CHANUKAH/PURIM ISSUE KEHILATH JESHURUN BULLETIN Volume LXXVIII, Number 2 December 15, 2008 18 Kislev 5769 Women’s Torah Scholarship Celebrated at KJ Rabbi Lookstein’s 50 Years as Rabbinic Leader Honored Great minds came together at a mini- that Avimelech could take Sarah for and the author of Waiting for Rain: Hakhel held at KJ on Sunday, November himself. In this case the fear of God is Reflections at the Turning of the Year, led 16, in honor of Rabbi Haskel Lookstein’s similar to the fear one has of a policeman off the program by raising the question of fifty years as KJ Rabbinic leader. or a judge who metes out punishment. who from Bnei Yisrael should be present at Sponsored by MaTaN, a Jerusalem-based Yirat Elokim is later attributed in the Hakhel, the gathering of the Jewish people Women’s Institute for Torah Studies, the parasha to Avraham when he demonstrated every seven years when the Torah is read. program embodied the commitment to a willingness to obey God’s command to After giving her audience opportunity tradition and learning shared by KJ and sacrifice his only son, Yitzchak. In this to independently study the texts on which Ramaz. situation, however, the fear of God comes her presentation was based, b’chavruta, Rabbi Lookstein welcomed the from total commitment to, and faith in, Dr. Levy reviewed the historical overflow crowd with a D’var Torah, God. Avraham may have been conflicted contributions of Shafan (the scribe of King inspired by Professor Yeshayahu and terrified by this commandment, but he Yoshiya), Ezra, and Rabbi Akiva to the Leibowitz, comparing the two types of was nonetheless prepared to obey God’s reading of, and the study of, Torah. She yirat Elokim mentioned in parashat Vayera. words. concluded, based upon the analysis, it was The first is mentioned in conjunction with The enthusiastic audience then had the determined that all of Bnei Yisrael - from Avimelech, king of Gerar. The reason opportunity to learn from four MaTaN the most scholarly to children - needed to Avraham lied to Avimelech about Sarah scholars, all of whom embody the concept be at Hakhel because we never know who not being his wife was because Avraham of yirat Elokim as emulated by Avraham. the next champion of the Torah will be. was afraid that there was no yirat Elokim Dr. Bryna Levy, Dean of the Joan and Rabbanit Malka Bina, the founder and in that city and he would surely be killed so Shael Bellows Masters Program at MaTaN continued on page 12 SAMUEL S. SILVERSTEIN SHABBATON Yoetzet Halakhah to Visit KJ JANUARY 30-31, 2009 The laws of taharat hamishpacha, family January 30 - Friday Evening Dinner purity, can seem daunting and confusing, immediately following 5:05 PM Shabbat services: especially for those who are newly married “THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS and or/observant. A yoetzet halakhah is a Our Featured Scholar TO THE STUDY OF JEWISH HISTORY” learned woman with recognized expertise in DR. LAWRENCE H. SCHIFFMAN the field, to whom women can turn for January 31 - Saturday Morning advice, answers and encouragement. FRIDAY EVENING SHABBAT DINNER at the conclusion of KJ is proud to welcome Atara Eis, who Members Non-Members 9:00 AM Shabbat services: learned at Nishmat’s Keren Ariel Institute to Adults: $35 $40 “ARCHAEOLOGY AND THE BIBLE: become a yoetzet halakhah, and who will Juniors (ages 12-18): $30 $35 FRIENDS OR FOES” address the congregation on February 7th, Children (ages 2-11): $18 $30 Shabbat Parashat Beshalach. Atara will also Dr. Lawrence H. Schiffman, chairman Studies. An expert on the Dead Sea offer monthly programs on a wide array of of New York University’s Skirball Scrolls, Professor Schiffman received women’s health and halakha topics, and she Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies, his BA, MA and PhD degrees from will assist the synagogue rabbis by advising serves as Ethel and Irvin A. Edelman Brandeis University and currently women on sensitive issues of taharat Professor of Hebrew and Judaic Studies and serves as editor-in-chief of the Center hamishpacha and health. is also a member of the University’s Centers for Online Judaic Studies in New York. Atara can be reached at 610-639-7474 or at for Ancient Studies and Near Eastern [email protected] Page 2 KEHILATH JESHURUN BULLETIN HALAKHAH, SEX, AND SEXUALITY AT KJ Chanukah in A fabulous new class for women, the Park taught by KJ's own Surie Sugarman, explores Jewish sources spanning the generations covering topics such as the Sunday, mitzvah of marital sex, hilkhot niddah, immersion in the mikvah, the mitzvah December 21 at of procreation, and contraception. The class will address the following 5:00 pm questions: What does Judaism have to say about sex and sexuality? What laws govern the sexual relationship Join KJ Beginners and Chabad - Lubavitch of the between husband and wife? Upper East Side as we celebrate and publicize the The class meets weekly on miracle of Chanukah at the 86th Street Thursday mornings at 8:30 in the Jess Ward Library. Surie Sugarman is a promenade in Carl Schurz Park. graduate of Barnard College and q Columbia Law School and is a Giant Menorah lighting practicing attorney. A frequent guest q Music teacher, she has studied Torah for q many years at KJ and at Drisha Chanukah treats Institute for Jewish Education. q Fun for the whole family! WINTER YOUTH ACTIVITIES December 6- Open Gym Night for Grades 2-4 February 6- Tot Shabbat Program UPCOMING KESHER December 7 - KJBL February 7 - Open Gym Night for Grades 2-4 December 13 - Open Gym Night for Grades 7-12 February 8 - KJBL EVENTS December 13 - Family Mishnayot learning February 15 - KJBL with Rabbi Soloveichik for grades 2-4 February 21 - Family Mishnayot learning Funkey Monkeys Concert December 14 - KJBL with Rabbi Soloveichik for grades 2-4 Sunday, December 14th December 14 - Hello Yellow February 21 - Open Gym Night for Grades 7-12 December 20 - Open Gym Night for Grades 5-6 February 24 - KJBL December 21 - KJBL February 27 - Bnei Akiva Shabbaton Melave Malka January 11 - KJBL February 28 - Open Gym Night for Grades 5-6 Saturday evening, January 24th January 17 - Family Mishnayot learning March 1 - KJBL with Rabbi Soloveichik for grades 2-4 March 7 Family Mishnayot learning January 17 - Open Gym Night for Grades 7-12 with Rabbi Soloveichik for grades 2-4 Saturday Night Social Event January 18 - KJBL March 8 - KJBL Saturday, Febuary 28th January 24 - Open Gym Night for Grades 5-6 March 9 - Purim Bash January 25 - KJBL March 10- Purim Carnival February 1 - KJBL March 15 - KJBL New Mothers’ Breakfast February 1 - Hello Yellow April 5 - Hello Yellow February 1- Super Bowl Party Tuesday, March 24th Pre-Pesach Chesed Event WELCOME NEW MEMBERS Sunday, April 5th Kehilath Jeshurun warmly welcomes the following new members who have joined the Congregation between the printing of the last Bulletin, September 4, and this Bulletin, which went to press on November 18: TO JOIN THE KJ ONLINE Lauren and Justin Brody Janice and Robert Montefiore COMMUNITY, SEND AN E-MAIL WITH Norma and Dr. Howard Bruckner Rachel and Craig Title YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME TO: Dr. Daniel L.Crane Leah and Joel Weinberg [email protected] Lisa Sopher-Deutsch Shahla and Barry Weiner BE SURE TO VISIT KJ’S WEBSITE and Jeremy Deutsch WWW.CKJ.ORG KEHILATH JESHURUN BULLETIN Page 3 Simchat Torah day at KJ was truly joyous. responsibility was awesome; the And so it falls to me to announce our We had the opportunity to demonstrate our challenges were enormous and therefore choice of chatan Torah, and to explain Simchat Torah through the spirited dancing in the the new leader was commanded: “Rak why, of all members of our community, Main Synagogue and in the Women’s Tefilah chazak ve’ematz - be strong and we, this year, chose this person in Group. Limud Torah was evident at the excellent courageous.” particular. shiur delivered by Surie Sugarman in which she Without trying to be overly This Simchat Torah, we honor a melodramatic, the decision by the Officers member of our shul who comes from a examined the succession of Moshe Rabbeinu by and Executive Committee of KJ to confer family with a history of involvement here Yehoshua. Kriyat haTorah brought us the merit the highest Torah honors of the year on me at KJ; indeed he and his family have been of completing the Torah at which time we and upon my two associates in the involved in KJ for…as long as I can experienced a sense of loss with the death of Rabbinate at KJ, was not just a celebration remember. I mean, as far back as 2004 I Moshe and then the immediate rush which of my 50th Anniversary in this was mightily impressed by his dedication. accompanies the reading from Bereishit. congregation. It was also a statement He was someone who worked hard during What better representation could we at KJ about what a rabbi’s responsibility is: To the week at his job, burning the midnight have had as our three chatanim this year than our maintain the continuity of Torah in each oil at his office, yet on Shabbat morning he three beloved rabbis! We thank Rabbi Lookstein generation. This is the underlying theme was here quite early, earlier than most for reaching his 50th year in the KJ pulpit so that of the first chapter of the Book of Joshua: members, sometimes even earlier than me we could honor him, and Rabbis Weinstock and “Hemshech:” The ongoing survival and - and I know that’s hard to believe.