“ YOUNG ISRAEL OF HOLLYWOOD-FT. LAUDERDALE -' ADAR II-NISAN 5779 Volume 11, Issue 8, April 2019 Rabbi Yosef Weinstock, Senior Rabbi Rabbi Adam Frieberg, Assistant Rabbi Rabbi Edward Davis, Rabbi Emeritus Dr. P.J. Goldberg, President APRIL 2019 Pesach Edition: Important Pesach Information Inside Permit No. 3329 No. Permit FT LAUD FL LAUD FT (upside down address and bulk mail inditia) PAID POSTAGE U.S. Organization Nonprofit Expert Vision Care Eye Surgeons and Consultants is one of the most respected ophthalmology groups in South Florida. Our physicians, Dr. Alan Mendelsohn and Dr. Nathan Klein provide up-to-date eye care services with state of the art equipment in a beautiful and relaxing office setting. 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Nechama This is in addition to the fact that storytelling is one of the great Leibowitz points out that there are four instances in the Torah pleasures of parenthood. that command us to retell the Pesach story. Parshat Bo is the only time that the command is not preceded by a question. Answering It can be said that not only are we Jews the People of the Book, questions related to the Exodus is an academic exercise. but we are also the People of the Story. Pesach is our Annual Storytelling Festival. Jewish stories are not only a description of However at the Seder, Hagadah, storytelling is the order of the where we once were. They connect the past with the present and day. On Pesach it is not only the Halachik construct of recitation future. (There are departed members of this community whom I that is important but the dynamic art of storytelling as well. never had the opportunity to meet. And yet some of them I have been fortunate to get to know through the stories that have been Storytelling is a powerful tool for fostering and conveying told about them: by other community members, by their loved religious identity and pride. ones still living, and especially by Rabbi Davis.) Storytelling and listening may not be the same as actually witnessing something- Judaism is about more than religion, law, and theology. Judaism but it can be meaningful as well. is about telling a story. Rabbi Yechiel Yaakov Weinberg, author of Seredei Aish, explained that Halakha, Jewish law, represents The story is told that whenever the Baal Shem Tov sensed that tradition and consistency. We practice today the same daily his people were in trouble he would go to a secret place in the rituals that our ancestors observed for centuries. These rituals woods, light a special fire, and say a special prayer. In that merit, provide the stability upon which we build our Jewish lives. But without fail, his people would be saved. When the Baal Shem- in tandem with the law must be the story. Chief Rabbi Jonathan Tov passed on, his disciple, the Maggid of Mezritch, came to Sacks writes that only stories have the depth, ambiguity and lead the people. Whenever he sensed danger, he would go to the multiplicity of meaning that allow them to be relevant and secret place in the woods. "Dear God," he would say, “I don't enjoyed by a wide variety of people. Jewish stories are a way of know how to light the special fire, but I know the special prayer. connecting and identifying with our religion at all times and in Please let that be good enough.” It was, and the people would be all circumstances- even Communist Russia. saved. Stories are also a powerful medium because it is easy to get The Maggid was succeeded by Rabbi Moshe Leib of Sasov, and swept up into a story, to imagine ourselves as the main whenever he heard of danger, he would go to the secret place in characters. As a young reader, one of my favorite books was a the woods. "Dear God," he would say, "I don't know how to series called “Choose your Own Adventure.” The reader is the make the special fire, and I don't know how to say the special main character and you get to choose from multiple plot twists prayer, but I know this secret place in the woods. Please let that and endings. Today they have even more direct ways to create be good enough." It was good enough, and the people would be this effect of being part of the story. At home we have two saved from danger. children’s books that accomplish this in a not-so-subtle way. In one book, the child’s name is printed in the text of the story. So When Rabbi Moshe passed, he was succeeded by Rabbi Israel of in the Sesame Street book Ernie and Bert’s friend is named Rizhyn, and whenever he was told of pending danger, he didn't Yaakov Weinstock. The other book is a kind you place the even get out of his armchair. He could only bow his head and child’s picture into a sleeve so that your child is featured on shrug his shoulders. "Dear God," he would pray, "I don't know every page of the story. As silly as these efforts may sound, Rav how to make the special fire. I don't know how to say the special Nachman of Breslov said that this is exactly what we are trying prayer. I don't even know the secret place in the woods. All I to accomplish through Jewish storytelling: we are not just the know is the story, and I'm hoping that's good enough." It was, reader or listener. We should take pride in these stories and and his people would be saved. appreciate their relevance to our own lives. As another Seder story has been told, let’s appreciate the There is a Yiddish proverb that G-d created man because He importance of storytelling all year round for ourselves and the loves stories; which might explain why Sefer Breishit tells so Jewish People. In the merit of our Hagadah may we be worthy of many of them. But it is not only G-d who loves stories. We all being important characters in the next chapter of the glorious love a good story. Why has the Chicken Soup for the Soul Series, story of Am Yisrael. and similar types of books, been so popular? Stories teach lessons, impart values, and inspire. Children understand this better than adults. They love stories. Researchers at the Yale RABBI YOSEF WEINSTOCK Child Study Center (in my hometown) are even finding that storytelling--especially between children and caregivers--is a key Martine Newman REALTOR ® Call/Text (954) 536-2424 Arapahoe Farms Fantastic 6 bed/7 bath 2 story custom pool home with over 7,400 sq. ft. Perfect for entertaining Offered at $1,499,999. Emerald Hills Spectacular 5 bed/ 6.5 bath pool home with over a half an acre on Mangrum Court. One of a kind. Offered at $1,599,000. Hollywood Oaks Remodeled pool estate. 4 bd/4 baths plus a beautiful office. 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YOUNG ISRAEL OF HOLLYWOOD-FT LAUDERDALE APRIL 2019 PAGE 5 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE SISTERHOOD MESSAGE The 37th Annual Dinner of Young Israel of Hollywood was held Hello Hollywood! on March 10th 2019. At the dinner, our congregation honored six people, two couples and two individuals, for their contributions to For those of you who have read my past columns, you may our congregation and our community both in the past and in the remember that I shared that I was taking the initiative to get present. involved in a very concrete way with our Sisterhood. I reached out to Crissy Kogan, our Sisterhood’s Past President, who has We honored Jessica Schultz with our newly created Founder’s been chairing the Mishloach Manot fundraiser for several Award. Jessica was one of our founding years, to show me the ropes. I learned so much about our shul members.