. This little blip of a Jewish community has members who
have opened a Jewish (not kosher) deli (serving knishes and latkes, pronounced
“LOT-kuz” if you’re a sheigetz), and have engaged their
neighboursin interfaith dialogue.
So far, no
one’s been lynched, so it’s looking good! Read all about it in The New York Times.
How Jewish is camp?
(JTA) Sociologist Leonard Saxe, co-author of
“How Goodly Are Thy Tents: Summer Camps as Jewish Socializing
Experiences,” said the perception among Jews of camping as a Jewish
endeavor may have more to do with socioeconomic considerations than anything
inherent in Judaism or Jewish culture.
“It wasn’t part of the instructions at Sinai or part of the
genetic material,” he said. “My guess is that Jews are
disproportionately professional and that Jewish women — disproportionate
to women across the board — have professional jobs. That both gives them
more resources and creates a need for them to have some sort of full-time
activity for their kids over the summer.”
now for the rest
( from Jerusalem
Center for Public Affairs and
other sources)
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3263257,00.html –
100 years after the exoneration of Alfred Dreyfus – it’s meaning
for French Jewry
Olmert, Abbas
Meet in Jordan - Ronny Sofer
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met Thursday in Petra, Jordan, with PA Chairman Mahmoud
Abbas and Jordan's King Abdullah. The three decided to promote the
establishment of a free trade zone in the
Abbas said Wednesday in
Palestinian
Rocket Fire Continues
Two Kassam rockets launched by Palestinians in
Navy Stops
Gaza Weapons Smugglers - Hanan Greenberg
The Israeli Navy on Thursday fired at two Palestinians who were trying to
smuggle weapons by swimming from
Global Commentary and
Think-Tank Analysis (Best of
Confronting the New
Nasser in Iran - Jonathan Paris
Whether or not Ahmadinejad holds ultimate power within
Has America
Abandoned the Cause of Democracy in the Middle East? - David Schenker
U.S. pursuit of stability in the Middle East over the course of many
generations did not improve American security but rather accomplished the
opposite: By supporting repressive regimes, we merely strengthened radical
Islam. Moreover, the Hamas victory does not highlight the danger of democracy
so much as the danger of an excessive focus on elections as a substitute for
real democratic development - including the principles of rule of law, balance
of powers, and accountability. Democratic development is an arduous and
time-consuming process, and progress will not be linear. The administration's
commitment to the democracy project was the right decision five years ago and
remains so today. The writer is a senior fellow in Arab politics at the
Washington Institute for Near East Policy. (New Republic)
America and Islam: Collision
Inevitable? - Youssef Ibrahim
Muslims need to re-evaluate where religious practice ends and tyranny practiced
in the name of Islam begins. While Islam may appear a tolerant religion, that
tolerance is highly conditional on the submission of others to Muslims' collective
will. Virtually all Muslims, including self-described moderates and liberals,
believe that Islam was God's final monotheist revelation. As such it
supersedes, indeed cancels out, all previous revelations. It follows, then,
that those who belong to any other faith are in need of conversion.
Islam as practiced today in virtually all Muslim countries does
not fashion itself merely as a spiritual value, but as a conquering force with
a need to dominate. This orientation, relayed to the faithful by texts and
preachers, has led to Islamic regimes such as
Thinking
the Unthinkable - Amnon Rubinstein (
- There appears to be no sign that
international pressure, including a resolution passed by the UN Security
Council, will succeed in preventing the nuclearization of
- Could mutual deterrence of the type
that saved the world during the Cold War protect
- The fact is Ahmadinejad is not afraid
to threaten
- Our government's rhetoric is that the
response must come from the international community because a nuclear
- So what can
- The arming of Arab states and Islamists
with nuclear weapons is just a matter of time. The absence of passive
defense will only increase the Iranian appetite to carry out an attack.
- Second, we must take advantage of our
status in the current administration in
- This article discusses the unthinkable.
But the history of the 20th century, especially that of the Jewish people,
has proved to us that the unthinkable can happen when hate-filled
dictators have the means to carry it out.
The writer is president of the
FBI Helped Israel Track
Palestinian Terror Cells - Shmuel Rosner (Ha'aretz)
During 2003 and 2004, the FBI passed information on Western Union
money transfers to Israel to help track down Palestinian terror cells in the
West Bank, according to a new book about America's war on terror by Ron
Suskind.
In April 2003, an Islamic Jihad activist went to a Western Union
office in
This method was used successfully many times until Palestinians
realized that their
Intelligence cooperation between the
Suskind quotes President Bush as saying during his first National
Security Council meeting that the
To then Secretary of State Colin Powell's argument that such
behavior could be interpreted by
Palestinian
Rocket Fire Continues - Shmulik Hadad
Palestinians in Gaza fired three Kassam rockets Friday morning at Israel,
causing no injuries or damage. On Thursday afternoon, a rocket damaged some
greenhouses. (Ynet News)
Justice
Minister: "Firing Rockets on Israel and Trying to Intentionally Kill
Civilians Is a War Crime" - Ronny Sofer
Israeli Justice Minister Haim Ramon said in an interview with Ynet Thursday,
"Firing 40 Kassam rockets a day on Sderot and trying to intentionally kill
civilians is a war crime." "Regretfully, in the war on terror there
are some innocent people killed unintentionally," he added. These
incidents "can be easily avoided if Israel ceases to be a target of daily
terror emanating from the Gaza Strip; and this is taking place after Israel
withdrew from the entire Strip and evacuated 8,000 Israelis from the
area." (Ynet News)
Global Commentary and
Think-Tank Analysis (Best of
Palestinian Rocket Fire on
Convergence to Combat
Lines - Ze'ev Schiff
It is possible that
With a new unilateral convergence,
Once the withdrawal lines turn into new combat lines, it will
only be a matter of time until the IDF moves into the towns and cities of the
Coordinate the
Realignment - Ami Ayalon
The message the prime minister has received during his trips abroad obligate
Residents Living within
Rocket Range Are Facing an Existential Dilemma - Daniel Ben Simon
Dan Ulman, a veteran of Kibbutz Gevim adjacent to Sderot, is a former disciple
of restraint who recently has gone over to the other camp. The change occurred
last month, a few moments after a Kassam rocket landed on the veranda of his
home. (Ha'aretz)
Formulating
Realignment While Sderot Reels - Herb Keinon
Tory leader David Cameron asked Prime Minister Olmert in London last week a
question that - in light of everything happening in Sderot and Gaza - is heavy
on the minds of many Israelis: How will Israel be able to prevent similar
Kassam attacks from the West Bank after realignment? The realignment plan is
still very much a work in progress - intensive staff work on the plan hasn't
even begun - and the plan's final form could very well be impacted by how
things go now in the southern city of
Olmert's advisers argue that security is not the only measure of
success. They say that the future realignment needs to be judged by different
parameters: whether it will improve Israel's demographic situation; whether it
furthers the vision of a two-state solution; whether it improve Israel's
international standing; whether it improve Israel's strategic relationship with
the U.S.; whether it reduces friction and helps Israel separate from the
Palestinians. (
Europe, Palestine, and Peace -
Daniel Schwammenthal
Israeli Prime Minister Olmert wasn't greeted with church bells and parades when
he came last week to sell Europe on his plan. He got the cold shoulder. Now why
would
At the end of that war, the West Bank and
By getting this history wrong, the EU implies that the complete
withdrawal to the 1967 lines would return the region to some previous state of
order. Acknowledging that there never were any borders to begin with would make
the insistence on the complete withdrawal to arbitrary battle lines appear less
than objective. The author is an editorial writer at the Wall Street
Journal
The
Implications of Zarqawi's Death - Ely Karmon
In a statement faxed to Reuters after Al-Qaeda in
The regional and global al-Qaeda associates face a challenging
situation. Possible directions for al-Qaeda could be to concentrate the main
effort on two arenas:
See also Zarqawi's
Successor: Abu Hamza al-Muhajir
On June 13, 2006, a number of Islamist websites posted the first communique of
Zarqawi's successor, who uses the name Abu Hamza al-Muhajir. Abu Hamza promises
the Islamic nation that the decisive stage has arrived and that the jihad
fighters' victory is assured. He threatens to slit the throats of Sunnis who
cooperate with the Iraqi government and with the Americans, and says he will
continue fighting the government, which is comprised mainly of Shi'ites, until
the Sunnis get the upper hand. Abu Hamza also assures the West that Zarqawi's
death will not stop the jihad fighters. (MEMRI)
The Extremist Is Never Alone -
Fouad Ajami (OUR HAROLD HOFFMAN MEMORIAL LECTURER NEXT FALL)
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's tribe in
The extremist is never alone; the terrorist on the fringe of
political life always works with the winks and nods of the society that gives
him cover. The Jordanians are now eager to claim that they were helpful in the
hunt for Zarqawi, that their intelligence had found its way to the Sunni Arab
tribes of western and central
Khobar Towers - Louis J. Freeh
Ten years ago this Sunday, acting under direct orders from senior Iranian
government leaders, the Saudi Hizballah detonated a 25,000-pound TNT bomb that
killed 19
The aftermath of the Khobar bombing is just one example of how
successive
Failure and
Longevity: The Dominant Political Order of the Middle East - Jonathan Spyer
The
An Eye for an Eye -
Yoel Marcus (Ha'aretz)
- Why should Sderot have to play the role
of a second Massada? Is it a military post or something? Is it an illegal
settlement outpost? Is it in occupied territory?
- The moment the Israel Defense Forces
evacuated Gaza and its Jewish settlements, in which a third generation of
settlers lived, and handed the territory over to the Palestinians, the
firing of Kassams should have stopped immediately.
- The expectations that the Palestinians
would rapidly construct multi-story buildings in the evacuated territories
to house refugees and create an atmosphere of progress were disappointed.
Instead, the liberated territories turned into a firing base. The
increased bombardment of Israeli territory is the last thing that Israeli
peace-seekers expected.
- There is no political logic to the
Kassam fire; it has one sole aim: to kill Israeli civilians because they
are Israelis. Only a miracle from heaven and technical flaws in the
rockets have prevented mass slaughter in Sderot.
- The very fact that a town in sovereign
Israeli territory lives in fear every day is intolerable. It is the government's
obligation to protect its citizens.
From the
Friday, July 16, 2006
Conclusions in the
Preface
- On June 9th seven
members of a Ghalia family were killed following an explosion, while
picnicking on a beach in
- Palestinian
spokesmen hurried to blame
- The press adopted
the Palestinian version. Reports stated that the explosion was due to
shelling from Israeli forces.
- e.g. " Palestinians
killed on
- Israel responded by
offering medical assistance to the wounded, two of whom are being treated
at Soroka Hospital in Be'er Sheva.
- As part of its
policy
- Paletsinian
authorities refused to cooperate with the investigation.
- A commission of
inquiry was launched, led by Major-General Meir Kalifi, head of the IDF
Training and Doctrine department. The investigation was concluded by Tuesday
evening, June 13.
- The investigation's
conclusions were based on analysis of a variety of sources including:
video taken from the sea, air and ground, radar of the artillery post,
various units' operational logs, video and material that was broadcasted in
the media, shrapnel removed from the wounded, as well as intelligence
sources.
- The investigation
concluded that the tragedy was not
caused by any ordnance used by the IDF that day.
Background
- Qassam attacks on Israel
- Qassam attacks
during 2004 killed Mordechai Yosopov - 49 years old, Afik Zahavi - four
years old, Dorit Aniso - two years old and Yuval Abebeh - four years old.
At least nine others - including Afik's mother - were wounded when Qassam
rockets landed on Sderot.
- The Palestinian
Authority did not act in order to stop the rocket attacks.
- In August 2005
- Following the
disengagement, Qassam launches increased significantly.
- In the past few days
about 100 rockets were launched towards Israeli cities, of which 40% (40
Kassam rockets) were launched From Friday, June 9, to Sunday morning, June
11, seriously wounding a citizen and hitting schools, factories cars and
homes.
- The lives and
security of Israeli citizens can not be compromised. Israel will continue,
as any country in the world would, to act in order to restore the security
to its citizens and to combat terror.
IDF code of conduct
- In 1992, the IDF
drafted the Code ofConduct that is a combination of international law,
israeli law, Jewish heritage and the IDF's own traditional ethical code.
- The IDF does not use
artillery in populated areas.
- Artillery is used
only in open areas used for Quassam launches.
- A safe boundary of
hundreds of yards seperates populated areas from open areas where IDF
artillery is used.
- People living in
these areas are constantly warned not to move around the open areas from
which Qassam launches are conducted.
Findings
- No IDF aerial
shooting was conducted at that time.
- No IDF naval
shooting was conducted at that time.
- The IDF fired six
shells towards the
- Shrapnel removed
from two of the wounded Palestinians evacuated to Israeli hospitals was
not from Israeli-made ordinance.
Conclusions
- The family was not hit by Israeli shooting. Not
from the sea, not from air and not from ground artillery.
- The investigation
was as yet unable to determine what indeed caused the explosion, and
suggested that the deaths were caused by either explosive booby-trap laid
by the terrorists for use against Israeli troops landing from the sea, or
exploded ordnance left on the beach which somehow detonated when the
family was nearby.
- It should be noted
that terrorists declared their intention to make it hard for the navy seal
to perfom operations and land on Palestinian shore.
- Like governments
worldwide, the government of
MYTH #223
"The
Palestinians were willing to negotiate a settlement after the Six-Day
War."
FACT
The Arab
League created the Palestine
Liberation Organization (PLO) in Cairo in 1964 as a weapon against Israel.
Until the Six-Day
War, the PLO engaged in terrorist
attacks that contributed to the momentum toward conflict. Neither the PLO
nor any other Palestinian groups campaigned for Jordan
or Egypt
to create an independent Palestinian state in the West
Bank and Gaza.
The focus of Palestinian activism was on the destruction of
After the Arab states were defeated in 1967,
the Palestinians did not alter their basic objective. With one million Arabs
coming under Israeli rule, some Palestinians believed the prospect for waging a
popular war of liberation had grown. Toward that end, Yasser
Arafat instigated a campaign of terror from the
Israeli security forces gradually became
more effective in thwarting terrorist plans inside
This article can be found at http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/myths2/WarofAttrition.html#g1
Source: REVISED
Myths & Facts Online -- A Guide to the Arab-Israeli Conflict by
Mitchell G. Bard.
To order a copy of the NEW paperback edition
of Myths and Facts, click HERE.
The previous edition of Myths & Facts is also available in Spanish, German,
French, Russian, Portuguese, Swedish, and Hebrew.
Registration materials
are now available for the 2006-2007 TBE Religious School
Find out about our
special offers for prospective members to sample a “taste of TBE.”
Contact the temple office
at 322-6901.
Stamford
JCC 2006 JCC Maccabi Games
Volunteer
Job Descriptions
To volunteer on line: www.stamfordmaccabi.org
Or call/email:
Ellen Gordon
Maccabi Group Volunteer Coordinator
968-8029 esgordon@optonline.net
Registration Volunteers (Pre-Games)
- Create & assemble credentials
- Assist with matching athletes with host
families
Clerical Volunteers (Pre-Games
& all week)
- Compile information packets & goody bags
& distribute
- Date entry & score recording
- Manage Lost & Found
Arrival Volunteers (Friday, August
11 and Sunday, August 13)
- Greet delegations at airport and JCC / Hub
- Lead delegations through pictures, goody bag
pick up & meeting host families
- Security Assistants
Hospitality Volunteers
- Staff Hospitality Table
- Create a warm, inviting atmosphere for all
visiting families
- Ensure visitors have information about JCC
Maccabi Games & the city of Stamford
Opening Ceremonies Volunteers
(Sunday, August 13)
- Ushers
- Backstage Assistants
- Production Assistants
- Credential Checkers
- Security Assistants
Transportation Volunteers (All
week, days & evenings)
- Help coordinate athletes & buses at each
venue
- Ensure all luggage & equipment gets to
appropriate locations
- Supervise athletes on buses between venues
General Hub Volunteers (All week,
days & evenings)
- Assist with signage & decorations
- Run errands as needed
Medical Room/Tent (All week, days
& evenings)
- Medical professionals to staff medical
room/tent in case of injury or illness
Athletic Events Volunteers
- Assist with check-in of athletes
- Check for spectator passes among all spectators
- Ensure all necessary equipment is available
prior to & during the games
- Assist wit scorekeeping of event
- Collect & store equipment & ensure
venue is clean at end of day
- Check credentials at main entrance/direct &
assist spectators
- Serve as a runner or messenger
- Events (Volunteers)
1.
Golf
2.
Dance
3.
Tennis
4.
Table Tennis
5.
Star Reporter
6.
Bowling
7.
Swimming
8.
Basketball Boys
9.
Basketball Girls
10. Baseball Boys
11. Soccer Boys
12. Soccer Girls
13. Volleyball Girls
Hang Time Volunteers (All week
– days)
- Assist JCCA Schlichim with activities for
athletes who visit Hang Time
- Monitor & supervise athletes to ensure
safety
Food Service Volunteers (Mon
– Thurs, 9:30 am – 2:30 pm, Tues – Thurs 4 pm – 7 pm /
approximately)
- Set up and serve lunch & dinner
- Ensure orderly & respectful behavior
- Credential Checker
Day of Caring and Sharing (DOCAS)
Volunteers (Pre-Games & all week)
- Assist with projects & articulate values of
DOCAS
Evening Events Volunteers
- Set up
- Greeting and Credential checking
- Security
- Refreshments
- Departure
VIP Reception Volunteers
- Food Service
- Floor Assistants
Departure Volunteers (Thursday
evening, August 17 & Friday morning, August 18)
- Assistant delegations with luggage
- Direct delegations to appropriate transportation
Sisterhood Members Needed for the
The Sisterhood of
at the 2006 Maccabi Games August
13-18th.
Were trying to assemble a team to
set up and serve a meal during the
games. No cooking required!
Please email esgordon@optonline.net
or call Ellen Gordon at 968-8029 to
get on the Sisterhood Team! Let me know what day(s) youre available
and
well all have fun working together
to make the
proud!
If you’re not available for a
group effort and would like to volunteer
individually, please contact me for
specific jobs/availability.
Thank you and I look forward to
hearing from you.
Ellen Gordon
Sisterhood President
Recent Kosher Updates at New Shop Rite :
Shop Rite Opens New Kosher Fresh Fish Dept. and Kosher
Bakery
The new Shop Rite on
Freddie Fish, who manages the dept., looks forward to
serving all of the community's kosher customers. The dept. features a wide
variety of kosher fish, including: Tilapia, Tuna, Salmon, Trout, Halibut, Sea
Bass, Flounder, Snapper, Cod, etc.
Be sure to ask Freddie F. for any special orders (if
you don't see it - please ask).
A few feet from the fish department, the store's bakery
has recently been transformed to allow for kosher DAIRY ONLY - cakes and other
sweet goods. Made to order cakes are available. Please check signs around the
bakery for kosher items.
Kosher Fresh Fish Dept. & Kosher Dairy Bakery are
under the Rabbinical Supervision of the Vaad HaKashrus of Fairfield
County, of which local Stamford Rabbi's Ira Ebbin and Daniel Cohen serve as
officers.
"Breads and rolls at the bakery are currently NOT
under Rabbinical Supervision"
- Check Signs At The Bakery Dept. -
REMINDER -
Making a weekend BBQ ? - order your selected fresh meats / chicken from
John or Tab in the back of the store ( please, give them a few days notice.)
-
Kosher Dairy Dept. now features both Givat and
Yisroel yogurt. Along with a variety of Mausone dressings. Plus a variety of
Muenster, Goat, Havarti and American (brick package) kosher cheese.
-
By popular demand - Sally Sherman brand economical (3 lb.) size tuna and
egg salad is once again, back on the shelves, at both the meat case and
kosher deli case (across from bakery dept.)
Thinking of making a Job Change
or looking for a new Job?
These two workshops will get you thinking about how to make your next
move.
6/14 & 6/28 - 7.30-9.30pm, TBE, Library (entrance on the Office
level)
6/14: How to develop momentum in your job search~ Job
Searching the
6/28 : Beat the odds: How to make the Internet Job Search
work for you
Please confirm with Donna Sweidan if you are interested. She will be
making handouts and will need to know how many to prepare.
Donna@careerfolk.com or 203.613 1049
Donna Sweidan, a career
coach and counselor in Stamford and TBE member, has facilitated numerous
“Job Search Strategy groups” in her work as a career counselor.
Before starting her own business, Careerfolk, she was the Founding Director of
Career Services at The
She is graciously offering these
valuable workshops to her TBE family free of charge.
Sisterhood Cookbook
First Ever!
Available September 2006.
Delicious Recipes! Kosher! Family
Favorites!
Order your copies in advance ($18
per book)
Call Beth Silver 967-8852
Two
inhabitants of Chelm, Berl and Schmerl, buy in the city a jug of genever and
decide to sell it exclusively for cash. On the road, going home, Schmerl gets
thirsty and says: "I wouldn't mind to have a little genever. I'll pay of
course, here is a nickel." Berl agrees. A little while later, he also is
thirsty. He pays a nickel and drinks. It is a hot day, both are thirsty and the
nickel switches owners frequently. When they arrive in Chelm at night, the jug
is empty.
"How was business?" asks a bystander.
"Wonderful!" they both assure him, "Everything sold in one day,
and paid for in cash!"
Previous Shabbat-O-Grams can be accessed directly from our web site
(www.tbe.org)
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