July 28, 2006 – Av 4, 5766

Rabbi Joshua Hammerman, Temple Beth El, Stamford, Connecticut

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Obviously, Israel is our prime focus in this week’s special midsummer issue of the Shabbat-o-gram. We also have tisha b’av coming up next – a fast day that always seems to be disturbingly timely. Even those who don’t normally observe this little-known holy day might want to join us this Wednesday at 8 – and might also want to consider fasting – as we pray for Israel, past and present.

I also was happy to welcome this week our new educator, eran Vaisben, who began work officially on monday. Eran has just returned from the kulanu teen tour of Israel, where he (along with don adelman and others) did an amazing job of holding things together, so that the trip went off without a hitch, even during a time of crisis. I saw the teens this week as well – their recollections were inspiring.

Eran has asked me to share with you that we are looking for energetic and experienced applicants to join a quality teaching team at our innovative school.
Three positions are available:
• Teachers for Sundays 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
• 6th grade Hebrew/Judaic teacher for Sundays 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. and Tues/Thurs
4-6 p.m.
• A creative and qualified Saturday Jr. Congregation Leader 10:30a.m. - 12p.m.
If interested, or if you know someone who is, please send eran an email to eddir@tbe.org

Also, we are looking for parents who would like to help to keep our youth groups as active and thriving as they have become. It is very important that parents step up now to help. Please contact me at rabbi@tbe.org if you are interested.

Tisha B’Av Services

including the reading of Lamentations, traditional dirges,

viewing slides of ancient ruins of Jerusalem –

(and reflecting on the images of destruction of the current conflict)

will be held here on Wed. August 2 at 8:00 PM.

We’ll be once again sharing the experience with

Temple Shalom of Greenwich

PLEASE BRING FLASHLIGHTS!

Dress is casual (ashes and sackcloth are not required)

Also, if you wish to share a brief first-person account from the attacks on Israel, one that has moved you, feel free to bring it.

Joint Statement of the Leadership Council of Conservative Judaism

Recent terrorist violence in Israel and Israel’s consequent imperative need to defend its citizens, its existence, and its right to live in peace have attracted the attention of much of the news media and the world. From its inception, Conservative Judaism has emphasized the peoplehood of the Jewish People as a core principle of our belief and commitment. Grounded in this conviction, Conservative Judaism continues to support the right of our Jewish People to national self-expression in our ancestral homeland.

Israel, taking action rare among the nations of the world, willingly moved its troops out of Lebanon despite a history of using that territory to launch attacks upon it, and Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza to allow the Palestinian people the opportunity to realize their own national self-expression and to rise to the responsibility of living in peace. Tragically, the response from both borders has been unprovoked attacks, as Israel’s borders have been violated from Lebanon and from Gaza and innocent hostages seized. Iranian and Syrian sponsored Hezbollah has used Israel’s good will to launch hundreds of missiles on Israel’s cities, villages, and farms. This deliberate assault on civilians violates every international standard of legal warfare, as does Israel’s enemies’ insistence on placing their bomb labs, military supplies and centers amidst Lebanese and Palestinian civilians, putting them at great risk.

With Lebanon’s refusal (or inability) to prevent violence initiated from its own territory, and with the Palestinian Authority’s refusal (or inability) to prevent attacks launched from its own territory, Israel has been forced to assume responsibility for the safety of all its people – Jewish, Christian, and Muslim.

The Leadership Council of Conservative Judaism stands with Israel in its right to live in peace, its insistence on protecting its civilians, and on its pursuit of peace with its neighbors.

• We affirm and celebrate Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish, democratic state in the national homeland of the Jewish people.
• We insist on the right of every Israeli to live in peace. We affirm that same right for every civilian in the Middle East.
• We stand with the State of Israel and its citizens during this difficult and dangerous time. Our prayers for strength, well-being and peace go out to them. We pray that those in captivity be returned home soon; that those harmed will have their pain alleviated and that all in anguish be granted strength and courage.
• We extend our love, care and support to our Masorti/Conservative communities, those in the north who have suffered and those who have provided homes and help to the displaced.
• We deplore Hezbollah’s recourse to intentional assaults against civilians and its deliberate kidnapping of Israelis within Israel’s territory.
• We deplore the morally- bankrupt equivalency that falsely equates the deliberate targeting of Israel’s population centers and its consequent murders with the tragic collateral loss of civilian life necessitated by Hezbollah’s criminal practice of putting innocent people in harm’s way by locating their weapon caches and missile manufacturing in the very center of residential areas.
• We salute the Government of the United States, both the Executive and Legislative branches, for its stalwart support of its democratic ally and of Israel’s need to defend itself against terror and violence.
• We express appreciation to those nations and international organizations that have recognized Israel’s need to defend its people and have condemned Hezbollah and Hamas’s criminal violence.
• We salute the students of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, the Jewish Theological Seminary, the Seminario Rabbinico, and the Schechter Rabbinical School who affirm their love of Zion and the unity of the Jewish people by continuing their studies in Jerusalem.
• We salute the more than 800 teenagers of our movement participating on our Ramah and USY summer programs in Israel and their parents who are continuing their activities in Israel affirming their commitment and caring for the people of Israel.
• We reach out to all men and women of good will, eager to see a peace in the Middle East that extends to all its inhabitants, Jewish, Muslim, and Christian, to insist on an end to terrorism, and to advance the right of Israel and Palestine to secure and recognized boundaries.

The Leadership Council of Conservative Judaism

Cantors Assembly
Hazzan Steven S. Stoehr, President

Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs
Dr. Robert Braitman, President

Jewish Educators Association
Lonna Picker, President

Jewish Theological Seminary
Prof. Arnold Eisen, Chancellor

Masorti Foundation
Gloria Bieler, Earl Greinetz, Co-chairs, Board of Directors

Masorti Olami
Alan H. Silberman, President

MERCAZ
Rabbi Vernon Kurtz, President

NAASE
Glenn Easton, President

Rabbinical Assembly
Rabbi Alvin Berkun, President

National Ramah Commission
Morton Steinberg, President

Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies
Rabbi David Golinkin, President

Solomon Schechter Day School Association
Andrew Cohen, President
United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
Dr. Raymond B. Goldstein, President

Women’s League for Conservative Judaism
Gloria Cohen, President

Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies
Rabbi Bradley Artson, Dean

BE WITH ISRAEL, IN ISRAEL

From the W.Z.O and the American Zionist Movement

A Mega-mission endorsed by the Conservative movement as well

August 7 - 9, 2006 Jews from around the world will gather in Israel

to be "with Israel, in Israel."

Cost including airfare from New York is $1,549.00.

Land only: $400.00

Register now! at http://www.azm.org/mission_reg.shtml

Itinerary http://www.azm.org/mega_mission.shtml

For more information... - http://www.azm.org/mission_faq.shtml

MESSAGE FROM P.M. OLMERT

www.JerusalemOnline.com presents:
Israeli PM Ehud Olmert addresses Israel's supporters.
To watch the video – go to www.JerusalemOnline.co.il/4Israel.asp

PRAYER FOR ISRAEL

See three different alternatives at http://www.jrf.org/israel/independence-day-prayer.html

Recite a prayer for Israel every day!

Contents of the Shabbat O Gram:

(Click to scroll down)

Just the Facts (service schedule)

The Rabid Rabbi

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

“We are not human beings on a spiritual journey.
We are spiritual beings on a human journey.

-Stephen R. Covey

JUST THE FACTS

Shabbat Hazon

(literally, the Shabbat of the Vision – in this case a very foreboding one, from Isaiah in the Haftarah, foreseeing the destruction of Jerusalem. This portion and haftarah are always read on the Shabbat before Tisha B’Av)

Friday Evening

Candle lighting: 7:57pm on Friday, 28 July 2006,- Havdalah is at 8: 58 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)

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 Michelle Feit and Eric Isban who will be celebrating their Ufruf this Shabbat morning

Children’s services: 10:30

Torah Portion: Devarim Deuteronomy 1:1 - 3:22

1: 2:2-5
2: 2:6-12
3: 2:13-16
4: 2:17-19
5: 2:20-22
6: 2:23-25
7: 2:26-30
maf: 2:28-30

Haftarah Isaiah 1:1 - 1:27

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.

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!

I’ve decided to shift the title of this section, from “The Rabid Rabbi” to “The Ranting Rabbi,” in the desire to “soften” the approach of these paeans of rabbinic passion. I thought of other possible titles, but “The Passionate Parson” just didn’t make past the guys in marketing. Either way, “rabid” or “ranting,” if you find, in the end, that these words have become any less passionate, you have permission to shoot me.

J

The Plague of Passivity

By Joshua Hammerman

From the Jewish Week – July 21, 2006 - http://www.thejewishweek.com/top/editletcontent.php3?artid=5201

Perhaps the key question of the 21st century concerns the dwindling margin for error we have in responding to the growing threats around us. When a single individual or group can combine a malignant ideology with deadly technology to destroy numerous lives in an instant, and not even the strongest nation on earth can stop them, people naturally become squeamish. No wonder auto racing has never been so popular. Each waking moment we all feel like we are behind a NASCAR wheel, continuously straddling the precipice separating life from death, constantly forced to make instant choices between too-hasty action and fatal inaction. Our response time has become razor thin.

In the face of extreme danger, intolerance infects us. Although I have issues with the Patriot Act, Guantanamo and the House’s xenophobic plan for immigration reform I can understand the fear that gave rise to them. We are petrified that some kind of mythical midnight is about to strike, and that fear is forcing us to act even at the cost of some of our basic human rights. If we need to err, let us err on the side of survival. There is no time to seek compromise. All that matters is to act.

The dread of passivity crosses party lines. In his recent documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth,” Al Gore employs a popular experiment to drive home his point that the human race is falling asleep at the environmental wheel. In this experiment, a frog placed into boiling water immediately jumps out, whereas a frog placed into cold water will not even flinch if the water is slowly heated to the boiling point. It will train itself to tolerate the discomfort of each incremental shift in temperature and eventually, this weakness will lead to the frog’s demise.

Bad news for the frog; worse news for us. In fact, I’ve read claims that, given their druthers, frogs would rather not be boiled alive. Humans are another story entirely. Gore’s point is that we have tolerated a rate of global warming that has increased exponentially over recent years. Last year was the hottest on record, and scientists now expect the world’s temperature to rise 2 to 4 degrees by 2100, much more at the polar icecaps. Oceans will soon rise precipitously, which will dramatically change the map of the world, and the administration has been fiddling while Nome burns. Gore sees literally no margin for error at this point. All that matters is that we act.

President Bush would say the same thing about Iran and North Korea.

Frogs are nearing the boiling point almost everywhere we look. As if to underscore the point, according to this month’s Science magazine, up to 122 amphibian species have become extinct since 1980. And nearly a third of the more than 5,000 species that remain are also considered threatened. In an atmosphere of pending environmental catastrophe, frogs have become the proverbial canary in the mineshaft.

Greenland is melting and North Korea is launching its calling cards into the Sea of Japan. Iran is nearly nuclear and is already test firing its missiles — at Israel, by way of Lebanon. Until now the world has been extremely tolerant of these provocations. In Israel, rockets on Sderot were tolerated, until they began raining down on Ashkelon, Nahariya, Safed, Haifa and Tiberias.

The biblical plague of frogs, as we recall, was only the second of the 10 inflicted upon the Egyptians and a seemingly innocuous one at that. Exodus (8:2) tells us that the second plague began with only one frog. But when that frog was not properly dispensed with soon enough swarms of frogs were everywhere. Long before “An Inconvenient Truth,” the frog was symbolic of the horrible consequences of inaction.

It’s rather fitting that the first surface-to-surface missile purchased for the North Korean arsenal was the FROG 5, delivered from the Soviet Union in 1969 and 1970. Then came the Scud, a plague inflicted upon Israel by Iraq during the Gulf War. Now we’ve gone beyond FROGS, Scuds, Katyushas and Kassams. If only the world had been able to stop things when we were just dealing with FROGS, we wouldn’t have gotten the Iranian Fajr-3s that are now being used against Haifa.

This proxy war featuring Hamas and Hezbollah is a test run for the real thing, when the ante could be raised considerably with the development of Iranian nuclear capacity. That’s why it is now time for Israel and the world to jump from the quickly warming water, before it comes to its nuclear boil. Just as Israel crippled the Iraqi threat at Osiris in 1981, so does it now have the chance to win another war that the world needs so desperately to win.

There are many legends about the plague of frogs, some touting the heroism of the frogs themselves. In fact, unlike Gore’s clueless amphibian, the frogs of the second plague took great pains to appear everywhere. They even jumped headfirst into blazing ovens and enmesh themselves in rising dough in order to ambush unwitting Egyptians cutting open their loaves of bread. These frogs were models for the proactive ethos this new century demands. But the frog