Page 1 עד כאן Bet David, Morningside Ad Kan

Rabbi Adrian M Schell ………… .Rabbi Julia Margolis Rabbi Hillel Avidan, Emeritus

Bet David Weekly News עד כאן Ad Kan Shabbat Kedoshim [06/07 May 2016 – 28/29 Nisan 5776]

Thursday 05 May - 18.00-19.30 “The Prayers of our Siddur”– class with Rabbi Schell (Foyer) Friday 06 May – 18.00 Kabbalat Shabbat Service; FFF Supper co-sponsored by Ron & Michelle Klipin and Carolina, Padraic & Samara Churba-Doyle follows in the Rondavel for those who have pre-booked; 18.00 Youth Activities with Kendyll (Youth Centre) Saturday 07 May – 08.30 Cheder; 08.45 Torah Breakfast with Rabbi Schell; 10.00 Shabbat Morning Service; 10.00 Parallel Yoga-Shabbat Service with Karen Turis and Rabbi Margolis; followed by a b’rachah (sponsor welcome); 10.00 Children’s Service and Activities with Kendyll (Youth Centre) Tuesday 10 May – 18.30 Yom Hazikaron commemoration. At Yeshiva College Campus, Glenhazel, Johannesburg. For further information, please see attachment. Thursday 12 May – 18.00-19.30 “The Prayers of our Siddur”– class with Rabbi Schell (Foyer) Friday 13 May – 18.00 Kabbalat Shabbat Service; 18.00 Youth Activities with Kendyll (Youth Centre). Saturday 14 May – 08.30 Cheder; 08.45 Torah Breakfast with Rabbi Schell; 10.00 Shabbat Morning Service, followed by a b’rachah (sponsor welcome); 10.00 Children’s Service and Activities with Kendyll (Youth Centre/Garden)

YOUTH ACTIVITIES AND SHABBAT SERVICES Join Kendyll this Friday at 18.00 for great fun activities (age 5 to 10) and on Shabbat morning for her children’s service from 10.00 to 11.00 followed by fun activities till 12.00. We are looking forward to seeing you!

Yoga Service This Saturday, 07 May, we continue with our Yoga-Shabbat-Service parallel to our regular Shabbat morning service at 10.00. Join Rabbi Margolis and Kundalini Yoga instructor, Karen Turis for this special service in the Bet David Garden weather permitting (or in the Middleton Hall if it rains). Please bring a warm sweater and a yoga-mattress or blanket with you.

Bet David Kehillah’s Omer Project Counting of the Omer began on Sunday, 24 April for 50 days in support of Kehillah’s Feeding Schemes. Place your name and those of your loved ones on the list to donate one day’s food parcel for only R100 to Kehillah. Sign up on the sheet on the notice board in the Bet David Foyer, or call the shul office. EFT to Bet David Sisterhood, Nedbank Sandton Account 1970476214, branch 197005. Thank you for your great support!

CSO SECURITY ADVICE If you think you are being followed in your car, never drive home. Rather go to a well-lit and well- populated area, such as a petrol station, shopping centre or police station and ask for help.

Bet David Kehillah Celebrate a Simcha with your community - for information call the office 011 7837117. Monthly Feeding Schemes Food Collection – Sunday 22 May at Pick n Pay Hyde Park, Morningside and South Road. Please contact Lesley Rosenberg 0832366823 if you can help for an hour or more. Please also continue to place non-perishable groceries in the trommel in the foyer for our feeding schemes.

Page 2 עד כאן Bet David, Morningside Ad Kan Pesach at Bet David This year’s communal seder was for sure one of the two highlights of our festival services and activities we offered at Bet David. The other highlight was the children’s seder Kendyll led for our children. No doubt, both sederim only had been so successful, because it was a teamwork of so many extraordinary people. Our thanks go especially to Cynthia Rosen, for everything she did to make the Seder such a success - the planning, schlepping, shopping and organising. The meal was outstanding - thanks goes to Neria in the kitchen, Justice and Sipho for their ‘behind the scenes’ hard work and Michelle Eliason’s tireless help on the evening. The home-made ice-cream from Monica Solomon was delicious. Thank you to both our Rabbi’s for leading the seder on Saturday night and Kendyll and her mother, Sue Jacobson (and Rabbi Schell) for the fantastic fun chocolate seder on Sunday. Last but not least, a big thank you to all our congregants who joined the sederim and the services during the festival.

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Pesach 5776 - 2016

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Please save the date!

Mazal Tov Daniella Beswick who celebrated her Bat Mitzvah last Shabbat in CT, to her grandmother Sandra Beswick and parents Eric and Mel Beswick; Pam Rosenberg on obtaining her degree in BA Social Sciences (Unisa); Happy birthday to all who have birthdays during the week 02 - 08 May – Padraic Doyle; Sharon Margo; Melanie Bailey; Mark Rubin; Ben Milner; Michael Echakowitz; Emily Kark; Dr Cyril Donninger; Daniella Broomberg; Children under 14 under – Daniella Abrahams; Molly Horan.

Thank you for recent donations General – FFF Supper co-sponsored by Ron and Michelle Klipin in honour of Ron’s upcoming birthday and Carolina and Samara Doyle in honour of Padraic’s birthday; Darren Winer and Catherine Rainsford for sponsoring the b’rachah on 30 April. Yahrzeit – Myrna Margo in memory of Issy and Sarah Leibov; Cynthia Rosen in memory of Graham Balcomb. Birthday chocolates (April) – Steven Solomon in honour of his birthday.

Speedy Recovery-Refuah Shleimah Leah Livni; Arthur Kruger; Bev Kroll; Brett Steingo; Fred Plein; Garth Sueltz; Greg Jordan; Nina Joselowitz; Ruth Jordan; Sonya Leiman; Cliff and Ann Paine. Please contact Glynnis to report illness and advise whether you would like a visit from one of our Rabbis.

Weekly Yahrzeits Barbara Novick remembered by Stephen Melamed; Martin Gordon remembered by Cynthia Rosen; Brian Abrahams remembered by Gideon Abrahams; Eileen Isaacs remembered by Merle Oshry; Alan Rose remembered by Madeleine Rose-Hicklin; Fay Van Venrooij remembered by Laurie Fineberg; David Alkin remembered by Darryl Egnal; Richard Hamburger remembered by Gerald Kann; Joseph Goodman remembered by Carol Cowan and Alan Goodman; Robert Margolis remembered by Greg Margolis; Sarah Leibov remembered by Myrna Margo; Lester Fuchs remembered by Alan Fuchs; Lawrence (Lawrie) Bengis remembered by Helen Kaplan, Philippa Glogauer, Zoe Sevitz and Greg Bengis; Sonya Kaplan remembered by Stephen Kaplan.

Page 5 עד כאן Bet David, Morningside Ad Kan Condolences to Antonio Coreejes on the passing of his grandmother, Rika Smit Cynthia Rosen on the passing of her aunt, Edna Smithard Zichronam livracha, may their memory be for a blessing

Report from ManCom Members of the new Management Committee are: Jenny Correia; Michael Eliason; Neebashnee Kristnasamy; Steven Solomon; Brett Steingo; Desmond Sweke; Geoff Van Flymen; Darren Winer; Bet David Kehillah - Cynthia Rosen and Gail Scheuble. The first meeting of the new ManCom is on Wednesday 18 May 2016 at 18.00.

South African Association of Progressive Rabbis (SAAPR) - A Statement on Yom HaShoah and Kol Ishah As we prepare to remember the tragedy of the Shoah on Thursday, the SAAPR renews its request to the Board of Deputies to remove their ban on the voices of women singing at the ceremony. Silencing women does not increase the inclusivity of this ceremony, it makes what should be a tribute to those who died in an instrument of repression. Recognising that there are those in the community who hold that “the Voice of a Woman is Nakedness” we believe that there are numerous ways to accommodate those who should attend without their religious practice being compromised, and we call upon the Board to use the options available to them to ensure that all can participate.

RABBI MARGOLIS’ WEEKLY COLUMN This week my colleague Rabbi Saar Shaked wrote his thoughts about the issue of banning women singing and I wanted to share it with you:

“We should all hope that this week’s Yom HaShoah ceremony is the last one where women are banned from singing. The continuation of this situation is an embarrassment for South African Jews. The Board of Deputies has rejected all attempts to compromise outside of court – including the offer that a woman will sing only the anthems at the end or that an independent mediation will take place. Maybe for the first time in this country, Jews are going to have to ask the state to decide in an internal dispute. This could have been avoided if the voice of the majority of South African Jews, who are not comfortable with this kind of discrimination, was heard. It is no secret that an ultra-Orthodox minority have managed to seize power in Jewish communities around the globe. What ten years ago was the demand of a few extremists has made its way into the mainstream. And there are other issues, too, around female dress codes: the latest case in the news is a water park where girls were asked to use the slides with their clothes on rather than with swim suits. Or the IDF memorial day in the city of Sderot where women are now, suddenly, not allowed to sing. We still hear regularly about discrimination against women in public transport and on flights. Unfortunately for EL AL, they were sued this February by Renee Rabinowitz, an 81 years old Holocaust survivor, who was asked to move seats on a flight because an ultra-Orthodox man refused to sit beside her. Sadly, it is undeniable that public space in has become more and more constrained for women. We might have hoped that these methods would not infiltrate South Africa. It is sad that the rabbinic leadership is playing a divisive role rather than inclusive and uniting one. It doesn’t have to be like that. Many South African Jews remember the times of late chief Rabbi Cyril Harris who would never allow such a deterioration. However, this struggle to allow women’s voices to be heard will not be determined in court nor by any chief rabbi. It will be sorted out finally when the silent majority have had enough of this mockery in the name of Judaism. The right “not to be offended by women’s voices” must not be allowed to overcome the right of those voices to be heard.” Wishing you Shabbat Shalom! Rabbi Julia Margolis

Page 6 עד כאן Bet David, Morningside Ad Kan You shall be holy, for I, the Eternal your Torah Reading for Shabbat Kedoshim God, am holy Leviticus 19:1-20:27 The word kadosh is usually translated as (Reading Lev. 19:1 - 25; P p.798; H p.497); "holy," as in the Holy Land, the Holy of Haftarah: 1 Samuel 20:18-42 (P 1495; H p.948) Holies, the Holy Ark, and the High Holy Parashat Kedoshim, which means “holiness” Days. Three times a day, in the K'dushah lists those ritual and ethical laws that, if part of the Amidah, the standing prayer, followed, will make the Jewish people a “holy” we say "Holy, Holy, Holy is Adonai people. Tz'vaot," which is one of God's names (Isaiah 6:3). Shabbat Torah Study with Rabbi Schell is also called Shabbat Kodesh--the holy Sabbath. The prayer every Shabbat morning at 08h45 we say to sanctify time on Friday evening is the Kiddush, a Podcast of Rabbi Schell’s weekly Sermons Tuesdays on Radio Today (10h30) or: word directly related to kadosh, "holy." And this week's http://goo.gl/LsHQrY. Torah portion is called Kedoshim, the plural of kadosh. Clearly, the word kadosh--holy--appears over and over again in our tradition. And yet, what does this common word actually mean when we say it? Do we think about its meaning? Do we understand its implications? I do believe that this week's parashah opens the doors to a better understanding of what the word "holy" can mean for us. The portion begins with the words "The Eternal One spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the whole Israelite community and say to them". So, it is clear that what follows is meant for all of the Israelites--not just the priests, not just the leaders, not just the men, not just the adults. Everyone was to be addressed! So what are the words that are so important that everyone must hear them? Here is what follows: "You shall be holy, for I, the Eternal your God, am holy" (Leviticus 19:2). What an inspiring message. We shall be like God. We shall be holy because God is holy. What follows our somewhat astonishing sentence about being holy, is an extensive list of commandments, some of which I will summarise here: We are told to revere our parents, keep Shabbat, not turn to idols, take care of the poor, and not steal, lie, or profane God's name. There are warnings about defrauding people, abusing those with disabilities, and treating strangers badly, and we are instructed to pay workers immediately after their work is completed. We cannot eat the fruit of a tree until it is four years old and we should not eat blood. There are many laws about sexual relations included here as well. But perhaps the most famous rule in this part of Leviticus is "Love your fellow as yourself" (Leviticus 19:18). I would argue that these laws provide us with a clear definition of the word "holy," at least for human beings. In short, if we want to be holy like God is holy, we can certainly understand this parashah as a guide to achieving that status. Observe these commandments and you will be holy! If we read this Torah portion carefully and figure out which of these commandments can fit into our lives, our lives will be greatly enriched and maybe, just maybe, we will get a taste--and only a taste--of what being holy like God can mean. Shabbat Shalom Rabbi Adrian M Schell (Source: http://www.reformjudaism.org/)

SHABBAT SERVICES & EVENTS FRIDAY EVENING 18:00 Kabbalat Shabbat Service; KIDS’ CLUB YOUTH ACTIVITIES 18:00 - 19.00 for ages 3–10 weekly with Kendyll, excl. Family Services BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS—Last Friday of every month 27 May FAMILY SERVICE 18:00— 27 May; 17 June SHABBAT MORNING: 08:30 - 12.00 CHEDER – Term 2: 09 April – 18 June 08.45 TORAH BREAKFAST WITH RABBI SCHELL — every Saturday 10:00 SHABBAT SHACHARIT SERVICE, B’rachah follows in the Rondavel 10:00 YOGA-SHABBAT SERVICE: 07 May; 04 June 10.00 - 11.00 CHILDREN’S SERVICE; 11.00 - 12.00 YOUTH ACTIVITIES every Saturday with Kendyll THURSDAY NIGHT LITURGY CLASS with Rabbi Schell – Thursdays at 18.00 – 19.30; 05 May Rabbi Adrian M Schell – [email protected]; Rabbi Julia Margolis – [email protected] Tel: +27 11 7837117 / Office hours 09.00 – 14.30 (Mon-Thurs) 09.00 –13.00 (Fri & Erev Yom Tov) [email protected] (Diane) / [email protected] (Glynnis) [email protected] (Sharon) / [email protected] (Kendyll) www.betdavid.org.za / http://www.facebook.com/BetDavidSandton Emergency: CSO 0861800018; Hatzolah Medical Rescue 0832221818/[email protected]; Shalom Bayit 011 6452591; CAP 0861 227 227 / 0861 CAP CAP, to report any suspicious activity