The Jewish Center BULLETIN JUNE 25, 2021 • 16 5781• PARSHAT BALAK SHABBAT SCHEDULE COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS EREV SHABBAT MAZEL TOV 7:00PM Minchah followed by Kabbalat Shabbat from the Judith & Walter Gadlin on the birth of a grandson, born Main Sanctuary in person and on Zoom. to parents Miriam Gadlin & Josh Yavneh. 7:15PM YL Kabbalat Shabbat 8:13PM Candle lighting COMMUNITY KIDDUSH SPONSORS Sherry & Mark Fessel in commemoration of the Yahrzeit SHABBAT of Mark's father, Harry Fessel. 8:15AM on the roof 9:15AM Shacharit in the Main Sanctuary Ruby & Joseph Gottlieb, in commemoration of the 9:11AM Sof Zman Kriat Shema Yahrzeits of Ruby's mother, Ruth Kestenbaum and Ruby's 9:30AM YL brother, Harold William Kestenbaum. 8:10PM Minchah at the JC Bosi, Yaron, Ronit & Yonatan Kinar, in honor of the Afternoon Shiur with Yoni Rabinovitch , The Story of Bilam: Are There Limitations on Free Will? friendships, warmth and support from the JC over the years. We will miss you!

9:13PM Shabbat Concludes Hanno Mott in commemoration of the Yahrzeit of Hanno's mother, Yulla Lipchitz, Yochebed bat Yonah Hacohen. DID YOU KNOW? At the end of services, congregants remain in their seats Chani & Mark Segall in commemoration of the second until the conclusion of . As the rabbi and cantor Yahrzeit of Mark's father, Bernard Segall, Dov Binyamin process down the aisles, the congregation rises. The rabbi ben Lipa Tzvi. and cantor look forward to greeting you on the receiving line on your way to Kiddush. UPCOMING EVENTS Please join Rabbi Yosie Levine WALKING BUDDIES for a special shiur on Parshat Pinchas Given recent events in and around our Thursday July 1st at 8:30PM on Zoom in neighborhood, we understand that members partnership with in Motion. may be apprehensive about venturing out Please be sure to register in advance. alone. Please let us know if you would like someone to walk with you to or from shul on Trei Asar This Summer with Ora Weinbach Sefer Hoshea Shabbat. Likewise, if you would like to volunteer either on Starting Wednesday Evenings a regular or occasional basis, please email Strum at in July 7PM-8PM [email protected].

MINYAN REMINDER Community Torah between Minchah/ on As many of our regulars are away for the summer, please Shabbat Afternoons this Summer! remember to support our daily ! July 3rd, Rabbi Eliezer Buechler, Thoughts on Monarchy for American Independence Day DAILY SERVICE TIMES July 10th, Elan Ariel, Forcing People to Do Mitzvot: How Far Can You Go? Sunday June 27 Mon. June 28 Friday July 2 July 24th, Ira Tokayer , Nachamu and the Unity of the Fast of Tammuz Thur. July 1 7:30AM Shacharit 4:14AM Fast Begins 7:30AM Shacharit 7:45AM Daf Yomi July 31st, Dr. Sharon Flatto, A Time of Mourning or a 7:45AM Daf Yomi 7:45AM Daf Yomi 7:00PM Minchah time of Joy?

8:30AM Shacharit 8:20PM Minchah 8:12PM Candle- 8:05PM Minchah lighting Visit jewishcenter.org to view our full JCU schedule and 9:01PM Fast Ends to register for all upcoming classes and events.

The Jewish Center - The Modern Orthodox Center for Jewish Life and Learning 131 W. 86th Street, New York, NY 10024 • www.jewishcenter.org • 212-724-2700 Preparing for the Three Weeks, Nine Days & Tisha B’Av Rabbi Elie Buechler

The laws of mourning guide the bereaved individual from a period of intense mourning, when the loss of a loved one is usually most deeply felt, through stages of decreasing intensity as the pain abates: the profound grieving of shivah is succeeded by the more subtle sadness of sheloshim, which is muted still further in the year-long practices of mourning observed for the loss of a parent.

Each summer, as we mourn the destruction of both Temples, we experience as a community a process exactly the opposite of the usual pattern of mourning. Instead of lessening our mourning as time goes on, we gradually increase the intensity of our sadness, beginning with the fast of Shivah Asar B’Tammuz (Sunday, June 27th) and culminating three weeks later with the deep mourning of Tisha B’Av (Motzei Shabbat, July 17th – Sunday, July 18th). Just as the personal process of mourning is marked by significant points (seven days, thirty days and a full year), so is the communal process of mourning for the Temple marked by stages. Our expressions of mourning become more apparent at each stage.

Shivah Asar B’Tammuz : We begin with the fast of Shivah Asar B’Tammuz (Sunday, June 27th) commemorating the Roman army’s breach of ’s walls – a significant step toward the ’s destruction. Starting from this day, we do not hold weddings or take haircuts. We also avoid saying the blessing of , and therefore refrain from eating new fruits and buying or wearing expensive new clothing. On each Shabbat during this period, we read a which expresses these themes and warnings of destruction.

The Month of Av : The (Ta’anit 26b) instructs us that as the month of Av begins (Shabbat, August 10th), we are to mute our sense of joy as this month brings with it the day on which both Temples were destroyed. We abstain from meat and (except on Shabbat or for the infirm) because of their association with celebration. Washing or dry cleaning clothing, other than children’s clothing and other circumstances of great necessity, is delayed until after Tisha B’Av. Freshly laundered clothing (other than undergarments and clothing for Shabbat) should not be worn until the 10th of Av. (It is recommended that clothing to be worn between 1-10 of Av be worn very briefly before the 1st of Av.) Activities for the purpose of celebration or pleasure, such as beautifying or expanding one’s home, are best suspended until after Tisha B’Av. Swimming for pleasure is avoided as well.

Tisha B’Av : Motzei Shabbat, July 17th – Sunday, July 18th, our mourning reaches its depth on Tishah B’Av itself, the day of ultimate tragedy. History has singled out this day for catastrophe: beyond the destruction of both Temples, the 9th of Av has brought many other tragic events, including the evil report of the meraglim, the scouts sent to reconnoiter the Land of . Because Tisha B’av falls on Motzei Shabbat/Sunday, a number of points should be noted. First, Shabbat remains in full force as it would on any other week. Therefore, one may consume meat and wine, wear leather shoes and sit in regular chairs throughout the day. Furthermore, no Seudah Ha-Mafseket is eaten.

The fast begins with sunset but Shabbat continues through nightfall. As a result, will be held early at 6:00PM to allow everyone to return home for Seudah Shlishit which must be completed by 8:24PM. Please note that preparation for Tisha B’av, changing shoes etc. should begin no earlier than 9:06PM. To accommodate for this restriction, Maariv will be held at 9:20PM allowing those who wish to change at home to do so. You are welcome to leave the appropriate shoes at shul before Shabbat as well. , which only includes a candle this year, will be recited in shul prior to the reading of Eicha.

Once Shabbat is over and Tisha B’av has fully begun, the following are prohibited: eating, drinking, learning Torah (other than those portions which address the destruction or the laws of mourning); applying oils, creams, or fragrances for pleasure; engaging in marital relations; bathing and wearing leather shoes.

Pregnant, nursing, and postpartum women, as well as the infirm, should seek guidance about fasting.

Because we are all mourners on Tisha B’Av, we behave accordingly: we refrain from ofering greetings the entire day, sit on low chairs until midday (1:02PM) and limit busness dealings. In addition to the everyday in the morning, we recite Kinnot, poems of lament and mourning, and delay wearing and until Minchah.

At the conclusion of Tisha B’Av (8:53pm) Havdalah is recited on grape juice or beer. Swimming, bathing, haircuts, washing clothing, consuming meat and wine are not permitted until the 10th of Av midday (1:02PM).

“Whoever mourns over Jerusalem shall merit witnessing its rejoicing” (Ta’anit 30a). May our observance of this sad time enable us to merit greeting Tishah B’Av in the future with rejoicing at the rebuilding of the Temple and the return of ’s presence to our midst.

For more information please contact Rabbi Buechler at [email protected] Connecting to Shiva Asar B’Tamuz Dr. Yosie Levine Ora Weinbach Rabbi Community Educator Eliezer Buechler Assistant Rabbi This shabbat hovers on the precipice of a the was brought. This regular, communal challenging time in the Jewish calendar. The Three sacrifice was disrupted on Shiva Asar B’Tammuz. Ora Weinbach Weeks of Mourning, commemorating the Beit When we reflect more deeply, we can Community Educator

Hamikdash and the events leading up to its perhaps understand why this event was so tragic. Yoni Rabinovitch destruction, begins on Sunday with Shiva Asar The korban tamid was routine. Every day, twice per William Fischman B’Tammuz. day, lay people would gather in the Beit Rabbinic Intern

Most famously, this fast marks the day on Hamikdash, representing the whole of the nation, Aaron Strum which Jerusalem’s walls were breached by the and bring a sacrifice, connecting them to God. The Executive Director Roman army, enabling them to enter the Holy City disruption of this communal normalcy was a deep Batsheva Leibtag and approach the Beit Hamikdash. However, the tragedy. It did, in fact, actively violate something Director of discusses four other tragedies which occured holy: it broke apart the Jewish people. Programming and on that same day; “On the seventeenth of Tammuz We are in a unique position to understand Communications the tablets were broken; the daily offering was the pain of such an event. We have - over the past Cromwell nullified; the city was breached; Apostemos burned year and a half - seen our own community Youth Director a Torah scroll; and an idol was placed in the dispersed. Our routine gatherings in service of God

Sanctuary” (Taanit 4:6). have also been disrupted. Our experience serves as OFFICERS In this list of five events, one stands out as a bridge of connection between us and the past, Andrew Borodach President different. In four of them, a holy object or space was which may enable us to connect to the fast day on violated: Tablets, broken. Walls, breached. Torah, Sunday in a new way. Even more importantly, this Mark Segall First Vice President burned. Sanctuary, polluted. Not being able to year, we are provided with an especially bring a sacrifice is, of course, problematic. But how meaningful tikkun, divine method of repair. In a Naomi Goldman Vice President is not doing an action equivalent to these other very way, we can once again, after a hiatus, bring the aggressive, tangible acts of destruction? korban tamid. We get to return to the normal, Amy Latkin Vice President The daily offering, korban tamid, is regular communal gatherings in service of God. We described in next week's parsha, “‘Command Bnei finally get to go to shul! Taking advantage of that Scott Black Treasurer Yisrael and say to them, “my sacrifice… be careful opportunity feels uniquely important as we to offer it up to me at its appointed commemorate the loss of a similar -albeit much Aliza Herzberg Assistant Treasurer time”’” (Bamidbar 28:2). God specifically instructs greater- opportunity. Michael Jacobs that this offering be sacrificed on time. God also This shabbat and over the next three weeks, Assistant Treasurer directs this command to the whole nation. The korban making an effort to be in shul (if you are able) has Scott Fisher tamid was brought on behalf of all the people, so the potential to deepen our understanding of Shiva Secretary much so that there was an intricate system of groups Asar B’Tammuz, and hopefully bring about healing (mishmarot) of everyday who would come to as well. LOCAL RESOURCES Yoetzet Halacha the Temple to represent the rest of Bnei Yisrael as Shiffy Friedman [email protected] ISRAEL UPDATE 646-598-1080 June 25, 2021 Palestinian Leaders Play Politics with Palestinian Healthcare Jewish Center The Palestinian Authority has once again endangered the health of its population to vilify Israel. When Israel delivered 100,000 COVID vaccines to the PA on June 18, the PA returned 90,000 doses—falsely claiming that 212-724-2700 their June 30 expiration date made them impossible to use and implying that Israel was reneging on its offer to x555 help Palestinians. So instead of inoculating 90,000 Palestinians last weekend, the PA chose to smear Israel and UWS Mikvah prioritize Israel’s demonization over Palestinian lives. Israel works to help Palestinians while Palestinian leaders 212-579-2011 stand in the way. Under the Oslo Accords, the PA is solely responsible for Palestinian healthcare under its jurisdiction and has continuously asserted that responsibility. In January 2021, a PA health official stated “we Hatzoloh are not a department in the Israeli Defense Ministry. We have our own government and Ministry of Health, and 212-230-1000 they are making huge efforts to get the vaccine.” It’s time for Palestinian leaders to work toward peace. Manhattan Eruv Our partners with AIPAC, America’s pro-Israel lobby, in educating our community on issues affecting For a current map, the U.S.-Israel relationship. We encourage you to learn more by contacting AIPAC at (202) 639-5200 or by visit eruv.nyc visiting www.aipac.org.