November 9, 2007- Heshvan
28, 5768
KRISTALLNACHT OBSERVANCE
This week’s Shabbat-O-Gram is sponsored
by Amy and Samuel Gettler
in honor of the naming of their daughter, Caroline. Mazal tov to them!
Special
Occasion? Sponsor a Shabbat Bulletin, (sent every Friday morning via e-mail),
the Shabbat Announcments (Distributed each Shabbat at the
& the
Shabbat-O-Gram. Sponsor all three publications for only
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All sponsors will be
acknowledged at the beginning of each of these announcements
and also listed
in our Bi-monthly Bulletin. Call Mindy in the office at 322-6901
MAZAL TOV TO THIS SHABBAT’S B’NOT MITZVAH,
SARAH EHRLCH, DAUGHTER OF FRANCINE AND STEPHEN EHRLICH AND ELANA LEICHTER,
DAUGHTER OF BELL-ANN ABRAMS AND JERROLD LEICHTER!
Send your friends and relatives the gift of Jewish awareness -- a
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To be removed from this mailing list, sent
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TBE is not being “spammed out.”
This Shabbat Morning – Our
Sanctuary becomes the UN!
No,
not that we’ll all yell and scream at each other, as they do at the UN…
We’ll be reenacting the UN Partition Vote
of 60 Years Ago…
THE DAY OUR DREAM OF A JEWISH STATE
BEGAN TO COME TO
FRUITION…
See below, “Spiritual Journeys on the Web”
for more.
Contents
of the Shabbat O Gram:
(Click
to scroll down)
Just
the Facts (service schedule)
The (Occasionally) Ranting Rabbi
Mitzvah/Tzedakkah Opportunities
The Beth El Bar/Bat
Mitzvah Commentary
Required Reading and Action Items (links
to key articles on Israel and Jewish life)
After last week’s amazing Shabbat,
what can we do for an encore????
SYNAPLEX RETURNS Nov. 30 –
Dec. 1!!!!
For a sneak preview, click
on
http://www.tbe.org/site/docs/temp/2007_Dec_Synaplex_Announcement.pdf
Quote for the Week
(In Honor
of Veterans Day)
“We often take for granted the very
things that most deserve our gratitude.”
~Cynthia Ozick
Shabbat Services this evening
are at the special time of 7:30.
The 6th grade
will be helping to lead it – and their class dinner takes place at 6:30 PM
Candle lighting: 4:24 pm on Friday, 9
November 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.
THE FULL SERVICE SCHEDULE NOW APPEARS ON THE
SEPARATE TBE ANNOUNCEMENTS E-MAIL
Shabbat Services: 7:30 Friday night (NOTE
SPECIAL TIME THIS WEEK), 9:30 Shabbat morning, 10:30 children’s services
Morning Minyan:
7:30 Weekdays (including this Monday, Veterans Day), 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 THEN NOTIFY OUR OFFICE.
Torah
Reading For Shabbat Morning
Parashat Toldot
Genesis 25:19 - 28:9
1: 25:19-22
2: 25:23-26
3: 25:27-34
4: 26:1-5
5: 26:6-12
6: 26:13-16
7: 26:17-22
maf: 26:19-22
Haftarah: (Shabbat Machar Chodesh / I Samuel 20:18 - 20:42)
The
(occasionally)
Regarding this Week’s Board Decision…
I am very pleased by this week’s Board
decision to begin negotiations toward a new contract with me. I will also
enter these discussions in the spirit with which they have been
initiated, keeping foremost in our thoughts the long term interests
of the congregation. I am especially grateful to all of the Board members
for their dedication and extraordinary commitment of time. I look forward
to working with the Board to further our mutual goal of congregational unity.
B’Shalom,
p.s. Now
it’s time to roll up our sleeves and focus on the vital work of building the
Jewish future and repairing the world.
This Just In…
“Keeping
Kids Healthy”
Nationally Syndicated show to include
“Learning and Latte” Crew!
Tune into channel Thirteen/WNET on Friday,
December 14, at 2:30 pm, and repeated on Saturday morning, December 15, at 6:30
am (that's what Tivos are
for...). It's the second half of a
2-subject show:
Premature Babies: Good Things Come in Small Packages /
Circumcision: Is It Right for Your
Child?
The program features participants in the
“Learning and Latte” monthly dialogue:
Here’s the official promotional summary.
"When you give birth to a son, in most
cases -- depending on your religion – there’s an immediate decision that you
have to make: to circumcise, or not to
circumcise. It’s a choice that’s left up
to the parent, but that freedom can be a mixed blessing, because there just
aren’t that many clear guidelines from the medical community about what you
should do, and a lot of people don’t feel very comfortable pressing their
doctors for the answers! So in this
program, we’re going to help you with that tough decision, by bringing together
in one place the medical advice and information that will help you decide
what’s best for your child. You’ll meet
parents who’ve decided for and against it, you’ll see a discreet demonstration
of how the procedure is done, and you’ll find out what the experts, religious
communities and leading health organizations have to say about the pros and
cons of each approach for your child."
The “Keeping Kids Healthy” series is produced by
AND DON’T FORGET – LEARNING
AND LATTE RETURNS
THIS COMING TUESDAY AT 7:30 PM at BORDERS… THE TOPIC IS WORKPLACE ETHICS
More From our Man in
Dear friends and
family,
I haven't done a good
job of letting anyone know about the blog that I
started. It's at www.davidajws.blogspot.com
. Feel free to give the link to anyone you want. I'm not using it
as a diary, so I don't mind anyone at all reading it.
Two
1) A female cobra,
head and body arched up like in the
2) This morning I
opened up the cooler I keep in my room for drinking water and saw dozens
of tiny dead ants floating in it. I laughed. What else is there to
do?
Take care,
David
Mitzvah/Tzedakkah Opportunties
Beth El Cares:
Inreach and Outreach
An Easy Tzedakkah
idea for Thanksgiving
Donate your
free turkey!
My thanks to Lori
Ratner for sending this suggestion:
Dear Rabbi,
Today, while grocery shopping, I had a thought. Wouldn't it be nice if I could
donate my "free" turkey that I earned shopping directly to the Food
Bank of
I asked the cashier if there was any way that I could directly donate my turkey
saving me the hassle of bringing home my 15 lb. frozen turkey, storing it and
then delivering it to the Food Bank.
The cashier told me to speak to the office. In all of three seconds, they
scanned my price card, saw that I qualified for a free turkey and said that it would be donated. No pain, no sweat.
How many people don't donate their "free" earned turkeys because it
is simply too much trouble?
Just think of how many families in need would benefit if you just took a minute
and asked to donate your turkey directly to the local food bank. So if
you find that you have earned a "free" turkey that you don't need or
want, donate it.
Is there any way that the temple can publicize this?
Thanks,
Lori Ratner
UJC LAUNCHES FEDERATION RELIEF FOR
United Jewish Communities/the
federations of North America today launched a relief effort for victims of the
Southern California wildfires, which continue to rage from
A Volunteer
Opportunity from
(thanks
to Susan Berger Sabreen for calling this to our
attention)
"Doula
Visitor Program - The Palliative Care Service is currently recruiting
volunteers for a special â doulaâ visitor program for patients nearing the end
of life. Doulas offer companionship and emotional
support for people who are within the last 18 months of life. Volunteers will
receive an 8-week training as well as ongoing support. This is a unique and
meaningful opportunity for people who would like to make a real difference in a
person's life at an important time of transition.
Contact: Ronit
Fallek (718) 920-6576 or rfallek@montefiore.org <mailto:rfallek@montefiore.org "
Beth El Cares
Christmas Eve
Dinner:
Our next “official” mitzvah project is the annual
preparing of food and serving Christmas Eve Dinner at St. Lukes
and Pacific House. Volunteers are needed to contribute food, pick up flowers/food,
transport food to the shelters and serve dinner. Save the date (Mon. Dec. 24). Please let me know if you would like to
coordinate this project “before” it happens; Cheryl
Wolff and Liz Vaisben will be the “house captains” for the actual dinners.
Toiletry
Collection:
The third grade religious school class will be
collecting toiletry items to give to the guests at St. Lukes
and Pacific House on Christmas Eve.
These toiletry items are the only holiday gift some of these individuals
receive. Clean out your hotel amenity stash and your samples or buy full size
items to donate. Watch for details in
December telling you where to drop off the items.
Bar/Bat Mitzvah Projects:
From ~
Shira Durica, who will be
setting up a table during
With Hadassah, i am sponsoring JNF's (Jewish National Fund) Program to plant trees in
From Dana Gordon
Dear Friends and
Family,
Part of becoming a
Bat Mitzvah means being a mench or doing good deeds
for others in need.
Five years ago, I was diagnosed with Auto Immune Thrombocytopenia Purpura (I.T.P). My
body thinks my blood platelets are the enemy and destroys them. I’m extremely lucky because at Dr. Joe’s
office I receive an intravenous treatment to help my body maintain a safe
number of blood platelets. Every time I
receive an infusion I see kids of all ages who aren’t
as lucky as I am because many of them suffer from pediatric blood cancers. At the end of your each treatment, you get
the joy of choosing a toy from the toy closet.
I would like to be a part of that joy by helping to restock the toy
closet at the doctor’s office.
Please bring new
and unwrapped games and toys for donation and place them in the box that is labeled “Dana’s
Thank you very much
for your support and generosity.
Sincerely,
Dana Gordon
For more
information about I.T.P., visit the platelet disorder support
association at www.pdsa.org
The
Highest Level of Tzedakkah
Helping someone to find a Job
Let me know if you can help in either of these
situations –
both involve congregants
who are extremely talented and dedicated workers…
Senior Financial Professional
Proven track record
in managing and leading large projects and business change. Demonstrated
expertise in the
delivery of solid financial business decisions
within:
•
bankruptcies
• forensic
accounting
• litigation support
• valuation
•
executive compensation •
international finance
• information technology
• restructuring
Seeking full-time or consulting
opportunities.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PROFILE:
Extensive experience in multiple facets of office administration covering
diverse industries, combined with excellent project management skills.
QUALIFICATIONS:
• Highly-focused,
with a strict attention to detail and accuracy.
• Multi-tasked,
contributing to lean and efficient staffing.
• Excellent
interpersonal skills to address the needs of internal and external customers.
• Strong advocate of
teamwork, performance excellence and continuous improvement.
Job Openings:
From
Hi Everyone,
I want to first thank all those
who responded to the survey that was sent via email
several months ago, by our team of consultants. After their careful
review of your comments and suggestions we are now in
the process of hiring for several positions.
1. Full-time receptionist for
2. Full-time receptionist for
3. A full-time
Medical Assistant for Dr. Ehrlich
Please fax (203-899-0761) or
e-mail resumes to the new Practice Administrator at Martha@fcbariatiric.com
What is Kristallnacht and How is it
Related to Veteran’s Day?
November 9-10 is the
annual commemoration of Kristallnacht, which took place in 1938, and which many
believe to be the watershed event that was the true beginning of the
Holocaust. When the world failed to
respond to this pogrom against the Jews, Hitler knew that he could get away
with much more. To read more about
Kristallnacht, go to http://wlc.ushmm.org/wlc/article.jsp?ModuleId=10005201
and http://www.ushmm.org/kristallnacht/, both at the site of the
At http://www.remember.org/fact.fin.kristal.html, we discover
that “The term `Kristallnacht' referred to the fact that the shards of glass
from the thousands of broken windows glittered like crystal in the
streets. In that way, it has become easy
to draw parallels between 11/9 and 9/11, when streets again
were littered by the broken glass caused by fanatic hatred run amok. An interesting twist on this comparison, by
a Moslem complaining of groundless hatred toward his co-religionists, can be found at http://www.mediamonitors.net/elmasry30.html.
He writes, ‘Analogies are being made to the representation
of the Jews in such early twentieth century literature as "Mein Kampf," where gross
exaggeration and dehumanization proved to be fatally dangerous for more than
six million of them. What, then, could be the parallel consequences for
Muslims? German academic Gunther Grass states that
such beliefs about Islam in the West and the current climate of hate against it
bring us very close to a situation not unlike that which prompted
I have no problem
seeing Kristallnacht as a day for all nations to reflect on the dangers of all
manners of intolerance, as long as we don’t forget the historical uniqueness of
the Holocaust and anti-Semitism. If you go to the United Against
Racism web site (stop first at http://www.united.non-profit.nl/pages/info98n9.htm)
and check out the November calendar you’ll find that, indeed, November 9 has
become an important annual reminder of the fight against fascism. At http://www.united.non-profit.nl/pages/act02n9.htm
you’ll see an extensive list of activities going on throughout
This weekend is also Veterans Day. A comprehensive list of Veterans Day links is found at
http://members.aol.com/veterans/warlib69.htm. At the
Of course, it wasn’t always called Veterans Day. In 1918, World War I ended on the 11th hour
of the 11th day of the 11th month. An
armistice was signed declaring the "war to end
all wars" was finally over. The next year, on November 11th, the
And just as they failed to heed the warnings
of
U.N. Partition Vote – 60th
Anniversary
This
Shabbat morning we’ll be reenacting the fateful U.N. vote on partition that
took place 60 years ago this month (on November 29, 1947). This vote in effect legalized and made
possible the creation of the state of
|
|
United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181
called for the partition of the British-ruled
The resolution was accepted
by the Jews in
Listen to UN vote
Official Map prepared by UNSCOP
From Wikipedia:
The 33 countries ( 58% ) that voted in favour of the partition were: Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Byelorussian
SSR, Canada,
Costa Rica,
Czechoslovakia,
Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, France, Guatemala, Haiti, Iceland, Liberia, Luxembourg,
Netherlands,
New
Zealand, Nicaragua,
Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines,
Poland, Sweden, South
Africa, Ukrainian SSR, United
States of America, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Uruguay, Venezuela.
The 13 countries ( 23% ) that voted
against resolution were: Afghanistan, Cuba, Egypt,
Greece, India, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan, Saudi
Arabia, Syria,
Turkey, Yemen.
The 10 countries ( 17% ) that abstained
were: Argentina,
Chile, Republic
of China, Colombia,
El
Salvador, Ethiopia,
Honduras, Mexico, United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Yugoslavia.
One state ( 2%
)was absent: Thailand
"Just
Beginning" – Time magazine’s coverage of the event
http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50811FF3B58147B93C2AA178AD95F438485F9
– New York Times coverage (need to be a premium subscriber to see the entire
article)
Finally, a website containing all Jewish goings-on in
The Beth El
Bar/Bat Mitzvah Commentary
Aaron Katz on
I’ve
always been very interested in the environment.
My family has always done a lot outdoors, and I’ve always enjoyed
hiking, mountain biking and other outdoor sports and I love observing wildlife.
This
past summer, my family and I visited
Last year I saw the film “An Inconvenient Truth” and it had a significant impact on me. I was amaze