May 15, 2015 – Iyar 26, 5775 Flamingo E Weekly 622640 Erev Parshat Behar-Bechukotai~Chazak. Mevarchim HaChodesh Sivan / Avot Chapter 5 Shabbat Candles may be lit anytime from 7:02 pm onwards, until: 8:17 pm Shabbat ends: 9:27 pm The Family Shul Wishes You a Shabbat Shalom!

Weekly Schedule Friday, May 15 Shabbat (Saturday), May 16 Sunday, May 17 6:30 am Maamer Moment 7:00 am Tehillim Minyan 8:00 am Early Minyan 6:40 am Early Minyan 8:45 am The Chassidic Reader – Lekutei 8:30 am Tanya Teachings 7:00 am Regular Minyan 9:15 am Main Shacharit Services 9:15 am Regular Minyan 6:30 pm Early Mincha, 9:30 am Parents n’ Kids Youth Minyan 7:30 pm Mincha and Sefer Sefer HaMitzvot Express and 10:30 am All Youth Programs HaMitzvot Express Shabbat Insights followed by 1:30 pm Shabbat Mevarchim Farbrengen 7:55 pm Ma’ariv Kabbalat Shabbat! 7:30 pm Mincha followed by Seudah Shlisheet, 9:20 pm Ma’ariv – then, Living Torah with the Rebbe video Kiddush Honours: Farbrengen Honour: Seuda-Shlisheet Mr. & Mrs. Anonymous An Anonymous Honour: Daniel & Rachel Klasner Shul Family Available

Women’s Mikvah: Women’s Mikvah: Women’s Mikvah: by appt. only 10:15pm - 12:00 am 8:30 - 10:30 pm Monday, May 18 Tuesday, May 19 Wednesday, May 20 Thursday, May 21 -Stat Holiday- 8:00 am Early Minyan 6:30 am Parsha Perspectives 6:30 am Parsha Perspectives 6:30 am Parsha Perspectives 8:30 am Parsha Perspectives 6:40 am Early Minyan 6:40 am Early Minyan 6:35 am Early Minyan 9:15 am Regular Minyan 7:00 am Regular Minyan 7:00 am Regular Minyan 7:00 am Regular Minyan 7:30 pm Mincha and Sefer 7:30 pm Mincha and Sefer 7:30 pm Mincha and Sefer 7:30 pm Mincha and Sefer HaMitzvot Express HaMitzvot Express HaMitzvot Express HaMitzvot Express 7:55 pm Ma’ariv 7:55 pm Ma’ariv 7:55 pm Ma’ariv 7:55 pm Ma’ariv 8:30 pm Haftorah Hyperlinks! 8:05 pm Men’s Chavruta 8:30 pm Talmud Studies Women’s Mikvah Women’s Mikvah Women’s Mikvah Women’s Mikvah 8:30 - 10:30 pm 8:30 - 10:30 pm 8:30 - 10:30 pm 8:30 - 10:30 pm Shabbat Strong – This Shabbat immediately precedes Rosh Chodesh, and is called Mevarchim because it’s especially empowered to infuse the upcoming Hebrew month of Sivan - the month of Matan Torah and Jewish Unity, with Divine blessings and success. In our cherished Chassidic tradition, we’ll be reciting the entire Sefer Tehillim early in the morning at 7AM, and we host Mivarchim Farbrengen following the communal Kiddush at 1:30 pm. This Shabbat is also called Chazak - be strong, because we finish reading Sefer Vayikrah () in Shul. As we read the final verses aloud, the entire congregation chants Chazak, Chazak v’nitChazaik (Be strong! Be strong! And let us strengthen each other!) This Shabbat is a tremendous source of blessing and strength – you just need to join in to get it! Please come for any or all of these special observances to enrich yourself, your loved ones, our community and all of Am Yisrael, and let’s be strong – together! Youth Has Its Rewards – For our exciting 9:30 am Shabbat Morning Youth Minyan, be sure to be on time for a chance to win big! Then stay on for the regular program to continue getting even more points in our exciting new RPS (Reward Points System). Avrumi is always full of surprises, so the kids are more motivated than ever! Join the growing number of parents who participate with their children, and make the most of your Family Shul. This Shabbat provides added strength (see above) which arises especially from seeing our children move towards greater Shabbat observance and their joyous involvement in Yiddishkeit, for that Nachas is the ultimate “reward!” Seven Cycles of Servitude – This week’s Parsha is a double-header (Behar-Bechukotai), and because we finish a book of Torah, it’s also a Shabbat Chazak (see above )! Join us and experience all the strength and inspiration together. Beginning at 10:30 am, all the children will join together for fun and excitement at the Shabbat Program. In this week’s Parsha, we learn about two very important Mitzvot that are performed only in the Holy Land of Israel (the second only when ALL of Am Yisrael is living within our ENTIRE homeland and is doing so in our ancestral tribal formation!). These Mitzvot are called Shemita, the Sabbatical rest year in which the farmland of Israel is not worked on after six busy years, and Yovel, the Jubilee year, a year of grand rest after seven cycles of Shemita, and a year in which all the servants must go free! We also read about G-d’s promises to provide us with all of our needs if we keep the Torah and Mitzvot, but the terrible consequences if we don’t live up to His expectations. We’ll learn about these important ideas by playing educational Parsha Games like Good News, Bad News and Headbands, and stories like Rina’s Rainy Day, Nachum ish Gamzu, and Hidden Kindness. The children’s program will conclude in the main sanctuary by leading the entire congregation in the singing of Ein Kelokeinu. Mazal Tov to Mensch of the Week: Moshe Kaplan! Endless Summer – The statutory holiday on Monday, May 18 gives all of us some much-needed rest. Please note the following scheduling changes for this day: the early minyan will be held late at 8 am. The Parsha-Perspectives class with the Rabbi begins at 8:30 am, followed by morning services at 9:15 am. Rebbetzin Faygie’s Law and Order class about Shabbat observance and Rabbi Kaplan's Redemption Songs are suspended. These classes will resume the week after Shavuos. Mincha, Sefer HaMitzvot and Ma’ariv remain on their regular schedule. Cheese Please – We know that it’s customary to eat dairy delicacies on Shavuot. Following our time-honoured traditions, we’ll be hosting a beautiful traditional Dairy Kiddush on Sunday, May 24 - the first day of Yom Tov. To celebrate this holiday, cheesecake is a typical delicacy; unfortunately bakery cheesecakes are very expensive and therefore we haven’t been able to serve them for quite a while. But what if we held a baking event where our Flamingo ladies would join forces to each make two delectable cheesecakes, donating one to the shul and the other for your family to enjoy? This was the event that we publicized, and within 12 hours we were sold out with over 30 ladies signed up! The bake-off happens this Tuesday, May 19 at 7 pm, (Rosh Chodesh Sivan). Enjoy the interaction of baking together!! An Affair to Remember – This Tuesday, May 12th, our Haftorah Hyperlinks class begins at 8:30 pm. This week’s Haftorah begins with the words, "The number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea [shore], which can be neither measured nor counted." This is an obvious reference to the first Torah portion of what our sages called “Chumash HaPikudim” - the Book of Numbers. In the rest of the reading, the prophet Hosea severely rebukes the Jewish people for their infidelity, abandoning their “husband” (G-d), and engaging in “adulterous affairs” with pagan deities and describes the punishments they will suffer for this. But Hosea then reassures the Jews that the nation shall repent, and G‑d will accept them back wholeheartedly. The prophet concludes with moving metaphorical matrimonial words of love and devotion. But what does this reading have to do with the weekly Parsha? Discover how these allegorical ideas actually serve as an embodiment of the Torah portion’s overriding message as well as an allusion to the upcoming holiday of Shavuot! Visit our website to watch Rabbi Kaplan's most recent Torah studies lecture: “iDol No More,” and/or watch some of the Rabbi’s other videos about the upcoming holiday of Shavuot to learn more about why and how the anniversary of Matan Torah can and should be celebrated! Enjoy GST: Golf – Sushi – Tefillin – Our unique and exciting annual Charity Golf Event is now less than two weeks away! If you haven’t signed up yet, please do so now so that you can participate with us Wednesday, May 27 at the beautiful Woodington Lakes Golf Club in Tottenham, Ontario for finely groomed greens, great golf and loads of fun perks including the Rabbi’s Tent where you'll find tefillin, fresh sushi, high-end L’chaims and the Mojito King of Canada who’ll be providing the absolute freshest, tastiest, and coolest Mojitos in the country! We look forward to spending some quality time with you at The Baruch Kotton Memorial Tefillin Classic on an incredible and memorable day of kosher fun, rejuvenation and inspiration! We’re 75% of the way to our target, and hope that you’ll come to the party and take us over the top in garnering another sold-out successful event that will enable us to continue to serve the entire community. Visit our website to sign up and be a part of this annual winning Flamingo event!

You Look Familiar; Were You at Sinai? – The wondrous holiday of Shavuot is now only 1 week away! We learn that when the Torah was given, the soul of every member of Am Yisrael until the end of time was actually there in spirit. The Midrash says that each year on Shavuot, when we gather to listen to the Ten Commandments from the Sefer Torah, G-d is actually conveying the Torah to us all over again. That’s the reason for Tikkun Leil Shavuot, on the first night of Shavuot, where we remain awake studying Torah to prepare keenly for this special Soulware upgrade. For a more detailed explanation, please visit our website to watch a fascinating lecture on this topic that Rabbi Kaplan delivered last year. It’ll be a memorable night of education, inspiration and spiritual enrichment for both parents and children. While we hope that you'll join us, we remind you that it’s more important to attend Shul the next morning, so please come only if you’re sure you can also attend the next day after just a couple of hours of sleep! The following programs will take place Motzai Shabbat (Saturday night), May 23, beginning at 11:59 pm. Delicious (age-appropriate) refreshments will be served, along with plenty of strong coffee! All of the refreshments have been anonymously sponsored by a dear Shul member to honour the memory and elevate the Neshama of his late brother Eliazar ben Gershon and for the merit of a Refu’ah Sh'leimah for all of the Cholim in our community! • Adults Session: Rabbi Kaplan again leads a frank and open Q & A session, responding to all questions. Submit your confidential queries on any subject or issue to: [email protected]. If there’s time, the floor will be opened for additional queries as well. This will be such an interesting, lively and entertaining session that we promise that you’ll have no problem staying awake, even without all the free-flowing coffee! Questions will be answered in the order that they’re received; many excellent questions have already been submitted! If you want your question featured, please email the Rabbi ASAP. The session will conclude exactly at daybreak: 3:51 am. • Youth Sessions: Children, Teens and Tweens are invited to an exciting roster of learning organized and led by our Youth Minyan Leader, Rabbi Avrumi, and runs from 12 to 2 am. This year’s learning focuses the great men and women of our history, and the impact they had on our nation, with a special emphasis on Ruth, the great-grandmother of King David. They’ll be lots of delicious snacks to feed your body while you nourish mind and soul. We hope to see all the young Flamingo’ers there, but remind you that staying up late at night should never be an excuse for missing Shul the next morning! Be a Dairy Queen (or King!) – On Shavuot, we traditionally eat dairy foods, in addition to the special Seudat YomTov feasting. A group of dedicated Shul members are joining together to sponsor the annual Grand Dairy Kiddush on the first day of Shavuot. If you’d like to join them, please contact the office. The sponsorship of the Yizkor Kiddush on the second day of Shavuot is also available. To sponsor (fully or partially), please contact Rabbi Yossi. We thank all sponsors who have already come forward, and thank you in advance for your generosity!

Gallop to the Gala – The preparations for our annual Gala are well underway! The stunning invitations were mailed this week. If you haven't received yours, please call our office and will be sure to send you another! Ads for the Souvenir Journal have started to arrive – it’s the perfect once-a-year opportunity to express your gratitude or honour someone in our community in a beautiful and respectful way. We are sure to sell out and hope that you’ll join us to show your support for our Shul and honour an exceptional group of honourees, all of whom are Defending our Freedoms. Please purchase your tickets this week and mark the date of Monday, Sivan 28/June 15, 2015 in your calendars to attend this memorable evening. Even if you can’t afford to attend, please help us organize a memorable event that showcases our Shul to the broader community. On Wednesday, May 20th at 8 pm, we’ll be holding another Gala Dinner committee meeting. Everyone is invited to attend and get involved in selling ads and seats to make this Gala the best one yet!

A Special Group of Ten – Working with ’s Terror Victims Project of Israel, we’re proud to host ten Giborai Yisrael who were seriously wounded in Gaza and are only now completing their rehabilitation. We hope to bring some joy to these young Israelis who have suffered so much to defend Israel by giving them the trip of a lifetime. They will arrive in Toronto on July 7 for a full week. We’re holding a special community-wide Shabbaton to honour them, and need volunteers to help arrange and execute this project. To help out, please contact Shul members Sari Bachar ([email protected]) or Greg Nisan ([email protected]). Here’s this week’s bio profile: Gabi S. is 41 years old and lives in Modiin; he was injured on July 30, 2014. He served as a combat soldier in the Engineering Corps, operating a D9 bulldozer that was used to detect weapons tunnels. Even though he was over 40, married, and had children, Gabi volunteered to continue serving in the reserves. His reserve duty began when the three innocent Israeli teenagers were kidnapped by terrorists. He assisted in searching for them and was then deployed along with his fellow soldiers to fight in the Gaza War. Gabi and his unit found and destroyed 29 terror tunnels! during weeks of continuous fighting. His unit then received information about a tunnel that was 40 meters deep which needed the special drilling and other equipment that his unit had. As they arrived at the tunnel, an anti-tank missile was fired at them which exploded near Gabi's D9. Eleven soldiers were wounded, two very seriously - one of them was Gabi. Over 300 shrapnel pieces penetrated his body, but he miraculously survived. He has undergone many operations and is in rehabilitation today. Gabi and his unit received awards and a special medal from the Chief of Staff for their incredible life-saving work.

Our Shabbat Sponsors – The Congregational Kiddush has been co-sponsored by: • An dedicated Shul family wishing to remain anonymous • Daniel and Rachel Klasner in honour of their new daughter, Maya Eliana. The Farbrengen has been sponsored anonymously. The Seudah Shlisheet has not yet been sponsored. To acquire the merit, please contact Rabbi Yossi. Members Bulletin – Attention Kielce Community! The Pogrom of Kielce - July 4, 1946, is the subject of a new film that is currently being produced with actual footage now being shot in Kielce, Poland. Filmmakers Michael Jarovsky and Larry Loewinger require more photos of the pogrom to enrich their realistic presentation. They are respectfully requesting that anyone who has photos or leads that can be collaborated to contact: [email protected] Thank you! – Fabio Niski E-Weekly Sponsor - Norman the Real Estate Man (only 0.5% commission) – I am a devoted member of the Jewish community who is committed to providing excellent, individualized customer service at a reasonable cost. I have the following special offer: I will charge 0.5% commission on the listing side of residential home sales when I represent the sellers on their home purchase. – Norman Wercberger, Sales Rep, Gold Realty Ltd., Brokerage Office: 416 477-5959, cell: 416 457-6526, [email protected], www.normantherealestateman.com

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