The Jewish Center BULLETIN MAY 25, 2019 • 20 I YYAR 5779 • P ARSHAT BEHAR SHABBAT SCHEDULE COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS EREV SHABBAT MAZAL TOV 7:00PM Minchah with Chazzan Daniel Colthof Alana Warhit & Kevin Beckoff on their upcoming marriage 7:56PM Candle-lighting Samantha Zwick & Daniel Jacoby on their upcoming marriage SHABBAT Dana Federbush & Eddie Karan on the Bar Mitzvah of their son William Gabriel 7:45AM Hashkama 8:30AM Rabbi Israel Silverstein Morning Midrash with Rabbi THANK YOU TO OUR USHERS Dovid Zirkind (will resume next week) Dana Markow and David Pfeffermann 9:00AM Shacharit 9:15AM Hashkama Shiur with Rabbi Noach Goldstein, Thank you to our CSS members whose efforts help maintain a Shemitat Kesafim: The Original Debt Cancellation? safe shul for our community. 10:00AM Youth Groups 4:00PM Bikkur Cholim/Bikkur in the Home (meet at 730 Welcome Chazzan Daniel Colthof Columbus Ave.) Shabbat, May 24th-25th 6:55PM Daf Yomi The Jewish Center is pleased to welcome Chazzan Daniel and Sarit Colthof to our community for a Probah 7:00PM Shabbat afternoon Meet and Greet with Chazzan Weekend. Chazzan Colthof will lead us in davening Colthof throughout Shabbat as well meet and greet with our members 7:45PM Minchah throughout the weekend. with Rabbi Dovid Zirkind Please make every effort to join us for Shabbat, including: Friday Night Kabbalat Shabbat at 7:00PM 8:56PM Shabbat Concludes Shabbat Morning Davening at 9:00AM Shabbat Afternoon Meet and Greet at 7:00PM THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: Seudah Shlishit at 8:15PM Community Kiddush: Alex & Miriam Gutwein Klein in commemoration of the Celebrate Israel Parade 21st yahrzeit of Miriam's father, Samuel Gutwein, Reb Sunday, June 2nd at 11:00AM Yehoshua ben Yitzchak Please join us at the Celebrate Israel Parade, one week from Sunday. Mazal tov to our very own Ted Comet, founder of the Parade, who will be serving as Honorary Grand Marshal this year. Complimentary tickets for our members are available through the JCRC. To order tickets contact [email protected] DAILY SERVICE TIMES 8th Annual Keter Torah Sunday May 26 Tues. May 28-Thur May 30 Award Ceremony 7:45AM Daf Yomi 7/8AM Shacharit Shabbat, June 1st at 11:15AM 8:30AM Shacharit 7:45AM Daf Yomi Honoring 8:05M Minchah 8:05PM Minchah Joyce Weitz and Rona Steinerman (see page 2 for more information) Mon May 20 Friday May 31 Memorial Day 7/8AM Shacharit 8:30AM Shacharit 7:45AM Daf Yomi 7:45AM Daf Yomi 7/8PM Minchah 8:05PM Minchah 8:01PM Candle-lighting

WOMEN’S TEHILLIM GROUP: Monday, June 17th, 2019 at 7:15PM Contact Joyce Weitz for more info. at 212-877-1176

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 UPCOMING EVENTS 8th Annual Keter Torah Award Ceremony Shabbat, June 1st at 11:15AM Honoring Joyce Weitz and Rona Steinerman We celebrate the two great Jewish heroines, Naomi and Ruth, over Shavuot. And, just prior to the holiday, The Jewish Center family continues to show its high regard for two women, who have demonstrated their good names through outstanding leadership and commitment, with the Keter Torah Award ceremony.

We are delighted that this year’s Keter Torah recipients are Joyce Weitz and Rona Steinerman. On June 1st, following Shabbat morning services, we will honor them in The Jewish Center’s main sanctuary. Please mark your calendars and join us!

If you would like to acknowledge the women of our synagogue, as well as our honorees, please visit the Keter Torah event page at jewishcenter.org. Your donation will contribute towards honoring these women, as well as towards supporting the work of The Jewish Center. JC R ESIDENT SCHOLAR SEARCH Keter Torah Sponsor: $180 As Ora Weinbach will begin her studies at Yale Divinity Rimon Sponsor: $72 School in August, The Jewish Center is launching a search for a JC Resident Scholar . This is a female leadership position ANNUAL MEETING designed to engage with and connect to our entire Dear Fellow Members, community with a special focus on the many women in the community. The complete job description is posted on our Our Annual Meeting is a time to learn more about the website under “JC Updates”. way we operate our Center, review our finances, honor outgoing Board members and welcome new Board Resumes may be sent to and inquiries may be made of members. This short meeting is an important part of Adina Wagman, Aliza Herzbergand Andrew Borodach synagogue governance and I hope you will be able to at [email protected]. attend so you can listen to our reports, ask questions and grab a little nosh. Steal of a Deal Nominees for the Board of Trustees are: Andrew Riverdale, Fieldston House Borodach, Arthur G. Degen, Steve Graber, Ira Kellman, 5 bedrooms, 4 baths, 1 maid’s room Barbara Messer, Avi Schwartz and Adina Spiro Ready To Move In Wagman. Nominees for the Administrative Committee Kitchen with double appliances. are: Tehillah Blech, Michelle Chrein, Becca Top of the line throughout. Herman, David Pfeffermann, Barbara Reiss, Rose Lynn Priced at $1.295M Sherr, Grant Silverstein, Daniel Solomons and Ari Stein. Call Fran Kupietzky at Douglas Elliman 917-566-2401 Or Irene Simon at Douglas Elliman 347-992-8611 The meeting will be held on Wednesday June 12th at 8:30pm. The Hanno Mott Lecture on Contemporary Jewish Ethics Thank you to all who joined us for this year's Ethics Lecture featuring Dr. Kenneth Prager of Columbia University and Rabbi Dr. David Shabtai of The Boca Raton Synagogue. The conversation focused on the science, halacha and ethics of brain death and its implication for organ donation and the future of medical ethics. Rabbi Shabtai's book Defining the Moment, Understanding Brain Death in , is available for purchase on Amazon for those who would like to learn more. Honor Our Heroes To mark Memorial Day and Fleet Week, The Jewish Center was honored once again this year to partner with UJA and Jewish communal organizations to honor our military heroes -- those who gave the last full measure of devotion in service to our country or lived out their lives as veterans. The program included a presentation from Major General Larry S. Taylor, USMCR (Ret.) and Hannah Deutch, registered nurse in the British Army (1941-1944). We recognized the courage and selfless service of our brothers and sisters who have dedicated themselves to our great nation. Thank you to all those who participated. The Herb Lauer Tikkun Leil Shavuot תמימת תהיינה Judaism and The Pursuit of Perfection Motzei Shabbat, June 8th 11:45PM Rabbi Dovid Zirkind 2:15AM Ora Weinbach Extreme Makeover Shul Edition: Building (and Renovating) The Messy Messianic Line: The Perfect Shul In Jewish Law & Thought Imperfection on the Path to Redemption

1:00AM Rabbi Noach Goldstein 3:30AM Rabbi Elie Buechler To Your Perfect Health: Medication, Vaccination, The Perfect Commitment: and the Halakhot of Communal Responsibility Conversion in Halacha and Jewish Thought

JEWISH CENTER UNIVERSITY For more information visit our website or contact Rabbi Dovid Zirkind at [email protected]

TUESDAY WEDNESDAY SAVE THE DATE

Talmud Class Kindness and Kingship: Studies in The Greatest Controversies in Rabbi Noach Goldstein Megillat Rut Jewish History Explained 7:45AM–8:30AM Rabbi Dovid Zirkind Rabbi Elchanan Poupko 11:00AM-12:00PM Wednesdays June 12-26 at 7:00PM Nosh and Drash (followed by Mincha/Maariv) With Dr. Adena Berkowitz Mishna 101 (will resume next week) 10:15AM-11:30AM Ora Weinbach, Community Educator Week 1: Hillel and Shammai 7:00PM-8:00PM Week 2: Pharisees Vs. Sadducees Week 3: Talmud Bavli and Talmud Sadye & Henry Bayer Tanakh Class: Yerushalmi Power and Faith: Revisiting David and Golyat Rabbi Elchanan Poupko is a rabbi, teacher Rabbi Noach Goldstein and writer. He teaches in Park East Day 8:30PM-9:30PM School and is the president of EITAN-The American Israeli Jewish Network. “But words can never hurt me…” Yosie Levine Rabbi Parshat Behar 5779 Dovid Zirkind Ora Weinbach, Community Educator Associate Rabbi

Parshat Behar focuses primarily on laws related to like belittling a friend or giving bad advice. Noach Goldstein financial matters. The beginning of the parsha Sforno expands the category of verbal Assistant Rabbi relates the laws of shmittah and yovel. Many oppression to include any form of deception, and Chaim David Berson commentators have observed how these laws explicitly states that this commandment applies Cantor contribute to the financial security of all Bnei even in situations with no monetary ramification. Ora Weinbach Yisrael. The parsha then continues to discuss how Community Educator to redeem land sold by a destitute Israelite, the This answer, however, raises another question: why Eliezer Buechler prohibition against charging interest, and laws is a commandment about verbal communication, William Fischman relating to indentured servitude. seemingly an interpersonal-moral law, included in Rabbinic Intern a section of the Torah which deals exclusively with Aaron Strum In this section, we are commanded, “When you monetary regulations? Why does the Torah use Executive Director make a sale to your neighbor, or you make a such similar language in prohibiting both hurtful purchase from the hand of your neighbor, a man words and shady business deals? Batsheva Leibtag Director of should not oppress his brother.” (25:14) In the Programming and context, this oppression is clearly some kind of Perhaps the text is suggesting that verbally Communications financial manipulation. Perhaps the seller knows damaging someone must be taken just as seriously Sarah Cromwell he is overcharging, or the buyer knows he is as damaging someone's financial status. We more Youth Director severely underpaying. In these circumstances, the readily recognize the concrete damage inflicted

Torah makes it quite clear that we are expected on another person’s bank account by a OFFICERS to be honest in financial transactions. manipulative transaction. However, verbal slurs, Andrew Borodach President snide remarks, and hateful speech can be just as It is therefore perplexing that almost the exact painful. Deep down, we all know that the adage Mark Segall First Vice President same commandment is reiterated just three verses “sticks and stones can break my bones, but words later! “A man should not oppress his will never hurt me” is just false. Len Berman Vice President neighbor.” (25:17) Why does the Torah repeat Aliza Herzberg this commandment? In a digital age, when our words spread faster Vice President and farther than ever before, when hate speech Michael Jacobs Rashi addresses this apparent redundancy by and cyberbullying pepper our news feeds, the Vice President distinguishing between the verses. While the first Torah reminds us of the importance of careful, Scott Black verse relates to financial oppression, the second kind speech. It is always a necessary and welcome Treasurer prohibits verbal oppression. This includes actions reminder. Daniel Solomons Assistant Treasurer

Naomi Goldman ISRAEL UPDATE Secretary May 24, 2019 LOCAL RESOURCES Most of Congress Urges Trump: Yoetzet Halacha Safeguard Israel’s Interests with Syrian Civil War Ending Shiffy Friedman [email protected] 646-598-1080

Nearly 400 members of Congress signed a bipartisan letter to President Donald Trump calling on him Jewish Center to safeguard Israel’s interests with Syria’s civil war coming to an end, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency Chevra Kadisha reported. The letter sent Monday from members of the House of Representatives and the Senate 212-724-2700 x555 urged Trump to ensure that Israel has the support and materiel to maintain its qualitative military UWS Mikvah 212-579-2011 edge in the region. It also wants economic and diplomatic pressure on Russia and Iran to retreat from their support for the Assad regime, and intensifying sanctions on Hezbollah, the Lebanese terrorist Hatzoloh 212-230-1000 militia that is Iran’s ally. “With the region in flux, it remains critical that we reiterate to both friend and Status foe in the region that we continue to support Israel’s right to defend itself,” it said. The letter was 212-724-2700 x4 spearheaded by the top foreign policy lawmakers in each chamber: Reps. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Michael McCaul, R-Texas, its ranking Republican; and Sens. James Risch, R-Idaho, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Robert Menendez, D-N.J., its ranking Democrat. Our synagogue partners with AIPAC, America’s pro-Israel lobby, in educating our community on issues affecting the U.S.-Israel relationship. We encourage you to learn more by contacting AIPAC at (202) 639-5200 or by visiting www.aipac.org.