Shabbat Hachodesh
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A Guide to Our Shabbat Morning Service
Torah Crown – Kiev – 1809 Courtesy of Temple Beth Sholom Judaica Museum Rabbi Alan B. Lucas Assistant Rabbi Cantor Cecelia Beyer Ofer S. Barnoy Ritual Director Executive Director Rabbi Sidney Solomon Donna Bartolomeo Director of Lifelong Learning Religious School Director Gila Hadani Ward Sharon Solomon Early Childhood Center Camp Director Dir.Helayne Cohen Ginger Bloom a guide to our Endowment Director Museum Curator Bernice Cohen Bat Sheva Slavin shabbat morning service 401 Roslyn Road Roslyn Heights, NY 11577 Phone 516-621-2288 FAX 516- 621- 0417 e-mail – [email protected] www.tbsroslyn.org a member of united synagogue of conservative judaism ברוכים הבאים Welcome welcome to Temple Beth Sholom and our Shabbat And they came, every morning services. The purpose of this pamphlet is to provide those one whose heart was who are not acquainted with our synagogue or with our services with a brief introduction to both. Included in this booklet are a history stirred, and every one of Temple Beth Sholom, a description of the art and symbols in whose spirit was will- our sanctuary, and an explanation of the different sections of our ing; and they brought Saturday morning service. an offering to Adonai. We hope this booklet helps you feel more comfortable during our service, enables you to have a better understanding of the service, and introduces you to the joy of communal worship. While this booklet Exodus 35:21 will attempt to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about the synagogue and service, it cannot possibly anticipate all your questions. Please do not hesitate to approach our clergy or regular worshipers with your questions following our services. -
“Cliff Notes” 2021-2022 5781-5782
Jewish Day School “Cliff Notes” 2021-2022 5781-5782 A quick run-down with need-to-know info on: • Jewish holidays • Jewish language • Jewish terms related to prayer service SOURCES WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE INFORMATION FOR THIS BOOKLET WAS TAKEN FROM: • www.interfaithfamily.com • Living a Jewish Life by Anita Diamant with Howard Cooper FOR MORE LEARNING, YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN THE FOLLOWING RESOURCES: • www.reformjudaism.org • www.myjewishlearning.com • Jewish Literacy by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin • The Jewish Book of Why by Alfred J. Kolatch • The Jewish Home by Daniel B. Syme • Judaism for Dummies by Rabbi Ted Falcon and David Blatner Table of Contents ABOUT THE CALENDAR 5 JEWISH HOLIDAYS Rosh haShanah 6 Yom Kippur 7 Sukkot 8 Simchat Torah 9 Chanukah 10 Tu B’Shevat 11 Purim 12 Pesach (Passover) 13 Yom haShoah 14 Yom haAtzmaut 15 Shavuot 16 Tisha B’Av 17 Shabbat 18 TERMS TO KNOW A TO Z 20 About the calendar... JEWISH TIME- For over 2,000 years, Jews have juggled two calendars. According to the secular calendar, the date changes at midnight, the week begins on Sunday, and the year starts in the winter. According to the Hebrew calendar, the day begins at sunset, the week begins on Saturday night, and the new year is celebrated in the fall. The secular, or Gregorian calendar is a solar calendar, based on the fact that it takes 365.25 days for the earth to circle the sun. With only 365 days in a year, after four years an extra day is added to February and there is a leap year. -
Kehilat Nitzan B'nei Mitzvah Thank You for Your Decision to Celebrate the Bar/Bat Mitzvah for Your Son/Daughter at Kehilat Nitzan
Office: 36-40 Hawthorn Road, Caulfield North 3161 P O Box 2313, Caulfield Junction Phone: (03) 9500 0906 [email protected] ABN: 55 2 03 600 905 Kehilat Nitzan B'nei Mitzvah Thank you for your decision to celebrate the bar/bat mitzvah for your son/daughter at Kehilat Nitzan. Becoming a bar or bat mitzvah is a very special occasion for the child and family (a simcha). Kehilat Nitzan is pleased to be able to provide a rich and meaningful way to celebrate this occasion. The following provides information regarding the requirements and procedures for becoming a bar or bat mitzvah. Membership in Kehilat Nitzan The family (including both parents) of the bar/bat mitzvah child must be financial members of Kehilat Nitzan for at least full year prior to the date the simcha falls. Any financial difficulties may be discussed with our treasurer or executive administrator in strict confidence. The bar/bat mitzvah child must be Jewish according to halachic (Jewish law) guidelines, meaning his/her mother must be Jewish by birth or by conversion (before having the child). Otherwise, the child must have converted. The Date In accordance with halachah, the bar/bat mitzvah ceremony must take place after a boy’s 13th birthday and after a girl’s 12th birthday. At the family’s discretion, girls have the option of having their bat mitzvah after their 13th birthday. Please contact the office to determine the intended date and the name of the parasha (weekly Torah portion). Please note that while we will make every effort to schedule a date as close to the birthday as possible, due to Jewish festivals or other events the date may not be immediately after your child’s 13th or 12th birthday. -
This Week's Torah Portion
Parashat Va’etchanan THIS WEEK’S TORAH PORTION DEUTERONOMY 3:23-7:11 תרפש נחאות ן / Parashat Va’etchanan In this week’s guide… Our COMMENTARY from Rabbi Jason starts at Mount Sinai, when the Lord gave Israel the Ten Commandments on two tablets and brings us all the way through the destruction of not one, but two Temples—truly tragic events. What is the connection between the two tablets and the two Temples? The somber day known on the Jewish calendar known as Tisha B’Av sits at the heart of the matter: the connection that can exist between pain and unfaithfulness to God’s Law........... .................1 In this week’s NEW TESTAMENT TIE-IN we are taken up to the top of another mountain: Pisgah. Here, Moses found himself staring across the desert into the Promised Land…a place he would never set his feet. It’s a heartbreaking story of consequence and commissioning in which Moses’ appeal is denied and Joshua is charged to cross the Jordan River, bringing Israel into her destiny. More than a thousand years later, a Prophet “greater than Moses” would find Himself atop a mountain in that Promised Land. A truly incredible connection that brings the goodness of God full-circle...........................................................................................................2 BY THE NUMBERS considers the most significant passage in this week’s Torah portion: the Shema. The prayer, “Hear O Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD is One” has been on the lips of God’s people for millennia, but it also contains significant numerological meaning. In Western culture, people commonly think negatively about the number “13.” It’s considered “unlucky” by many. -
Parashat Ha'azinu Is the 53Rd Weekly Torah Portion in Our Annual Cycle
Parashat Ha'Azinu is the 53rd weekly Torah portion in our annual cycle. It’s always read on the Shabbat between Rosh Hasahana and Sukkot. Named for the very first word in the parsha, Ha”Azinu, literally means “lend an ear” or “listen” when speaking to more than one person. Nearly the entire reading today consists of a 70-line song delivered by Moses to the Israelites on the last day of his earthly life. (I know we have been saying good-bye to Moses for awhile now…but this is really it.) In the Torah, the words of this parsha are structured in a distinctive two- column format which reflects the poetic nature of this text, known as Shirat Haazinu or the Song of Moses. Within his parting words, Moses words will deliver three things: an indictment of the Israelites' sins over the past 40 years, a prophecy of their punishment, and finally, a promise of God's ultimate redemption. As an interesting aside, the Rabbis of old counted 10 songs in all of Torah. Few, and special, they are kind of an ancient Hebrew “top 10 list”. One is the song the Israelites were instructed to recite at the first Passover in Egypt, a hymn of Thanksgiving. The second is the Song of the Sea sung by our ancestors after safely passing through the Sea of Reeds and realizing in jubilation they were finally free. Another of the songs was sung by the Israelites at the well in the wilderness. These are songs of survival. The fourth is the Song of Moses, today’s parsha, literally a swan song. -
Keshet Pride Shabbat Sermon Guide
Keshet Pride Shabbat Sermon Guide Developed for Keshet by Leora Spitzer The goal of this guide is to provide some suggestions, themes, and resources for clergy planning to give a sermon about or related to Pride Month. “Queer joy is revolutionary. Protect every spark and feed it until it catches and ignites. Having a moment of delight or pleasure doesn’t make your fury less real, it makes it more sustainable.” ~S. Bear Bergman • Questions and Themes by Parsha / Weekly Torah Portion: o Shlach L’kha. In this portion, the spies report that “we looked like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and so we must have seemed to them.” How can we avoid making anyone feel like “grasshoppers?” How do we ensure that everyone in our communities feels seen and valued? (Num:13:3) We repeat Numbers 14:18 and 14:20 over and over throughout the Yom Kippur liturgy. How can we think about this model of accountability, forgiveness, and relationship in the context of reckoning with institutional homophobia, transphobia, and queerphobia? o Korach Korach frames his rebellion as an act of solidarity and allyship with regular Israelites, but many commentators understand it as motivated by his own personal desire for power. What can we learn from this story about how to be a good ally and truly stand in solidarity with marginalized people? God plans to punish the whole community for Korach’s rebellion, but Moses and Aaron argue that it’s unfair to hold everyone accountable for one person’s actions. God gives the people an opportunity to distance themselves from Korach before everyone in his vicinity is swallowed by the earth. -
The Sabbatical Year: from the Practical to the Mystical
Behar The Sabbatical Year: From the Practical to the Mystical The Torah portion of Behar deals exclusively with the Shemittah (Sabbatical year), which falls every seven years, and the Yovel (the Jubilee year), which takes place every fifty years. The concept of Shemittah and the elucidation of its laws were considered so important that Shemittah is the only commandment to have an entire weekly Torah portion devoted to it. While the Sabbbatical year had fallen into disuse from both a conceptual and practical perspective over the last two thousand since the destruction of the Temple and the subsequent exile, in the last century renewed Jewish settlement of the Land of Israel has made it necessary to again observe and contemplate the practical and deeper implications of the seventh year. The single most important idea to grasp about Shemittah is that practically, spiritually, and even mystically, it is the cornerstone of Torah society. Like all the other mitzvot the Sabbatical year is ultimately meant to manifest and fulfill Judaism’s spiritual values, underscoring the fact that in Judaism religious practice and belief are not divorced from daily life. Loving and honoring God goes hand in hand with loving one’s fellow man, and in fact the two are dependant on one another. The primary spiritual message that the Sabbatical year teaches is that all human striving and achievement must be in tune with the Divine cycle and plan for humankind. Just as we are commanded to work for six days and rest on the seventh day, likewise we are commanded to work the land for six years and on the seventh allow ourselves and the land to rest. -
Download PDF File
THIS WEEK’S TORAH PORTION DEUTERONOMY 3:23-7:11 Parashat Va’etchanan / ) ( &$' % "#$ ! In this week’s guide… Rabbi Jason’s COMMENTARY digs down deep into the most foundational of all Jewish prayers (which appears in this week’s parashat): the Shema. Typically, this prayer is both the first and the last one in the lips of the Jewish people, in early childhood and at the moment of their passing. We not only learn the theological significance of this prayer, we go deeper into the typographical significance the Shema has in the Torah scroll. Fascinating and equipping content! Our NEW TESTAMENT TIE-IN considers Moses’ opening words to the younger generation, the one about to enter the Promised Land. After he described the tragic moment of the Twelve Spies and Israel’s military victories, Moses revisited the original encounter with YHWH at Mount Sinai. One phrase he includes in that description transports us to the Gospels and Yeshua’s testimony about Himself. We have the grace to live into our calling, much like that younger generation did when they conquered Canaan. BY THE NUMBERS invites us on a journey into our own past experiences with the Lord…with an eye on the future! The significance of the numerical values that Rabbi Jason pulls out of the distinct scribal typography in the Hebrew Torah scrolls will amaze you. If you’re longing for a fresh touch of heaven on your life, to see God “do it again”—study this article closely (and follow up with our reflection questions at the end!). -
2020 Jewish Resources for the Service
2020 Children’s Sabbath Reimagining Our Future: Justice and Joy for All Children Jewish Resources for the Service Jewish Resources for Children’s Shabbat, appropriate for any year, are available here: https://www.childrensdefense.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Childrens-Sabbath-JEWISH.pdf. In addition to those resources, the following resources are offered for the 2020 Children’s Shabbat, “Reimaging Our Future: Justice and Joy for All Children.” The multifaith National Observance of Children’s Sabbath weekend (October 16-18 this year) joins places of worship across the religious spectrum in prayer, education, and action to catalyze new, long-term action for justice. In addition to planning an emphasis on Children’s Shabbat in your services, please check out the 2020 Children’s Sabbath education and action resources. https://www.childrensdefense.org/search/?_sf_s=2020%20Children%E2%80%99s%20 Sabbath%20education%20and%20action%20resources The 2020 National Observance of Children’s Sabbaths is focusing on voter education and turnout, mindful, as CDF founder Marian Wright Edelman says, that “children can’t vote, but we can.” Two excellent voter engagement efforts in the Jewish community are: The National Council of Jewish Women Promote the Vote, Protect the Vote https://www.ncjw.org/act/action-resources/voter- engagement/ and The Union of Reform Judaism’s Every Voice, Every Vote https://rac.org/ rac-civic-engagement-campaign-2020-1. Be sure to connect with them for your Children’s Shabbat. Prayers and Readings for Children’s Shabbat: A Prayer for Lighting Shabbat Candles Each week at this hour descending into darkness I return to You, my arms laden with prayers. -
The Shabbat Bar/Bat Mitzvah Service
חֲנְֹך לַנַעַר עַל־פִּידַרְ ּכֹו גַם ּכִּ י־יַזְקִּ ין לֹא־יָסּור מִּ מֶּ נָה “Train up a child in the way he should go and even when he is old he will not depart from it.” – Proverbs 22:6 Guidebook for Bar / Bat Mitzvah Shelter Rock Jewish Center Prepared June 2014 Updated for website August 2016 272 Shelter Rock Road • Roslyn, NY 11576 516-741-4305 • www.srjc.org TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 5 NOTES FROM RABBI COHEN .................................................................................................. 6 BAR/BAT MITZVAH TRAINING WITH CANTOR ........................................................................ 7 A SHORT HISTORY OF THE BAR/BAT MITZVAH ....................................................................... 8 GOALS OF THE BAR/BAT MITZVAH PROGRAM. .................................................................... 10 REQUIREMENTS FOR SHABBAT MORNING BAR/BAT MITZVAH AT SRJC ................................ 12 THE DATE ............................................................................................................................ 12 THE BAR/BAT MITZVAH AT SRJC .......................................................................................... 15 The Shabbat Bar / Bat Mitzvah Service ................................................................................................................. 16 Weekdays when Torah is read .............................................................................................................................. -
The Public Reading of Scripture in Early Judaism
JETS 50/3 (September 2007) 467–87 THE PUBLIC READING OF SCRIPTURE IN EARLY JUDAISM michael graves* i. introduction The public reading of Scripture has long been a central component of Jewish practice. The special significance of this component lies partly in its great antiquity: the communal reading of Scripture is pre-rabbinic, and its earliest attestations, even in rabbinic literature, provide a unique glimpse into the world of first-century Judaism. Beyond this, however, the public reading of Scripture is also significant because of the ways in which the Rabbis them- selves shaped and formed the practices that they inherited. Much can be learned about the theology of rabbinic Judaism from the Rabbis’ appropria- tion and development of Scripture reading as part of the liturgy. The study of ancient Jewish liturgy has a special significance for students of early Christianity. It is generally accepted that specific elements of early Christian worship can best be understood in light of the Jewish practices out of which they are thought to have arisen.1 The earliest layer of material is believed to offer potential insights into the liturgical context of the NT,2 and later traditions are used for comparative purposes to trace the development of Christian liturgical practices during the patristic period.3 This approach has yielded many important insights, and there is every reason to think that the origins and development of the Scripture reading rubric in early Jewish (and later, specifically rabbinic) liturgy will have the same comparative value. Yet, the use of Jewish liturgical practices to reconstruct early Christian worship is not without difficulties. -
Yitro Spark 5780 0.Pdf
Welcome to Spark, the Tribe Parasha activity sheet that will help you bring Judaism to life in a varied and exciting way. I’d like these activities to enthuse the children and show them how the Torah given almost 3500 years ago is still as relevant and as exciting in our lives today. Thank you for offering to run a Children’s Service, for all the hard work you put into it and for making a real difference to so many young people. The US is very proud of the numerous Children’s Services that are run every week across the UK and this would not happen without you. Spark gives you an overview of the weekly Parasha, songs, an activity, discussion questions or D’var Torah linked to the Parasha or important event that week. Every Children’s Service will be different, in terms of how many participants there are, their age range, its length and the varying abilities of the children. Please read through the document and find the activities that will best suit the needs of your group. It is advisable to read it before Shabbat in case there is some preparation that may be needed in advance. I am sure the children at your shul will benefit from Spark. Please be in touch if you have any queries, feedback or if we can be of any help. Thank you again for the work you do in enabling so many young Jews to access their heritage and traditions in such an exciting way. All it takes is a small spark of interest, to ignite a flame of passion for Judaism.