April 27-May 5, 2007– Iyar 10-17, 5767

Rabbi Joshua Hammerman, Temple Beth El, Stamford, Connecticut

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http://www.tbe.org/site/Synaplex/upcoming_events.htm

Contents of the Shabbat O Gram:

(Click to scroll down)

Just the Facts (service schedule)

The (Occasionally) Ranting Rabbi

Mitzvah/Tzedakkah Opportunities

Ask the Rabbi

Spiritual Journey on the Web

The Beth El Bar/Bat Mitzvah Commentary

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

See photos of our TBE teens at our new USY website:

http://stamfordusy.com/

Check out www.tbe.org for photos from our recent Cantors’ Concert,

Plus Purim photos and our extensive library of photo albums,

articles, sermons, info about the temple,

Shabbat-O-Grams and links to the Jewish world.

Quote for the Week

Pessimism is a luxury that a Jew can never allow himself.

-- Golda Meir

JUST THE FACTS

DID YOU KNOW THAT WE HAVE 15 TEENS GOING FROM STAMFORD TO THE REGION’S USY SPRING CONVENTION THIS WEEKEND!

MORE THAN FROM ANY CHAPTER!!!!

Candle lighting: 7:28 pm on Friday, 27 April 2007. For Havdalah 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/. The United Synagogue has updated its candlelighting information. To learn more, click here.

Friday Evening:

Kabbalat Shabbat: 6:30 PM – in the LOBBY

Tot Shabbat: 6:45 PM – in the CHAPEL

Shabbat Morning:

Service begins at 9:30 AM

Mazal Tov to Kyle tuckman, WHO BECOMES bAr MITZVAH THIS SHABBAT MORNING!

Children’s Services: 10:30 AM

Our Torah Portion for Shabbat Morning

Parashat Achrei Mot-Kedoshim

פרשת אחרי מות־קדשים

Leviticus 16:1 - 20:27

1: 19:15-18
2: 19:19-22
3: 19:23-32
4: 19:33-37
5: 20:1-7
6: 20:8-22
7: 20:23-27
maf: 20:25-27

Haftarah for Ashkenazim: Amos 9:7 - 9:15

If you liked Storahtelling, Storahtelling’s new weekly blog about the Torah portion is at http://storahtelling.blogspot.com/. Also check out Torahquest at http://www.torahquest.org/commentary_list.php ORT Navigating the Bible; Rashi in English; BibleGateway: Useful for comparing different translations: Note- this is a Christian site.What’s Bothering Rashi

(Bonchek) Each week, one example from the parashah is deconstructed. 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://www.jtsa.edu/community/parashah/. USCJ Torah Sparks can be found at: http://www.uscj.org/Torah_Sparks5689.html UAHC Shabbat Table Talk discussions are at http://urj.org/torah/index.cfm, Reconstructionists are at http://www4.jrf.org/recon-dt. 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. Also, try http://home.utah.edu/~rfs4/jkmfc.htm. 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/

100 Blessings: Download information about the grace after meals (see Birkat Ha-mazon explained in Wikipedia and in the Jewish Virtual Library) The actual prayer can be downloaded at Birkat Hamazon [pdf]

Morning Minyan

7:30 Weekdays, 9:30 Sundays

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.

The

(occasionally)

Ranting Rabbi

Holocaust and Hip Hop

“God Almighty When Will it End.”

This year, Grammy award winning Israeli violinist Miri Ben-Ari and Israeli rap/hip-hop star Kobi "Subliminal" Shimoni co-produced this hip-hop music video expressing their sentiments on the Shoah. It is called “God Almighty When Will it End.”

Check it out at – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVYanQ5r6rw

This video is an attempt by Israel’s younger generation to come to grips with the Shoah. In light of current threats from Iran, it is understandable that younger people would have a renewed preoccupation with what seems like the eternal Jewish restlessness. In May, a huge worldwide audience will listen to Israel’s entry in the annual Eurovision contest, a controversial (and amusing) number by the group Teapacks called “Push the Button.” The song chides the Iranian leadership but calls to mind all the other terrorist bullies and Hitler wannabees out there who wax apocalyptic in their threats. See that song at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpWYFoSrmRA. “Push the Button” beautifully melds the current existential torment with timeless Jewish chutzpah and time-tested Israeli bravura, and I think it has a chance to win.

Before you click and watch “God Almighty…” prepare to see something that is quite non-traditional, which may be disturbing to some, especially to Holocaust survivors. Know that in Israel this video was distributed by the thousands to students in schools, by recommendation, approval and blessing of -- amongst others -- Professor Yehuda Bauer (Israel's leading historian on the Holocaust) and Rabbi Benny Lau (son of Holocaust survivor and former Israeli Chief Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau).

Devra Jaffe Berkowitz, who forwarded me the video link to “God Almighty When Will it End,” commented, “At first the use of rap to convey the Holocaust was a bit unsettling to me (seemed to not capture the gravity of the events). However, given that so many young people feel so unmoved by traditional ways of depicting the Shoah, I truly feel that anything that can connect people to what happened is welcome and needed. I am interested to see what others think.”

I sent the link out to our college students yesterday and a few have already responded – and here’s what some of them had to say:

Rabbi Hammerman-

At first, I was shocked at the arrangement of the Bodies in the first scene. However, I think how they come to life is very interesting and it shows that Jews who died had lives and stories that made them stand out.

I also noticed the translation of part of Hatikvah, "Looking Towards Zion...." Let me know if I am wrong about those words being in the Israeli National Anthem.

Overall, I think it was neat that "Subliminal" chose to do this and I thought the violin part by Miri Ben-Ari was well done.

So, those are my thoughts. I hope all is well.

Sincerely,

Andy Bailer

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Rabbi Hammerman,

I saw the video. The combination of the violin and the woman's voice were really powerful. The song reminds me of another song about the Holocaust, "Never Again" by the Wu Tang Clan. They're both incredible songs and they show that our generation still remembers the atrocities of the Holocaust and we will never forget. Though sadly there will soon no longer be survivors alive to tell their stories, their stories will still live on through us. We are the link between them and the next generation, and we will make sure that the next generation knows to never forget as well. Thanks for the video.

Rachel Maimon

So what do you think?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVYanQ5r6rw

Conservative Judaism at a Crossroads

Next week I’ll be attending the rabbinical assembly convention in Boston. Needless to say, much of the conversation will revolve around recent decisions made regarding gay rights. I’ll have a chance to discuss those issues in depth with congregants at special sessions being set up by myself and the ritual committee – on Sunday May 20 at 10 AM and during the afternoon of our Synaplex of June 23. I am especially anxious to hear your concerns and to get a sense of what congregants are feeling about the matter. I’ve also written about it in this month’s bulletin and will be discussing these matters in other settings, including the Beth EL discussion group. There are long term and wide ranging implications for the congregation as we digest the meaning of these current decisions. Meanwhile, take a look at this new assessment of the state-of-the-movement found on Myjewishlearning.com.

http://www.myjewishlearning.com/history_community/Jewish_World_Today/Denominations/ConservativeToday.htm

And see the following article by the new jts chancellor on Jews and the land of Israel

Exuding Holiness, By Arnold M. Eisen

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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

TEMPLE BETH EL BLOOD DRIVE

350 Roxbury Rd. Stamford CT

SUNDAY MAY 6 8:30 AM - 1:15PM

“Give the ‘Gift of Life”. Get involved in a short term mitzvah project that will save lives.

Call Cheryl Wolff today at 203-968-6361 to schedule a donation time.

The Children of Sderot

This was passed along to me by Ilana ginsberg,

who is studying in Israel this semester

Dear Friends,

We are turning to you for help in supporting the charitable project that the Russian School of Mathematics has started. We call this project "The Children of Sderot".

Sderot is a small city with a population of 25,000 people. It is nearly on the border of Israel and Gaza. The houses and schools, streets and hospitals of Sderot are constantly being hit with "Kassam" rockets.

Right now the situation in the city is simply tragic. The timeframe from when a rocket is sent from Gaza to when it explodes on the streets of Sderot, is fifteen seconds. That's not a misprint- FIFTEEN SECONDS! That means that people, who have just heard the sirens, have only fifteen seconds to flee to the shelter. There is a catastrophic lack of shelters, and some schools and houses don't even have them at all. Some of the schools are closed because of that. That's how Sderot, has been living for the past five years - on the edge, not knowing when the next rocket will fall. Obviously, those that suffer the most because of this are the children. They are forced to live in an atmosphere where they are not sure of anything. They have to fear for their lives. Many refuse to go to school and stay home where it's not as scary. Teenagers are scared to sleep alone and fall asleep only in bed with their parents. And little children, when asked the innocent question of "why do snails have their own little homes on their backs?" answer without thinking “so they can hide from the “Kassams". In the city there's absolutely no work being done with the children. They have been abandoned to figure things out on their own.

We want to help these children, to do something for them. Even if it’s just a little bit of help - we will do what we can. Our project is already under way. My daughter, Masha, a student in Cornell University, is spending her semester in Tel-Aviv. Now she visits Sderot regularly, twice a week, to help the children to prepare a play about their lives. We hope to bring the show to Boston.

The Russian School of Mathematics has invited 10 children, who are in this play, to summer camp - Camp Sunapee. Our present to them is a summer rest free of the sound of siren signaling an imminent bombing. Our initiative is supported by Shaloh House and Rabbi Dan Rodkin. They also have decided to take 10 kids to Shaloh House camp. We want to give these children, even if for a short time, something they don't have at home: happiness, safety, and care.

Now it is necessary to raise money for transportation and associated expenses (note that the camps are free for these kids) .

Our goal is to raise $36,000. The Russian Jewish Community Foundation has made a special fund for this.

Checks can be made payable to: RJCF Children of Sderot Fund Mail to: Russian Jewish Communtiy Foundation 800 South Street, Ste. 600 Waltham, MA 02453 Please forward this letter to your friends and colleagues.

Please do not delay. We have only a month to do it.

We have the ability to take away fear for 20 children of Sderot, if only for a part of a summer.

To give them 30 days without a bomb exploding and the sound of a siren – But we need your help!