7 Tevet 5779 15 December 2018 KOL MEVASSER the whom he visited. Known by the epony- ’s Message mous title Even Sapir, his two-volume opus Parashat Vayigash As our Patriarch Jacob is called describes mid-19th century Jewish communities Guest Speaker Rabbi Joobin Shemtov from to in Parashat in Egypt, , South and Southeast Asia, Torah: Gen. 44:18–47:27, 106 Pesukim Vayigash, I often think of a more and Oceania. His account of India’s Jews makes Hertz 169–177; Stone 250–267 modern Jacob who visited Egypt the book an important primary source for our Haftara: Ezek. 37:15–28 under parallel circumstances in the own congregational history at Kahal Joseph. 19th century. Though he is closer to Hertz 178–179; Stone 1144–1145 our time than his Biblical counterpart, the name Returning to Vayigash, the chapter about his Tefillot: Mashiv Haruah, Birkat Halevana of Rabbi is far less recognized. In visit to Alexandria raises complex issues that devoting this article to his story, I also hope to reach back through time to the Jews’ history of Asara Betevet probe a curious episode in our history with larg- slavery in Egypt. In 1858, Rabbi Saphir encoun- "Our brothers, the whole , er implications for Jewish morality. tered a diverse Sephardi community, whom take heed! The Fast of the Tenth Month will be he divided into the traditional Arabized poor and this Tuesday – may God turn it into a day of Rabbi Saphir was born in Oshmene (today’s the modern Westernizing elites. Describing the gladness and rejoicing!” Belarus near Lithuania) in 1822. When he was latter with a touch of disappointment, he notes 10 his family made aliya and joined the Ashke- their abandonment of in favor KJ Schedule nazim in . Tragically his parents passed of Italian, and expresses surprise that they during his teens, leaving him to be educated as owned black slaves to serve in their homes. Erev an orphan in . He showed acumen Friday, December 14th for studies, working his way up through It is this paragraph addressing Jewish slave Shabbat Candle lighting ...... 4:26 pm the ranks of the (Lithuanian Ashkena- ownership that is so jarring to modern sensibilities. Minha ...... 4:15 pm zim) until he became their Executive Director. While illegal slavery continues today in Egypt, in Kabbalat Shabbat & Arvit ...... 4:45 pm Rabbi Saphir’s day it was practiced openly and Starting in the 1840s, the Perushim began dis- with the blessing of the law. I can hardly imagine Yom Shabbat patching him as a special emissary called a what Pesah was like for modern Jews holding Saturday, December 15th “Shadar,” whose duty was to collect funds for a seder in the literal land of Egypt, complete with Shaharit ...... 8:30 am Erets Yisrael. The Jewish economy in Israel was a meal that was served by actual slaves! Keriat HaTorah ...... 10:15 am precarious, and would have collapsed without Guest Speaker, Rabbi Shemtov ...... 11:20 am external capital. Just as the Biblical Jacob The Torah’s laws replace the victimizing institution Musaf ...... 11:30 am sent to Egypt from for support, so too of chattel slavery with a much softer indenture Women’s Tehillim ...... right after kiddush did his successors in the Old find it system. The natural endpoint of that moral track Minha ...... 3:45 pm necessary to solicit contributions from abroad. would seem to be the abolishment of slavery Seuda Shelisheet ...... 4:30 pm altogether, and we tend to take that for granted Arvit ...... 5:15 pm At a time when global communication was until finding cases like this in our own recent past. Havdala ...... 5:29 pm expensive and difficult, Shadarim brought dis- While I accept that we must judge it through the connected Jewish communities back into each lens of the time, I invite you to join me in a tikkun Sunday, December 16th other’s consciousness by traveling between for this story: choose an organization devoted to Shaharit ...... 7:30 am them. Yet Rabbi Saphir stood out above the victims of human trafficking and demonstrate Talmud Torah ...... 9:45 am rest by publishing a stand-alone ethnography of what the Jews really think of it today. (Continued on page 2)

Appreciation Mazal Tov Mazal Tov Thank you to Daniel Shaye for the Daniel Goury Congratulations to the Westwood Kehilla Hanukiya, the oil and the wicks that on your Bar Mitsva on their dedication of a new Torah in we used for Hanukkah. memory of Bette Meyers, z”l. Besiman Tov to The Hakhnasa celebration lasted all day Father Sunday, and included a joyful procession Ronny Goury In Memoriam through the streets of Westwood that We remember these yahrzeit anniversaries from Sisters passed by Kahal. December 15 to 22, 2018. We light memorial candles, Maya & Yael donate tzedaka & attend Shabbat services to honor the memory of our loved ones. Grandparents Shoshanna & Shaul Goury 7 Tevet / Shabbat, December 15th Eliezer David Levy Eliezer ben David Halevi KJ Guest Speaker We take special joy in the fact that Daniel 8 Tevet / Sunday, December 16th read the entire Parasha, including the extra Rabbi Joobin Abraham Khazzoom readings from two additional Sefarim, with Shemtov Rabbi Elias Levi Eliyahu Hayim ben Shlomo Halevi accuracy and aplomb! Shabbat Day, 12/15 Max Nathan Mordechai ben Rafael Natan David Sassoon Solomon David Sasson ben Shlomo Rabbi Joobin Aaron Shemtov Reuven served as rabbi and of the Iraqi Jewish Associa- 9 Tevet / Monday, December 17th (Continued from page 1) tion in Toronto, and worked Eddie Jacob Ezra Yehezkel ben Yaacov Azoori

for the Associated Hebrew 10 Tevet / Tuesday, December 18th Schools there for more than a decade. For over Shalom Kamara Shalom ben Menashe Kamara Mon, Dec 17th, Wed-Fri, Dec 19th-21st 14 years, he has been involved with Jewish and Hayim Baruch Shalom Mingail Hayim Baruch ben Shaharit ...... 6:25 am Persian communities in California, and has led Shalom High Holy Day services for the Elite Entrepreneur Asara Betevet Organization and the Iranian American Jewish 13 Tevet / Friday, December 21st Tuesday, December 18th Cultural Organization for the past 8 years. Ester Avrahami Ester bat Gazala Fast begins ...... 5:33 am Fortuna Sinder Fortuna bat Suzan Shaharit ...... 6:05 am Born in Tehran, Rabbi Shemtov immigrated as a Minha w/Birkat Kohanim ...... 4:00 pm young man to Vienna, where he performed as a Fast ends (Sephardim) ...... 5:08 pm hazzan. In 1998, he moved to Toronto, where he Refua Shelema became involved in Jewish, Israeli and kiruv com- Fast ends (those who wait) ...... 5:28 pm Sassoon Ezra • Moselle Amron • Sally Amron munities. He supported Israel through organizations Sylvia Cohen• Esther Duke • Mehry bat Miriam Next Shabbat such as NCSY, Sephardic Outreach, and Birthright. Hakimipour •Tilda Levy • Yvonne Moalim • Florice Friday-Saturday, Dec 21-22 He graduated from York University with honors Newberry • Aliza bat Rahel • Aliza bat Victoria Shabbat Candle lighting ...... 4:29 pm and received semikha from Yeshivat Mikdash Arlette bat Rashel • Chaya Chana bat Batya • Katie Friday Minha ...... 4:15 pm Melech in Jerusalem. bat Farha• Malka bat Rahel • Miriam bat Yetta • Shaharit ...... 8:30 am Miryam bat Malka Moshe Ezra ben MazalTov Rabbi Shemtov is married to Daniela and together Simcha bat Rooha • Habiba bat Farha • Meir Ezra ben Saturday Minha ...... 3:45 pm they have three children: Shyli, Lielle, and their Rahel• Dina bat Rahel• Chaya Rachel bat Simcha Havdala ...... 5:33 pm newest addition, Liam Natanel. Rahel bat Ramah Regina•Eti Esther bat Fortuna