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YOUNG ISRAEL OF WEST HARTFORD Shabbat Parashat Yitro 2240 ALBANY AVENUE WEST HARTFORD, CT 06117 February 7th, 2015 18 Shevat 5775 860-233-3084 Kiddush this Shabbat Web Site: www.youngisraelwh.org Is Sponsored by SEUDAH SHLISHIT Fran & Gene Wittenberg is jointly sponsored by Rabbi Feldman Kiddush Hoda'ah on the Yahrzeit of his father two years since the fire, Dovid Ben Mordechai & Donna and Barry Gordon in honor of the and the birth of Scholars-in-Residence Yehuda Gavriel UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS SCHOLARS-IN-RESIDENCE AT YIWH 2/6-7 Scholars-in-Residence Shabbat This Shabbat, February 6th & 7th, 2015 Ari Gordon & Shuli Taubes Ari Gordon & Shuli Taubes 2/7 Dor L’Dor at HHNE Shabbat Dinner 2/8 Full Membership Meeting followed by a lecture given by 2/14 Movie Night - FOOTNOTE ARI GORDON 2/18 Women’s Rosh Chodesh Tehillim “Muslim-Jewish Relations: Lenses for Understanding History” 2/21 Mikveh Movie Night HARTFORD BLESSED Shabbat Morning: 3/22 YIWH at the Israel Film Festival Talk After Davening (Approx 11:00am) THE PRIME MINISTERS “Standing Under Sinai: Canopy or Coercion?” By Shuli Taubes SEE BULLETIN FOR MORE DETAILS Extended Seudah Shlishit: FULL MEMBERSHIP MEETING “Orthodox Judaism Navigating a WEST Sunday, February 8th, Multireligious World” By Ari Gordon AND Shuli Taubes a full membership meeting to discuss the 6 month Board Report, an update from Ari Gordon is currently a PhD candidate at the University of the search committee and the details of Pennsylvania in Islamic studies, where he researches the his- tory of Muslim-Jewish relations. He also serves as American this year's major fundraiser. Jewish Committee's (AJC) special advisor for Interreligious -and Intergroup Relations and, from 2005-2008, was the de מזל טוב to Helen Weisel on the birth of a partment's assistant director. He lectures for international מזל טוב great grandson! and American groups about Judaism and other religions and serves as a member of the research council of the Internation- to Judy Levy on the birth of a al Conference of Christians and Jews. Ari received his Master מזל טוב to of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School (HDS) in מזל טוב .great grandson Motzei Shabbat 2010, during which time he was also a Wexner Foundation the Rabinovich and Rosenberg families - Graduate Fellow. He completed his bachelor's degree in phi- the proud grandparents and siblings. losophy at Yeshiva University in 2005. Shuli Taubes is a native of Teaneck, NJ, and received her ברוך דין האמת We regret to inform you of the passing of Masters in Divinity from Harvard Divinity School and her our long-time member Esther Sima BA in history from Barnard College. She currently serves as a faculty member at SAR High School in Riverdale, New York, Cohen. If you would like to share a where she teaches Tanakh, Jewish Identity, and chairs the memory or thought about her, the family Jewish Philosophy department. She has also developed and has asked for you to please send them to teaches a curriculum for educating modern orthodox high Rabbi Weinberg. May Esther's extended school students in comparative religion. Shuli recently repre- family be comforted among the mourners sented the American Jewish Committee at interreligious con- YOUNG ISRAEL OF of Zion and Yerushalayim. ferences in Berlin and Jerusalem. This year Shuli is serving as a Community Scholar at the Young Israel of North Riverdale where she gives shiurim and serves in a pastoral role. Shuli has lectured in synagogues throughout the country as well as at The Drisha Institute and Yeshiva University's Rabbi Brahm Weinberg 860-233-3084 or [email protected] Midreshet Yom Rishon. Debra Luger 860-233-0300 or [email protected] Editor: Judie Patel [email protected] Affiliate of the National Council of Young Israel Synagogues, Member of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, Sponsor of West Hartford NCSY, National Conference of Synagogue Youth, Kashrut Commission of Greater Hartford, Mikveh Bess Israel of Greater Hartford, Eruv of West Hartford WINTER CLASSES AT YIWH Page 2 MISHNA BRURAH CLASS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS With Rabbi Sheinkopf NEW GUIDELINES FOR DONATIONS Shabbat Mornings at 8:15AM & ACKNOWLEDGEMENT CARDS NO CLASS THIS WEEK The YIWH has beautiful, new printed cards to RABBI WEINBERG’S SUNDAY MORNING be used for acknowledgements and to thank GEMARA CLASS - Masechet Beitzah individuals for donations. Please send your check with the detailed acknowledgement infor- WEEKLY AUDIO CLASS mation (including addresses as needed) DIRECTLY “10 Minutes on Tefilla” TO THE SHUL OFFICE OR DONATE ON THE WEB This class will be emailed every week SITE. Cards will be sent out and We will be studying Shearim B’Tefilla” a posting will go in the Bulletin unless you of Rabbi Shimshon Dovid Pincus z”l. direct us otherwise. NEW WOMEN’S LEARNING GROUP TOT SHABBAT CIRCLE Wednesday morning at 11:15 AM In Classroom 1 at the JCC It's the first Shabbat of the month, please join us for Tot Shabbat circle, our new parent and child New Tuesday Night Class program aimed for children birth to five, along Will resume shortly with their parents. Please bring your little ones to join us for shabbat games, songs and treats NEW SHABBAT PROGRAM called Shabbat Tot Circle between 10-11. It will be a parent led Shabbat group for children ages five and under. The program SHABBAT YOUTH GROUPS will be the first Shabbat of every month. We are excited to announce that this Shabbat Parents are invited to stay with their children youth groups for children 6 and older will be lead during this program to partake in davening, by a special guest, Devorah Lustig, a teacher songs and games. from Hebrew Academy. Please keep in mind that A special Shabbat treat will be served. groups start at 10 and continue to 11. DOR L’DOR Women’s Rosh Chodesh Tehillim Group Parent Child Learning at HHNE Wednesday, February 18th at 7:30 Saturday Nights Between 7:00 -8:00 PM At the home of Helga Allweiss February 7th February 21st 52 Arnold Way YIWH Movie Night Saturday Night, February 14th SCRIP PROGRAM at 7:30 PM Thank you to our shul members who have either Eliezer and Uriel Shkolnik are father and recently started to participate in the Scrip pro- son as well as rival professors in Talmudic gram or who have Studies. When both men learn that Eliezer continued their involvement. I am happy to re- will be lauded for his work, their compli- port that from July 1st our shul has raised cated relationship reaches a new peak. $4900. We now also have gift cards from Whole Foods to sell to the shul members MIKVEH MOVIE NIGHT directly. Daniella (Cell) 516-286-0815 Next Mikveh Movie Night BLESSED BOOKKEEPER Saturday night, February 21st We have a new bookkeeper, Kim Danek. She will At 8:15 PM at the home of Jo Bruce be working part time at the Shul office in the 116 Brewster Road same capacity as Martha. In general, her hours See flier for further details will be Mondays & Thursdays YIWH PROJECT 5775 from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM. The Concise Book of Mitzvot Kim is not in the office Thursday 2/5 & Monday 2/9 by The Chafetz Chaim You can call during those hours, or email her at [email protected] SHABBAT MITZVOT TO STUDY and she will get back to you when she is 2/7 Negative 25 - 30 in the office. Page 3 Parshat Yitro Rabbi David Silverberg - www.vbm-torah.org The first section of Parashat Yitro describes the arrival of Moshe's father-in-law af- ter whom the parasha is named, Yitro. The Torah tells that "on the next day," Yitro ob- serves Moshe spending the entire day adjudicating the court cases brought before him by the people. Yitro recommends that Moshe establish a judicial network so that he need not personally preside over every case, and Moshe accepts and implements his father-in- law's advice (18:13-26). According to Rashi (18:13), this section appears out of chronological sequence. Whereas it appears to have taken place before Matan Torah, in truth it occurred much later. Specifically, Rashi claims, these court cases take place on the day following Yom Kippur, after Moshe had made his final descent from Mount Sinai informing the nation that God had forgiven the sin of the golden calf. Why on specifically this day are there so many monetary disputes that required Moshe's arbitration? Why only now must Moshe sit "from morning to evening" resolving Benei Yisrael's conflicts? Rav Yehonatan Eibshitz (in his "Nefesh Yehonatan") suggests that the construction of the mishkan, the orders for which are given that day, necessitate the resolution of all conflicts among the people. As Rashi explains in his opening comments to Parashat Vayakhel, on the day following Yom Kippur Moshe assembles the nation and issues God's instructions concerning the building of the mishkan. Reb Yehonatan explains that the mishkan could not tolerate disunity and strife. Before Benei Yisrael could begin work on the mishkan, the vehicle through which the Shekhina resides among the nation, they must resolve all disputes and settle all arguments. Moshe was therefore called upon to serve as arbiter to bring about peaceful resolutions to all conflicts. In contemporary Jewish life, religious institutions such as synagogues and schools often become the source of controversy and contention. The ever present claim of sacred motivation when dealing with religious institutions gives rise to bitter disputes and "justified" hostility. This comment by Reb Yehonatan Eibshitz teaches us that precisely the opposite should occur.