Adam Raised a Cain Rabbi Ari Lamm, Resident Scholar Clergy & Staff Yosie Levine Rabbi The Jewish Center Rosh Hashanah is supposed to be Judgement Day. This is a fascinating take on the Cain and Abel nar- rative. In Bruce’s imagination, Cain’s behavior may Dovid Zirkind SHABBAT BULLETIN It’s hard to feel that way after Elul. have been due to his tough relationship with his fa- Associate Rabbi ther, Adam. Right out of the womb, Adam plunged Sure, we spend Rosh Hashanah in repentance before Cain right into the baptismal waters, submerging him Chaim David Berson God, shofar blasts escorting our prayers up to Heav- fully into a thoroughgoing value system that the lat- Cantor SEPTEMBER 10, 2016 • PARSHAT SHOFTIM • 5776 en. But if “Judgement Day” is supposed to conjure up ter had no time even to understand, let alone em- feelings of overawed inspiration at God’s immanent brace. Before he could take a single emotional, intel- Ari Lamm EREV SHABBAT SAVE THE DATE presence, well, the odds are good that no one who lectual or spiritual breath, Cain was already ex- Resident Scholar 6:58PM Candle lighting attends services over the coming month will feel it. By pected to have a wholly-formed, actionable 7:00PM Minchah Noach Goldstein the time Rosh Hashanah arrives, we’ll all have been worldview. And as Cain grew older, his infant tears Shabbat September 24 Resident Scholar Scholar In Residence reciting selichot for days - some communities for an turned to youthful resentment, then to adolescent SHABBAT Rachelle Sprecher Fraenkel entire month - and blowing the shofar daily to boot; anger, until finally father and son could no longer Avi Feder 7:45AM Hashkama Minyan (The Max and Marion Grill Beit Midrash) we’ll all have begged pardon from our friends and live under the same roof. Any wonder, then, that Jewish Unity and the High Holiday William Fischman 9:00AM Shacharit (3 rd floor) loved ones, and repented to the extent we can. In Cain didn’t share his parent’s ideals? Rabbinic Intern Season 9:15AM Hashkama Shiur with Rabbi Dovid Zirkind: The Book of other words, by the time we gather in shul for the Shabbat Morning, October 1st Brotherly Love: Kingship and Kinship In Sefer Devarim (5 th floor) first time on Rosh Hashanah, we’ll all have been The truth is, I get it. Cain had no time to adjust to, or Erica Brown Sermon by Dr. Erica Brown numbed to its majesty by the month of Elul. Isn’t this maybe even really comprehend, Adam’s and Eve’s Community Scholar 9:30AM Young Leadership (The Max Stern Auditorium) The Place of Teshuva an odd manner in which to structure a religious cal- expectations for him. Not that this excuses Cain, of 9:17AM Sof Zman Kriat Shema Shabbat Morning, October 15th endar? course - after all, was Abel his parents’ keeper? - Aaron Strum 10:00AM Youth Groups: Under age 3 (drop off optional, Executive Director Sermon By Rabbi Benjamin Blech but innocence is not what I’m after here. What I want babies must be able to independently sit upright), 3-6-year-olds: If you’ll permit the digression, the other day I was to know is how Adam and Eve could have ended up Jenn & Gaby Minsky Geller Youth Center, 2nd-6th graders: 7th floor listening to Bruce Springsteen’s Darkness on the Edge raising a Cain, and I think the answer is that they did Youth Directors of Town. This album marked the beginning of Bruce’s it by raising Cain too quickly. SHABBAT SHUVAH DRASHAH THANK YOU TO OUR KIDDUSH SPONSOR melancholy turn. Gone are the lovers in Little Eden, OFFICERS BY RABBI YOSIE LEVINE Hope & Joshua Newman and Scooter and the Big Man busting the city in half. To return, then, to my first question: approaching Avi Schwartz SHABBAT OCTOBER 8 AT 11:00 AM They’d been replaced by the sadness on Candy’s Rosh Hashanah with no preparation - no time for self President pretty face, and the burnt-out husks of old racing -reflection - would be a disaster. Much like Cain Andrew Borodach 4:00PM Bikkur Cholim/Bikkur in the Home (meet at 730 Columbus The Urgency of Shabbat in the cars. A carefree, young Bruce was, by this time, railing against his overbearing father and a set of First Vice President Ave.) 21st Century: slowly growing into a wistful, sad, middle-aged principles the former was given no time to appreci- 5:50PM Chabura with Joshua Newman - The Global Economy, Rule of What the Holiest Day of the Year Michael Jacobs Bruce. ate, most of us - forced to march straight from the Vice President Law and the Seven Laws of Noah. (4th floor) Can Teach us about the Holiest lazy heat of summer into the Heavenly Courtroom - 6:05PM Daf Yomi Day of the Week To me, the most poignant song from this period is would feel overwhelmed, unprepared, and resentful. Deena Blanchard 6:50PM Minchah “Adam Raised a Cain.” The framework for this medi- Surely even those whose devotion to God throughout Vice President THANK YOU Seudah Shlishit Speaker : Yehuda Aaronson, Director of Overseas tation on strained family ties is, as the title suggests, the year never wavers at all have difficulty adjusting Mark Segall Development, Reuth Israel: Exploring the National, Public and Person- a Biblical tale. The first stanza - following a growl- to the rigors of Rosh Hashanah. How much more so Assistant Vice President Thank you to our Anonymous al Justice Systems through the Teshuva process ing, distorted guitar solo in the introduction - is as the rest of us? Much better to approach Rosh Hasha- sponsor in honor of all the Yaron Kinar WITH THANKS TO OUR SEUDAH SHLISHIT SPONSORS : follows: nah - Judgment Day - through a gradual, spiritual Treasurer wonderful Chabura Johnny and Tammy Glaser acclimatory process. in memory of Nathan Sinkman, grand- leaders this summer! In the summer that I was baptized / my father held Len Berman father of Johnny Glaser and Pauline Sehgal and for a Refuah Assistant Treasurer Elan Ariel, Sam Englander, Jeff me to his side. / As they put me to the water / he Cain needed an Elul. So do we. Sh'lemah to Eeta Bat Chaya Sara Bogursky, Ira Tokayer, Malka said how on that day I cried. / We were prisoners Andrew Kaplan Veronica & Erwin Muth in commemoration of the Yahrtzeit of Er- Strasberg and Joshua Newman of love, a love in chains. / He was standin' in the Chodesh tov to all! Assistant Treasurer win's mother, Sarolta Muth. Thank you for sharing your door I was standin' in the rain. / With the same hot Miri Lipsky 7:57PM Shabbat concludes blood burning in our veins. / Adam raised a Cain Secretary inspiring Torah with all of us. Phone Numbers Join us for the High Holidays DAILY SERVICES ROSH HASHANAH: OCTOBER 3-4TH YOM KIPPUR: OCTOBER 12 TH Sun. Sept. 11 Mon. Sept. 12 Friday Sept. Yoetzet Halacha Daf Yomi – Thur. Sept. 16 Ilana Gadish 7:45AM 15 Shacharit Shacharit Shacharit 7:00/8AM [email protected] 8:30AM 7/8AM Daf Yomi 646-598-1080 Minchah Daf Yomi 7:45AM 6:55PM 7:45AM Candle Jewish Center Minchah Lighting Chevra Kadisha 6:55PM 6:46PM 212-724-2700 x555 Minchah 6:55PM UWS Mikvah 212-579-2011 Women's Tehillim Group Monday, Sept., 12 at 7:15PM Contact Joyce For more information, and to reserve your seats, please visit the Weitz for more info at 212-877-1176 Hatzalah Jewish Center website. 212-230-1000 The Jewish Center - The Modern Orthodox Center for Jewish Life and Learning 131 W. 86 th Street, New York, NY 10024 • www.jewishcenter.org • 212-724-2700 Eruv Status 212-724-2700 x4 WELCOME RABBI AVI FEDER COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS UPCOMING SELICHOT CONCERT WILLIAM FISCHMAN RABBINIC INTERN MOTZEI SHABBAT SEPTEMBER 24 TH THANK YOU TO OUR USHERS Ben Gadon and Aliza Herzberg Avi Feder is a 4th year Rabbinical Student in the 9:45 PM Havdallah followed by a Concert featuring Soulfarm Semikha program at Yeshiva University’s Rabbi THANK YOU TO CSS 11:00 PM Selichot Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. He learned We would like to once again thank CSS and our dedicat- Sponsorship opportunities are available, for more info contact Cantor Berson at at Yeshivat Ohr Yerushalayim in Israel for 2 ed CSS members for providing the security for our syna- [email protected]. years before graduating from Yeshiva Universi- gogue this week. ty’s Sy Syms School of Business with a degree in Business Management & Marketing. Avi is excit- CONGRATULATIONS ed to be joining the Jewish Center community, a Congratulations to our Community Scholar, Dr. Erica Brown community he served in his former capacity as on her new job. She will now serve as an associate profes- sor of Jewish education at George Washington University the Director of Manhattan NCSY. Living in Wash- in the Graduate School of Education and Human Develop- YOUTH DEPARTMENT UPDATES ington Heights, he makes ment and will be director of its new Mayberg Center for For more information contact [email protected]. regular use of the pe- Jewish Education and Leadership destrian paths on the nearby George Wash- HIGH HOLIDAY SEATING Welcome Back to Shul Seudah Shlishit, Shabbat, September 10th 4:45pm to 7:00pm ington Bridge, its running We expect to be full for the High Holidays. We would Join us for a fun filled third meal for the entire family. Spend time with old friends and make new ones while lanes have become his love to accommodate everyone who would like to be with your children have a great time with a variety of entertainment for all ages.