Congregation B'nai Jacob Celebrates Its 100Th Anniversary 1912-2012
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Congregation B'nai Jacob celebrates its 100th anniversary 1912-2012 Wayne & Monroe Streets, 1912 Fairfield & Pierce Streets, 1955 December 2012 Bittersweet Moors Drive, 1993 Kislev / Tevet 5773 Weekly Portion Services Mitchell Kornspan, Rabbi Weekly Portion: Vayishlach Friday, November 30th Services 5:30pm Saturday, December 1st Services 9:15am CL: 4:54pm Shabbat School 9:30am Havdalah: 5:55pm Torah Class 12:45pm Bar and Bat Mitzvah Anniversaries: Keith Groman; Samantha Margolis; Sindi Pass Bat Mitzvah of Michal Shoshana Spanjer Weekly Portion: Vayeshev Friday, December 7th Services 7:30pm CL 4:53pm Saturday, December 8th Services 9:15am Havdalah: 5:55pm Bar and Bat Mitzvah Anniversaries: Alek Bussell; Elianna Friedman; Matt Lerer Weekly Portion: Miketz Friday, December 14th K.I.S.S. Services 6:00pm Hanukkah Saturday, December 15th Services 9:15am CL 4:53pm Torah Class 12:45pm Havdalah: 5:56pm Sunday, December 16th, Religious School Special Program - Maccabiah Games @ Temple, 10:00am-12:00pm Weekly Portion: Vayigash Friday, December 21st Services 5:30pm CL: 4:56pm Saturday, December 22nd Services 9:15am Havdalah: 5:59pm Torah Class 12:45pm Bar and Bat Mitzvah Anniversaries: Cathy Dicker; Pam Friedman; Daniel Goltz Weekly Portion: Vayechi Friday, December 28th Services 5:30pm CL: 5:01pm Saturday, December 29th Services 9:15am Havdalah: 6:03pm Torah Class 12:45pm Bar Mitzvah Anniversary: Marvin Finkelstein years, he has commissioned and published over 700 volumes of Jewish interest! Trained as a professional librarian, he became the editor-in-chief of the Jewish Book Club for 17 years, is the past president of the Jewish Book Council, and is a prolific writer. He realized that the ultimate Jewish book for him is the one often described as the cornerstone of Jewish culture, the Talmud. He has studied with his teacher, the renowned Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz. Because of this, Arthur Kurzweil has inspired many people across the United States to discover and to learn the Talmud. He is the Coordinator of the Talmud Circle Project, which seeks to introduce the Talmud to Jewish spiritual seekers. Look Who’s Coming To B’nai Jacob Arthur is the author of On the Road with The Weekend of January 11-13 Rabbi Steinsaltz: 25 Years of Pre-Dawn Car Trips, Mind-Blowing Encounters and Inspiring You must have guessed by the picture, that I Conversations with a Man of Wisdom. It is his haven’t changed my appearance this much, and that spiritual memoir about his experiences as a student this is a picture of someone else! I couldn’t resist and chauffeur for one of the great Jewish leaders of placing the picture of our next special guest in our time, Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz. His book, celebration of our Centennial year! Pebbles of Wisdom from Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz (2009), is a collection of teachings on a wide range We are still feeling the after-glow of our of subjects by Rabbi Steinsaltz. celebration, begun in November. Accolades, kudos, and thanks to all who made this gala event so The famous “for Dummies” series invited him to poignant, beautiful and successful. write Kabbalah for Dummies and also The Torah for Dummies. (Mr. Kurzweil has had private studies Now we are preparing for our next stage of our with some of the leading authorities in the field of celebration. I want to thank Ron and Pam Friedman Kabbalah as well as learning Torah with for the work they have put into our upcoming Rabbi Steinsaltz.) Arthur is able to explain difficult events. spiritual concepts in ways everyone can understand. Have you guessed who is in this picture? Although Beyond all of this, Arthur Kurzweil is also an you may not recognize his picture, you know his accomplished magician! He is a member of the name and his reputation. Arthur Kurzweil, is an Society of American Magicians (founded by amazing writer, lecturer, scholar, entertainer and Harry Houdini) as well as a member of the genealogist. He is so popular that he has spoken and International Brotherhood of Magicians. One of his performed before hundreds of audiences of all ages. presentations is called: “Searching for G-d In A Magic Shop.” In an entertaining way, he teaches His classis work on genealogy, From Generation to deep concepts of Judaism. Generation: How to Trace Your Jewish Genealogy and Family History, is a best seller. He co-founded Stay tuned for more details about the weekend of the first Jewish genealogical society. (By now, there January 11th-13th! are 70 Jewish genealogical societies!) B’shalom, Decades ago, he realized that there was a paucity of serious Jewish books available in English. He developed a plan to solve this dilemma. Over the Rabbi Mitchell Kornspan Hanukkah Dinner and Celebration Tuesday, December 11, 2012 at 5:30p.m. Everyone is welcomed to bring their menorah and light the 4th candle with us as we dine, celebrate the mitzvah, enjoy camaraderie and play dreidel games. In addition, there will be surprises for our religious school kids and a white elephant gift exchange for anyone wishing to participate! So find those old chachkies, wrap them up, and get a good laugh watching others marvel at the hidden treasures in your home! Cost for the evening is $1.00 per person. That’s right, just a buck! But there is a bigger mitzvah for the evening. We are asking you, as families and as a congregation, to help those in need in Fort Wayne by bringing non- perishable food items or checks made out to the Community Harvest Food Bank. Perhaps your family will decide to forgo exchanging gifts on the 4th night and Religious School participate in this special tzedakah. Due to Michal Spanjer's Bat Mitzvah, Hanukkah, and the Please RSVP to the office by winter break, Shabbat School will meet once in December, on the 1st at 9:30am. Tuesday meetings of Thursday, December 6th. Religious School continue through the 18th. The December K.I.S.S. will be on Friday the 14th at 6:00pm. The December Special Program will take place on Sunday the 16th when we join with the Temple for the Maccabiah Games from 10:00am - 12:00pm. Religious Service Attendance Requirements: We have Friday evening service requirements twice a month. One can be fulfilled by attending K.I.S.S. and the other can be fulfilled by attending another Friday evening service. Partaking of Parashiot jailed in this facility. Aware something disturbs Rebbetzin Penny Kornspan them, Yosef asks what troubles them. Both men Dec. 1, 2012 / 17 Kislev, 5773 Vayishlach have upsetting dreams with unclear meanings. Triennial cycle: Bereshit 35:16 – 36:43 He tells them the interpretation ‘belong to G-d,’ Benyamin is born, and Rachel dies on the way to then asks what they dreamt. Yosef decodes the Bethlehem. Rachel names her son Ben Oni (son wine steward’s dream - he will be reinstated to of my sorrow), and Yaakov changes it to his position. The baker’s dream denotes he Benyamin. A ‘matzeva’ is set up for Rachel and would be hung. Both occur and Yosef asked the the patriarch continues his journey. Reuven ‘lay’ steward to put in a word on his behalf, but he ‘did with Bilhah, his father’s concubine. Yaakov’s 12 not remember Yosef.’ sons are listed according to his wives and their ages. Yitzchak dies; Esau and Yaakov bury him Psukim to ponder: “…when his master saw at the Cave of Machpela. The next 28 verses tell that Hashem was with him… he took a liking to of Esau’s progeny, and of him leaving the area Yosef. …placing into his hands all that he because the land could not support the two owned.” 39:3-4 brothers. The cycle concludes by listing the According to R. Kimchi and others, nothing was chiefs of the Horites, the kings of Edom and the done in his home without the approval of Yosef. chiefs of Esau. The last verse calls Esau the All agree this slave held an amazing range of father of Edom, while the first verse in the sedra: power. There was certainly a plan from The 32:4 also connects Esau with Edom. Eternal regarding his rise to such authority. Part of that climb rested on his ability to trust in A pasuk to ponder: “Those were the sons of Hakodesh Baruch Hu. Whom do you trust? Trust Esau …” 36:19 is a very complex thing. I daresay most of us R. Kimchi tells us the sons were listed because trust a very small number of people when of respect for Yitzchak and also, it is important to dealing with personal issues, financial matters or know your ancestry. Aside from your parents and spiritual difficulties. It’s likely various people fill grandparents, do you know much of your distinct roles for you. Have you ever been alone lineage? Having a prominent person in your at a point of depression, total confusion or in family history may be exciting. Just ‘plain folk’ is ecstasy and sheer joy, and there was no one to okay, and even if you have, say a horse thief, talk with at that precise moment? Did you try The well that’s alright too. As our sages say: “Who is Eternal? wise? One who learns from all.” Yes, we learn from the best and the worst among us. All have Dec. 15, 2012 / 2 Tevet 5773, Miketz something to offer; can you keep that in mind? Triennial cycle Bereshit: 43:16 – 44:17 Soon, Arthur Kurzweil will be visiting us here in The climax in this cycle of the portion is Yosef Fort Wayne to talk about genealogy.