YOUNG ISRAEL OF WEST HARTFORD quick event. All are welcome. Spread the word! quick welcome. All are event. fields. Please effort makefor every this to come this Wewill but WE NEEDHELP! beshooting YOUR We arehoping tothesame have success this year… (and toourdefend title as best submission). video for shootinghave begun our community video film In preparation2017 OU for we Community Fair, tion. please contact toRabbi Brander morefor informa- more deeply discounted tickets thefor conference, lobby. Information andearly bird rates can be found the in well as lobby our representatives critical on issues. Israel, the Middle East andthe US leading experts allthe on cutting edgeissues affecting people as we gather Washington in DCto hear from the Join the Young Israel delegation Renowned Lecturer, Founder of the Tanach Study Renownedof the Lecturer, Tanach Founder Study Center & apioneerofinternetTorah Education Callbabysitteryour now

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YOUNG ISRAEL OF WEST HARTFORD WEEKLY LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES YOUTH DEPARTMNET SUNDAY MORNING GEMARA SHIUR Join us for a light breakfast as we explore SHABBAT MORNING GROUPS the tractate of Horayot Sunday mornings Groups meet weekly on Shabbat from 10:15 AM-11:15 AM. immediately following davening. Children ages 5 & under are invited to Junior Groups on the carpet downstairs and children Grades 1 -5 are invited PONDERING THE PARSHA to partake in our Junior Congregation also downstairs Explore the weekly Parasha over lunch with Rabbi Brander. Wednesdays 11:30-12:30 @ the JCC

UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS SHABBAT MORNING CHAYEI ADAM CLASS Travel through the halakhic work L’Dor V’Dor Gala Chayei Adam with The Hebrew High School of New England invites you Rabbi Avi Robinson to their L’Dor V’Dor Gala event on December 8, 2016 at the Emanuel Synagogue. For more information and WOMEN’S SHABBAT AFTERNOON MISHNAH CLASS to RSVP, please visit HHNE.org. Join Jo Bruce in examining the tractate of Shabbat. continued —> This Shabbat at 4:05 at the Robinson home

NOTICE UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS As we begin the transition, please be sure to add [email protected] to your address book so SUPER SUNDAY our emails do not end up your spam folder. Join our local Federation phone-a-thon as together they raise money for the critical institutions of our commu- LISTSERV CHANGES nity. We are excited to announce that we are updating our December 4th: Two shifts, 9 to 11 a.m. & 11 to 1 p.m. listserv. In order to accommodate our growing needs December 6th & 7th: 6 to 8 p.m. at the Community Services Building (333 Bloomfield Ave). and many of your requests, we will be transi-tioning For more information and to RSVP to Adina Stein at off the current YIWHevents listserv and cre-ating two [email protected] separate email forums. The first forum will be our official Young Israel com- munication channel, which will ensure we all can stay BOOKKEEPERS CORNER in the know with the latest happenings in the commu- With many different honors and checks coming into nity, including important lifecycle events. Everyone on the office, please be sure to indicate in the memo the current listserv will automatically be transitioned in English what payments are for. to this new list. The second forum will be a new Google group called ‘Community Of Young Israel.’ As always, Maria can be reached by email at This group will be home to all ride re-quests, give- [email protected] for any questions aways, repair and service recommenda-tions, and the you may have. like. While this group will serve our community and there are guidelines governing posts, Young Israel of BUY SCRIP: West Hartford does not and will not endorse any of Before for you head out to the store or buying the posts. any Chanukah gifts, make sure you pick up your If you would like to be included in this listserv, please Young Israel of West Hartford Scrip! Scrip can sign up by completing this form. We plan to fully tran- even be used for online purchases! sition and shut down this YIWHevents lists in the To order or for any assistance with the program, coming weeks, allowing everyone enough time to sign please contact Nathalie Weinstock, who will be up and enroll in our new groups. temporarily taking over running our scrip program. Thank you for your cooperation. As always, we wel- She can be reached at 347-633-6824 and her address come any comments, questions or suggestions you is 95 Haynes Road. Please text her before coming may have. to her house to buy scrip. Dvar Torah By Rabbi David Silverberg

Rashi (25:1) cites the Midrash (Bereishit Rabba 61:5) which identifies Ketura, the woman whom Avraham married in the latter part of his life, after Sara’s death, as Hagar, Sara’s maidservant whom Avraham had already married many years earlier. Sara, who was childless for many decades, had Avraham marry Hagar to produce children, but she later had Avraham send Hagar and her child away, as she perceived them as a threat to her own son, Yitzchak. Now, after Sara’s passing, Avraham remarried Hagar, who was named “Ketura.” Rashi cites Pirkei De-Rabbi Eliezer (30) as explaining the Hagar was given the name “Ketura” to allude to the fact that “her deeds were as pleasing as the ketoret” – the incense that would be brought each day in the Beit Ha-mikdash. This description of Hagar must be considered in light of Rashi’s earlier remark (21:12) – again citing Pirkei De-Rabbi Eliezer – that Hagar reverted back to pagan worship after being driven from Avraham’s home. The Torah tells that Hagar “wandered about” in the wilderness after Avraham sent her away, and Rashi explains that she “wandered about” and was lost in a spiritual sense, as well, re- turning to her previous life of idolatry. The question thus arises as to how she became worthy of be- ing compared to the ketoret after having lived as a pagan during the interim years. The simplest answer, perhaps, is that her resumption of her pagan practices did not last long. Immediately after telling us of Hagar “wandering about” in the desert, the Torah tells that her son, Yishmael, nearly died of dehydration, but just as Hagar despaired, and angel appeared to her, reassured her, and showed her an oasis. She brought her son water, and he survived. It stands to reason that when the Midrash speaks of Hagar resorting to idolatry after her banishment from Avra- ham’s home, it refers to a brief period, as after the miracle of her son’s salvation and having been shown God’s angel, she regained her faith in the one, true Creator. On a deeper level, Hagar reverted back to idol worship because she felt betrayed by the God of Avraham whom she had embraced. As other Midrashic sources de- scribe, Hagar eagerly left Egypt to join Avraham’s household, adopt- ing his beliefs and lifestyle, but when tragedy struck, as her life sud- denly turned upside-down, she abandoned those beliefs and that lifestyle. The miracle of her son’s survival, however, showed her that faith can and must be maintained even in times of distress and upheaval. Just as the crisis of Yishmael’s thirst could be instantly resolved, similarly, her condition of loneliness was not necessarily permanent. Hagar was taught that problems can eventually be solved, that faith means believing in the possibility of change, and that one must not despair in trying situations. This incident thus turned her back away from her pagan past and inspired her to retain her faith until, many years later, Avraham brought her back. For this reason, perhaps, the Midrash associates Hagar spe- cifically with the ketoret. The Gemara (Keritut 6b) comments that one of the spices of the ketoret, the chelbena, independently has a foul odor, but when it mixes with the other, fragrant spices, it actually has an enhancing effect on their fragrance. Hagar was “pleasing as the ketoret” in the sense that she learned this lesson of the chelbena, that adversity can transform into something positive and have an enhancing effect. Just as a foul-smelling spice can change and actually improve the scent of other spices, similarly, adversity and hardship can gradually transform into sources of joy that enhance, rather than darken, a person’s life.

 Young Israel of West Hartford Schedule of Services  November 25th - December 2nd, 2016 It is easy to sponsor a Kiddush Shabbat Mevorchim Parashat Chayei Sarah Or Seudah Shlishit! Friday, November 25th - Erev Shabbat Shul handles set up & Clean up! Shacharit 6:45 a.m. Contact Judie Patel at Candle Lighting 4:05 p.m. [email protected] Mincha/Maariv 4:10 p.m. to check the availability of the date & contact Fran Wittenberg Shabbat, November 26th at 860- 983-4837 or Shabbat morning Chayei Adam Class 8:15 a.m. [email protected] Shacharit 9:00 a.m. to make the arrangements for the Sof Zman Kriat Shma 9:15 a.m. type of Kiddush you want. Youth Programming 10:15 a.m. Checks need to be received by Fran the Mincha followed by Seudah Shlishit & Maariv 3:55 p.m. Sunday prior to your Kiddush date. Shabbat Ends 5:08 p.m.

Sunday, November 27th - Thursday, December 1st Earliest Tallit & Tefillin 5:59 a.m. Shacharit…Sunday 8:15 a.m. Followed by Rabbi Brander's Gemara Class & Breakfast Shacharit...Monday 6:40 a.m. Shacharit…Tuesday & Wednesday 6:45 a.m. Shacharit...Thursday - Rosh Chodesh Kislev 6:30 a.m. Mincha/Maariv 4:05 p.m. Sunday @ Young Israel of West Hartford To set up Seudah Shlishit contact Monday-Thursday @ HHNE Steve Luger [email protected] Please send checks to YIWH or Steve. Friday, December 2nd - Erev Shabbat Shacharit 6:45 a.m. Candle Lighting 4:02 p.m. Mincha/Maariv 4:07 p.m.

Check out the weekly schedule on the YIWH Website youngisraelwh.org/times

Ner La’Maor - Lights Yayin l’ Kiddush Ve'Havdalah Betty & Irving Wizenfeld Audrey & Leon Laufer in memory of In memory of Betty’s Parents, Tobias & Esther Spira Audrey’s parents, Herman & Norma Holtz חיים לב בן אברהם נחמה בת אבא טוביה בן צבי אלימלך אסתר בת דוד הכהן Irv ‘s Parents, Sam & Dina Wizenfeld Leon’s parents, Jacob & Sara Laufer יעקב בן מכאל חיה שרה בת ליפה שמואל מאיר בן יצחק הכהן דינה אתל בת נחמן

Pat La’Orchim Kiddush Supplement Esther & David Glahn Juanita & Yitz Moss In memory of David’s mother Beverly Seudah Shlishit Supplement The Braunshweiger Children

5776 Candy Man You - Dah -Man Handy Man Good Humor Man In honor of “Big Gene” Ann & Jeremy Pava Edie & Sid Perew Rena & Eli Aroesty & In memory of Michelle Daman Wasserman