January 11, 2008 – Shevat
4, 5768
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Contents
of the Shabbat O Gram:
(Click
to scroll down)
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)
Quote for the Week
“I am from
S,Y. Agnon, Israeli
author, upon winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1966
Candle lighting: 4:28 pm on Friday, January 11 2008. 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
5th Grade Class dinner at 6:30
Shabbat Services: 7:30 Friday night in the sanctuary (led by our 5th
graders),
No Tot Shabbat this Friday, but join us next week at 6:45
pm.
9:30 Shabbat morning (Children’s
Services at 10:30).
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 THEN NOTIFY OUR OFFICE.
Reminder
of our “No School No Shul” policy: On days when Stamford
Torah
Reading For Shabbat Morning
Parashat Bo
Exodus
10:1 - 13:16
1: 10:1-3
2: 10:4-6
3: 10:7-11
4: 10:12-15
5: 10:16-23
6: 10:24-29
7: 11:1-3
maf: 13:14-16
Haftarah: Jeremiah 46:13 - 46:28
President Bush in Israel
If a
President of the
The
short answer to my question above is, yes, the President was there, and in 
)
where he said that the
Something
did indeed happen over there this week.
Something fell in the forest. It
may be years before we begin to understand exactly what went down.
The Lord is My
Chef (and the secret ingredient is Matzah)
Commentary for the portion of Bo by Rabbi Joshua Hammerman
I was speaking to someone this week who works as a sous- chef at a prestigious restaurant in
In the world of
outdoor barbecues, the most delicious thing imaginable is a mushy concoction
called the S'more, given that name because
invariably, those who consume one demand "some more." Had Hillel only known about this incredible
blend of melted chocolate and (kosher) marshmallows surrounded by graham
crackers, his Matzah, horseradish and Haroset
sandwich would never have been invented.
In world of
national Jewish liberation, an almost identical word clues us in to God's most
delicious contribution. When one
imagines the divine part in the Exodus, the metaphors that first come to mind
might include "Masked Avenger," "Flaming Sword," or perhaps
"Raging Sea." But a closer
look shows us that the most appropriate role to assign God in this drama would
be that of Cosmic Chef. And the key word
is "Sh'mor."
In chapter 12, a
pivotal section containing instructions for present and future Passover
observances, a form of "Sh'mor," which means "watch" or "guard," appears no
fewer than five times, each with clear culinary overtones. In verse 6, the Paschal sacrifice is to be
"an examination" ("mishmeret")
for
Then in verse
17, we are instructed to safeguard ("U'shmartem")
the Matzot -- a great play on the expression "U'shmartem et ha mitz'vot," ("You shall observe the
commandments"). We safeguard Matzah
both in the meticulous methods of preparation and in our eagerness to fulfill
the commandment by eating it early on the first day of the festival. As for me, well I respond to this instruction
by being a "shmart" shopper, making sure
that the box of "Sh'mura" Matzah doesn't
end up beneath the jug of Manischewitz wine in one of
my twenty five bags of overpriced Passover goodies.
Verse 24 says
"U'shmartem et ha-davar,"
and verse 25, "U'shmartem et ha-avoda." These
verses demand that we recall how the sprinkled blood from the Pesach offering
saved each Israelite household and that this reminding ritual, later known as
the Seder, should be observed perpetually and scrupulously. Verse 25 means, "You shall watch the
work," and I can recall paying scrupulous attention to my parents'
preparations; how I savor the memories of my mother making the gefilte fish in
that big metal pot on the day before the Seder -- although I never actually ate
the stuff.
And in verse 34,
we read that the food from the original Seder was so good that the Israelites
actually doggie-bagged the leftovers and brought them out of
But where is God
in all this? Up until now we've been
provided with the key ingredients of the recipe, specifically the lamb and the
crackers, the protein and the starch.
Finally, in verse 42, we meet the Chef.
Why was this night different from all others? Because after 430 years of watching
Rashi sees "Shimurim"
as "anticipation," implying that God had anticipated this night for
centuries, the chance finally to fulfill the Covenant of Redemption made with
Abraham. Or it can mean
"protection," for on this night God protected
But for me all
the previous ties between "Shmor" and food
confirm that on "Layl Shimurim"
God was neither a guard nor the original Promise Keeper, but rather a housewife
--er, house-spouse -- in the kitchen. For anyone who has ever cooked anything,
there comes a moment of truth, that can't-turn-back instant when the soufflé is
either going to stand firm or fall, when the main dish will either be
spectacular it won't. Not even an
expectant parent is as nervous as the host of the Seder
when the oven timer goes off. This Night
of Watching was God's most anxious moment since that Night of Resting following
the sixth day of creation, when God looked around and saw that it was very
good. Only then could God rest from
Creation. God has yet to rest from the
Exodus. On this night, the sacred dish
was either going to turn out to be the most delicious S'more
imaginable or a rancid, unkosher, unholy mess.
Was
And at each
Seder we ask the same questions: Is this
family ready to go out and bring Torah into the world (add more sweet-smelling
cinnamon to the Haroset)? Have they internalized the lessons we've been
feeding them since infancy (add milk...)?
Do they love
God the Avenger
and God the Shepherd can make a mid-course correction if things don't work
out. God the Cook can not turn back the
egg timer so easily, nor can parents and teachers. Once the dish is done, the dish is done. But we humans have a distinct advantage: We
get to cook the meal again and again, every year,
until we get it right. For God on
E-Night, it was a one-shot deal, and this was a recipe
never before attempted: Nation of Priests Flambee.
Let's take a
quick look at those essential final ingredients, added to the mix in our
portion. The roasted lamb was the
starring attraction, but without a pinch of something extra, the Matzah, we'd
have been left with n'more than a super barbecue.
On the face of
it, Matzah was absolutely unnecessary at the
time. But like any culinary masterpiece,
and for that matter like the best wines, headache pills and rabbinic sermons,
the most important ingredient is the one that can't be tasted right away. It is the lingering sensation of the wine
that stays with us long after the intoxication has worn off. And I often thank God for videotaped Bar/Bat
Mitzvah charges, because I know that the child before me won't really get what
I'm saying until he watches the thing five years later. The Matzah is tasteless, but it never leaves
you. Almost everything we eat is
expelled from the digestive system less than a day later. On Passover it takes two days. For Matzah, it never happens. Trust me.
It never leaves.
How do I know
that Generation Ex. didn't need Matzah?
Because they had lamb chops. Because they had enough chèvre to open a chain of cafes in
And finally,
what was awaiting them just a few days down the road, on the other side of the
But Matzah was
exactly what the recipe called for, what the Chef required and what we need
too. Aside from being indigestible,
Matzah leaves a permanent mark outside of our intestines: the crumbs. Those magical crumbs are Jewish Pixie
Dust. On Passover, they are everywhere:
on carpets, in the car, in the school cafeteria, in our teeth. Some would call them the eleventh plague, as
ubiquitous as frogs and lice..."crumbs here, crumbs there, Matzah crumbs
are everywhere." The Israelites
left a Matzah crumb trail from Egypt to Canaan by way of Sinai, and, fortunate Hansels and Gretels that we are,
the trail sticks (no wilderness wildlife will touch the stuff) so we can
retrace it every year.
This
is the secret ingredient that allows us to rise. When we point to the crumbs on the carpet,
our co-workers, classmates and teachers learn the magnificent story we have to
tell. When we floss thrice daily and
curse those omnipresent crumbs, we recall who we are and why we're here. Matzah wasn't really needed, but the Chef de Chevre knew that this holy concoction required S'more. Could even
the most ingenious human culinary creator have come up with so perfect an
additive? Is there any better argument
for the existence of God?
National Jewish Book Awards Announced
You
can click on this link to see the full list.
The winning selection is a book that I recently introduced to the
congregation for Shabbat morning Torah study – and I’ll be featuring it again
this Shabbat. Join us!
http://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/page.php?159
Jewish Book of the
Year Award
“How to Read the
Bible”
By James Kugel
Jewish
Book Council Lifetime Achievement Award
Rabbi Harold S. Kushner
Mitzvah/Tzedakkah Opportunties
Beth El Cares:
Inreach and Outreach
THANK YOU TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED IN PROVIDING
MEALS AT THE HOMELESS SHELTERS OVER THE HOLIDAYS!
2007 CHISTMAS EVE DINNER AT PACIFIC HOUSE AND ST. LUKE’S LIFE WORKS
As always, our
preparing and serving the food at St. Luke’s Life Works and Pacific House was a
huge success. Every year it takes
wonderful people to make this happen.
Apologies in advance if I inadvertently left someone out.
KUDOs and a SPECIAL THANK YOU to the SIXTH grade
class who baked delicious, delectable desserts for the residents at St. Luke’s
Life Works and Pacific House. Under the
patient guidance of their teacher, Jodi Maxner, the
class enthusiastically baked banana breads and chocolate coconut drop cookies
in the Beth-El kitchen on the Tuesday and Thursday before winter break. They only tasted a little (and I heard the
treats were yummy), and even managed to leave the kitchen clean!
Also, a special thank
you to the Nekritz, Lehrfield, Miles and Wolff
families who picked up the food, drink, papergoods
and flowers and safely delivered it all to the shelters.
Another
special thank you to the THIRD grade class who collected and made toiletry gift
packages for the attendees under the guidance of their teacher, Sue Shapiro.
Yasher Koach to Alison Wolff who collected coats,
scarves and gloves to donate to the residents of the shelters to help keep them
warm this winter.
Thanks also go to our
friends in the community, Rosemary Licari and her
staff at Court
Of
course, thanks to our servers: Cheryl, Alison and Rachel Wolff, Fred Mayer,
Debbie Mayer, Jared, Liz, Zoe and Ethan Finkelstein,
Stacye, Stu, Hannah and Jason Nekritz, Wendy, Richard and Melissa Miles,
Suzanne, Rob, Lindy and Julia
Fruithandler, Liz and Eran Vaisben, Elissa Stein and Ted, Jonah, Emma and Naomi
Listoken, Norman and Suzanne Stone, Cathy Bernstein
and Bud, Hannah and Charlotte, Freund, Josh and Mara Hammerman and Steven and Lieba Lander, and to those families who volunteered
to serve and were turned away.
Finally, thanks to
all our food and supply donors: Cathy
Bernstein, Jared Finkelstein, Suzanne Fruithandler, Ronni
Ginsburg, Cheryl Goldblum, Joy Katz, Sharon Katz, Vicki Kobliner,
Ilene Koester, Laura Markowitz, Robin Minkoff, Ellie Mirne, Stacye Nekritz, Marcy Rathman Eileen Rosner, Cathy
Satz, Marcia Shindel, Beth Silver, Elissa Stein, Liz
Vaisben, Cheryl Wolff, Nicole Zussman, Jeanne Feore and their families!
-----
Dear Friends,
As many of you know, our 7 year old son, Zev
is autistic. It is difficult to explain what it is like to be a parent of
a child who is unable to communicate and form relationships.
We pray to God EVERY DAY that we can find the answers to help
bring him into “our world” and that we have the strength to be the best parents
we can be.
We crave his new words and celebrate each one.
We reward him every time he makes eye contact.
We describe in detail to him EVERYTHING that we do from washing
dishes to tying our shoes.
We calm him down when we have to make a u-turn or when we can’t
find a parking space.
We prepare special foods for him without gluten, dairy, soy and
nuts and apples. (His allergies are far too many).
We inject him with the vitamins he needs because he can’t tolerate
most vegetables.
We hire speech, occupational, physical and behavioral therapists to
work with him throughout the week.
We attend conferences and are up-to-date with the latest Autism
information.
And yet – we don’t have the answers.
Autism is the second most common developmental disorder in the
Walk Now for Autism is our chance to make a difference in the fight
against autism by raising money for autism research and heightening public
awareness. Please join us in our fight as we raise $ 15,000 to help fund
essential research. You can donate to Walk Now for Autism and join our team
online through our webpage at www.walknowforautism.org. Donations can also be
mailed to Autism Speaks using the donation form located on our page or send me
a check made out to Autism Speaks. Our team name is Beth David Congregation.
Please note this on your check and the donation form.
Please join us in our fight against autism. Thank you for making a
difference in the lives of the more than 1 million Americans living with autism
today.
Sincerely,
Cantor Julie
Jacobs
American
Jewish World Service
Volunteer
Summer 2008
AJWS Volunteer Summer is a dynamic yearlong program that weaves together an in-depth exploration of international development through work and study. Beginning with a seven-week intensive summer experience abroad, the program provides students, aged 16-24, with the opportunity to make an impact in the world. This includes:
- Living in rural communities in the developing
world.
- Learning about local traditions and
international development.
- Exploring social justice within a pluralistic
Jewish group.
- Working on service projects such as digging a
potable water system; constructing an elementary school;
or creating a model farm.
- Engaging in skill building and networking
throughout the year.
Following the summer, participants continue their service in the Domestic
Yearlong Program through retreats and projects that continue to develop their
skills as advocates for human rights.
Locations: Central America, Africa and
Program Dates: June 22 – August 13 2008
Application Deadline: February 1, 2008
For more information, including a downloadable application:
Web: www.ajws.org/service
E-mail: volunteer@ajws.org
Telephone: 212.792.2919
BE PART OF
ANOTHER COMMUNITY FIRST AT
BETH EL
REMEMBERS
L’dor vador
… past, present and future
Our past has done so much to make us who we are as Temple Beth El
… yet we know so
little about TBE’s and individual congregants’ past glories within the
Our future will no doubt be very bright, with many of us involved
… yet, will our grandchildren and their grandchildren even know what we’ve done … or how to further our work for the benefit of themselves, the congregation in their time and the community?
The Temple’s Trustees have authorized a new committee to solve these challenges and exploit new opportunities, and appointed a part president to chair it (Fred Golove) We are currently the only congregation in the community that has formalized a standing committee to REMEMBER, with a mission to help its congregation strategically. .
And YOU can be involved … listen, enjoy and/or work!!!
BETH EL REMEMBERS (our historical preservation and dissemination committee) has been formed and will hold its kickoff meeting on Wednesday night, January 9, 2008, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The meeting will be held in downtown Stamford at the local Jewish Archives, an operation of the Jewish Historical Society of Lower Fairfield County, where we will be joined by the JHS’s Archivist and its world class Historian. The JHS Archives has a large TBE Collection and we will spend some fun time looking through and understanding it. We will then start into our major business of planning the Committee’s work.
All interested adults including teenagers who are b’nai
mitzvah are invited to this meeting. Space for this first meeting is limited
because of the ample but somewhat limited meeting facilities at the Archives.
Please call Steve Landers at the
Bar/Bat Mitzvah Projects:
Keep watching
for projects to appear in this space….
SPORTS AND
SPORTSMANSHIP
from the Jewish
Ethicist
Visit The Jewish Ethicist Archive
As we head into a
key weekend in the NFL playoffs,
a reminder about
the essence of sportsmanship…
Try to imagine the
scenario described below occurring tomorrow in
Try to place this
message into the context of baseball’s steroids scandal.
We have a long way
to go….
Q. If I know my opponent deserved a
point and lost it due to the referee's error,
should I rectify the injustice by
throwing the next point?
In order to answer this question,
we have to examine the role of sports in our culture, and of sportsmanship in
sports.
In sports, more than in any other
area of life, the ostensible objective is completely artificial. If our true
objective were to sink the ball into the basket, we would just get a ladder. If
we really wanted to circle the course as fast as we could, we would doff our
running shoes and hop on a motorcycle. The entire object of sports and games is
to establish a conventional and artificial task, which we then "pretend"
is real in order to develop our physical well-being, sharpen our skills,
improve teamwork, provide an outlet for competitive desires, and so on.
The problem is that we may get so carried away with the charade that we forget the
original aim. Spitballs, steroids and the like advance the fake objectives
but irreparably harm the real object of the game. The solution is the
ethical ideal of sportsmanship. Good sportsmanship is meant to ensure that the
original, constructive goal of competition remains foremost. Someone who puts
winning before earnest competition is unsportsmanlike, and ruins the game for
everyone.
I think this approach solves your
question. A sincere but mistaken
referee's call is good luck for you, bad luck for your opponent. Luck is an
unavoidable part of life, and of sports. Blowing
a point in response would promote the ostensible goal of the game, equitable
allocation of points, at the expense of the real goal, which is to have all
participants give their best at all times.
This seemingly trivial bit of
"sports ethics" has a more serious message. The dual nature of sports
has a parallel in economic life. The competitive market system is based on
competing for money, but this is a fake objective. The true objective is to
organize the productive resources of society for the benefit of all. Business ethics is meant to ensure that the
original, constructive goal of economic development doesn't
get swallowed up by the wholly artificial goal of making money.
This parallel was eloquently
expressed by the original theorist of markets, Adam Smith, who wrote in
"Theory of Moral Sentiments" that "in the race for wealth and
honors and preferments, every man may run as hard as
he can, and strain every nerve and muscle, in order to outstrip all his competitors.
But if he should jostle or throw down any of them, the indulgence of the
spectators is entirely at an end. It is a violation of fair play, which they
cannot admit of."
This message is exemplified in a
fascinating and very famous story in the Talmud. When the Roman Empire
conquered the
"Rebbe
Yehuda opened by saying, How worthy are the acts of
this nation: they built marketplaces, they built bridges, they built
bathhouses. Rebbe Yossi kept silent. Rebbe Shimon replied, saying: All that they built, they built only for
themselves. They built marketplaces as a place for prostitutes; bathhouses,
in order to pamper themselves; bridges in order to collect tolls." (1)
The kind of selfishness Rebbe Shimon is protesting is not that the marketplaces and
bridges were built for utilitarian purposes, and not out of purely
philanthropic interest. Judaism doesn't condemn people for advancing their self
interest. He doesn't say, the Romans are not worthy of praise because they
built marketplaces to trade and bridges to provide convenient transportation
for themselves. This would be understandable.
Rebbe Shimon's criticism is that even
the underlying utilitarian goal was not foremost. The Romans were not
interested in healthy trade, but rather in debauchment; they were not
interested in transportation, but only in enriching themselves. They did promote
economic development, but what really interested them was a mere side effect. Rebbe Shimon risked the wrath of the Roman authorities to
emphasize that this is an illegitimate approach to development.
In business, like in sports,
keeping score is a legitimate and valuable way of motivating people and
inducing them to give their best. But just as sportsmanship in games reminds us
that winning is not what's ultimately important, business ethics reminds us
that we don't win the game of life by
accumulating the most "monopoly money," but rather by doing the
most good with our God-given talents.
SOURCES: (1) Babylonian Talmud
Shabbat 33b.
(thanks
to the CT Valley Region of the USCJ for sending these valuable links)
History
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) - Guide to the Mid-East
peace process
http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/peace%20process/guide%20to%20the%20peace%20process/
(MFA) The Peace Process: Key speeches by Israeli leaders http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/peace%20process/key%20speeches/