friday 16 march 2012 / 22 Adar 5772 volume 16 - number 9 news I 3 the jewish report interview I 6 opinion I 8 letters I 9 technology I 10 tapestry I 12 youth I 14 sports I 16 GOOD READS Steven Boykey south african Sidley, Stephen Pile, Stewart Ronen and Hirsh Goodman jewish report latest offerings www.sajewishreport.co.za 2 000 revellers for a cause Headlined by popular singer Danny K, this year’s Can Can Carnival last Sunday, masterminded by Yad Aharon, was a roaring success, attended by some 2 000 people, according to fundraising PRs, Laureen Shalpid and Sonia Margolias. The annual carnival, the second of its kind, is designed to raise awareness and directly assist indigent community members. Each attendee at the carnival, hosted for the first time at the Norwood Mall in Johannesburg, needed to bring two non-perishable food items, like rice, cereals, sugar, tea, coffee, oil or canned foods, to gain access to the kaleidoscope of fun-filled carnival activities. The idea of the carnival evolved out of the encouraged month-long participation of Jewish nursery schools in the Greater Johannesburg area. But it’s not only about the carnival. The collecting of non-perishable foods for the hundreds of families in the province unable to afford them, is an initiative practised all year round. Its next highlight will be Shavuot, when bikkurim items will fill Yad Aharon’s coffers, after the chag. (PHOTOGRAPH BY ILAN OSSENDRYVER) Baal Shem Tov fight After Bibi’s US visit: Adrian Gore: The Well-loved Arthur continues What’s Israel’s next Jewish Report entertainer Lisa Goldstuck The fight for the closure of the Baal step on Iran? Interview Melman passes away on gadgets: Shem Tov Shul in Orange Grove, contin- ues. While the Townships Board granted Analysts say Israeli Prime Minister “I don’t believe in wallowing in mis- The new iPad: not designed to elicit the shul permission to continue operat- Benjamin Netanyahu came away from takes or being self-congratulatory gasps of awe. It’s heavier and thicker ing, two objectors, Marian Laserson of his meeting with Pres Barack Obama about past successes. Both approach- than its predecessor, even if only by a Orange Grove Residents’ Association last week feeling he had a strategic es can lead to complacency, which fraction of a millimetre and a few grams. and shul neighbour Christine Walters, partner in seeking to keep Iran from ultimately is the enemy of “great”.” Within that reversal of the size trend lurks are to appeal against the decision. becoming nuclear. the real leap ahead for the iPad. 03 08 06 12 10 2 SA JEWISH REPORT Judaism 16 - 23 March 2012 Shabbat Times Parsha of the week A permeating holiness Until every part was in place, no part had the status of Mishkan (Tabernacle). What lesson does that teach you? Over A span of five Torah portions, we lenged to assess the effectiveness of our become involved in the mission of building mini-sanctuaries in routing this holiness a sanctuary. As with all things in Torah, we down from Above, and into the world do not simply observe, we participate. Their Parshat Vayakhel- beyond. Our shuls, our schools, our Batei mission remains ours. Pekudei Midrash, our homes. Can the same be said The directive began with the calling to Rabbi Dani Brett, Ohr of them: “The cloud covered the Tent of “make for Me a sanctuary so that I may Somayach, Cape Town Meeting, and the glory of Hashem filled the dwell in them”. The commentators famous- Mishkan”? ly point out that the goal was not simply to ies of every Jew at the time. It was about a But it’s important to recognise that create a space in which Hashem’s presence holiness permeating their entire beings and until every part of the Mishkan was in could intensely and intimately manifest, lives. place, no part carried the ultimate holiness. but that this would facilitate Him dwelling It’s even more than that, though. Each depended on all the others. And if within each and every Jew. And so it does Mission accomplished, but not mission another part was missing, there was some- not say “…so that I may dwell in it”, but “in over. In a sense, the building of the thing missing in each other part too. That them” - in each and every one of us. Mishkan has gone on relentlessly in all lesson, too, is part of our mission. Using a modern analogy, the Mishkan times and all places. True, only the Yes, every mitzvah counts, and every would act as a router, with every Jewish effort is valuable. But there are certain key March 16 /22 Adar Mishkan, and the Temples are the ultimate heart and soul connecting to that source in irreplaceable routers, and we dream tire- elements required, or one ultimately seri- March 17/ 23 Adar some way, ultimately projecting its own lessly of the third and final such manifesta- ously jeopardises the wholly-integrated cre- impressions of G-dliness. tion. However, the ability to create ation of a holy space. While we always Parshat Vayakhel-Pekudei The final verses in this week’s portion, Mishkan-like access points remains avail- encourage celebration of each independent in fact the final few in the Book of Shemot, able - and required - in all time. element, we also need to recognise how are some of my favourites. Mission accom- The shuls, the learning centres - important completeness is as well. 18:05 18:53 Johannesburg plished! The Mishkan is erected, and the schools, Batei Midrash, and so on, the And so, let us consider what key elements 18:10 19:34 Cape Town success of the mission affirmed. Jewish home, each of these can in some we have wholesale neglected in our homes, 17:54 18:42 Durban “The cloud entered the Tent of Meeting, way be a reflection of the Mishkan. And in shuls and learning centres, making it highly and the glory of Hashem filled the doing so, they direct holy energies into all questionable to what extent we may welcome 18:13 19:01 Bloemfontein Mishkan.” But the mission went beyond of the spaces that the life of a Jew fills. into them the glory of Hashem. And let’s fix 18:00 19:06 Port Elizabeth that - it was about that glory filling the And so, when we read these last lines of those parts, and in doing so, add immeasura- 18:07 18:56 East London hearts, minds and souls, and even the bod- the book of Shemot, we are being chal- ble value to every other part too. The Parsha in 180 words Talking numbers TWEETING THE PARSHAH: Last year was the Jewish Report's barmitzvah year. can encompass a number of seemingly incompatible 8 and daled 4. The gematriya of echad is actually 13 VAYAKHEL-PEKUDEI This column, Talking Numbers, will celebrate our characteristics which upon deeper investigation are (1 + 8 +4). 13 years by looking at the significance of numbers 1 reconciled, so too with numbers. For this reason, Hashem, who is the embodiment Day after original Yom Kippur and being forgiv- to 13 from a Torah perspective. A sequence of numbers reveals patterns and rela- of oneness, has 13 attributes of mercy. Israel, a en for sin of Golden Calf, by Divine command Gematriya, assigning each Hebrew letter a numer- tionships between numbers, for example odd num- nation of oneness had 13 tribes: Levi represented Moshe asks Israel for donations of precious ical value, is a branch of Torah that assigns meaning bers form a group; evens another; 3, 5 and 7 form a by the Aleph, was separated to serve as Levi'im metals, fabrics, leathers, wood, oil, spices and to numbers and uses these meanings to reach a very important sequence. and Kohanin; 8 tribes born to Rachel and Leah precious stones to construct the Mishkan. deeper understanding of a concept, or to link seem- We will start by looking at the relationship between (Joseph is split into Ephraim and Menashe); 4 Craftsmen appointed, overseen by Betzalel and ingly unrelated concept. one and thirteen. The Hebrew for one is echad, made tribes born to Bilhah and Zilphah. Next week: Who Oholiab. Numbers have personalities, and just like people from 3 letters: aleph with a numerical value of 1, chet knows 1? Donations of material, offers to assist over-subscribed. Princes of 12 tribes Community Briefs donate precious stones, oil, spices. A detailed account of gold, silver and copper is STORY OF PURIM IN PRESENT SA TIMES recorded. Work began on the wooden beams and lay- Northcliff Shul celebrated Purim with much laughter accompanying its Purim ers of fabric and leather coverings for the play entitled North Side Story. The play, which was written and directed by Mishkan, Ark of the Covenant, the table for Sharon Gomer, depicted what the story of Purim would look like if it had showbread, the menorah, the incense altar, occurred in South Africa in 2012. bronze altar. Copper wash basin was made In addition to the play, the audience also enjoyed a Megillah reading by Rabbi from the mirrors women donated. Pesach Fishman and a Purim feast professionally catered by the shul’s talent- Finally, pillars, curtains for the perimeter of ed Ladies’ Guild. the Mishkan’s courtyard made. Eight garments The shul is now taking bookings for its lavish annual Pesach seder on for the Kohain Gadol, four garments for all Saturday evening, April 7. It’s a family-like seder, where everyone has an oppor- other Kohanim made.