Transcript
W E E K O F A P R I L 2 8 - M A Y 4 1 3 - 1 9 I Y Y A R , 5 7 7 8
V O L U M E 1 I S S U E 2 9
Over the course of the trip to Israel with the Jewish Federation of Jacksonville, we
got to meet some extraordinary people who made a profound impact. One
individual who stands out was Racheli Frankel. She was the mother of one of the
three teenage boys who was kidnapped and murdered by terrorists in 2014. At the
very same area where her son Naftali and his two friends were abducted,
there has been a park called Oz V’gaon that was established. It is a place where
families with children come to play and connect. We met her at the Oz V’gaon, and
she shared some powerful reflections. There was not a hint of anger or bitterness
that was conveyed in her remarks. She just said she was so thankful for all the
support that she has been shown from people around the world. She was asked
about how she is able to exude such gratitude and optimism in the face of the great
pain that she endured in that horrific tragedy. She replied that while she
experienced pain and grief, she didn’t allow that to define who she is. That is
obviously a very tall order, and different people experience traumatic events and
grief in various ways. She concluded her remarks by saying Am Yisroel Chai. I
walked away feeling that I had been in the presence of greatness. מי כעמך ישראל
Have a great Shabbos,
MESSAGE
CANDLE LIGHTING TIMES
FRIDAY, APRIL 27
Mincha 6:30PM
(Earliest Time to Light) 6:39PM
Candle Lighting 7:43PM
SHABBOS MORNING
Daf Yomi Class 8:15AM
Shacharis 9:00AM
Sephardic Minyan 9:00AM
Latest Shema 10:05AM
Unlocking the Closed Book 10:30AM
with Rabbi Feigenbaum
Following services, everyone is invited
to kiddush in the social hall.
SHABBOS AFTERNOON
Pirkei Avos Class 6:45PM
with Rabbi Fisch
Mincha 7:30PM
Followed by Seuda Shlishis
Maariv & Havdallah 8:46PM
SERVICES THIS WEEK:
SHACHARIS
Sunday 8:15AM
Monday--Friday 6:45AM
MINCHA
Sunday-Thursday 7:50PM
Following the deaths of Nadav and Avihu, G-d warns against unauthorized entry
“into the holy.” Only one person, the kohen gadol (“high priest”), may-but once a
year, on Yom Kippur—enter the innermost chamber in the Sanctuary to offer the
sacred ketoret to G-d.
Another feature of the Day of Atonement service is the casting of lots over two
goats, to determine which should be offered to G-d and which should be dispatched
to carry off the sins of Israel to the wilderness.
The Parshah of Acharei also warns against bringing korbanot (animal or meal
offerings) anywhere but in the Holy Temple, forbids the consumption of blood, and
details the laws prohibiting incest and other deviant sexual relations.
The Parshah of Kedoshim begins with the statement: “You shall be holy, for I, the
L-rd your G-d, am holy.” This is followed by dozens of mitzvot (divine
commandments) through which the Jew sanctifies him- or herself and relates to
the holiness of G-d.
These include: the prohibition against idolatry, the mitzvah of charity, the principle
of equality before the law, Shabbat, sexual morality, honesty in business, honor and
awe of one’s parents, and the sacredness of life.
Also in Kedoshim is the dictum which the great sage Rabbi Akiva called a cardinal
principle of Torah, and of which Hillel said, “This is the entire Torah, the rest is
commentary”—“Love your fellow as yourself.”
SYNOPSIS
TORAH READINGS
Parshas Acharei Page: 636
Haftarah Acharei Page: 1173
A D U LT E D U C ATI O N E VE N TS
8:20 pm Mini Series- 613: A Better Understanding Of This Mystical Number
with Rabbi Feigenbaum
8:15 pm Talmud Class with Rabbi Rabinowitz
Chaburah after Shacharis
6:50 pm Pirkei Avos with Rabbi Fisch
11:30 am Morning Club with Rabbi Schochet
8:20 pm Nosh & Drash with Rabbi Fisch
8:45 am Java for the Soul with Rabbi Feigenbaum
Get excited for Camp Sheves Achim 2018! Early Bird Registration Deadline- April 30th
For more information and to register please contact the shul office. 904-262-3565
Yom Rishon Enrichment Program-Sunday, April 29 from 9:15am-10:15am
Fun and friendly enrichment class on Sunday morning. Rabbi Mayer Rabinowitz will teach this class.
The class is open to boys and girls of the entire Jewish community in grades K-2. Students will learn
about the weekly Torah portion, Prayer, Basic Mitzvos, Middos, and Jewish Holidays. To register,
please contact the Etz Chaim office at 904-262-3565 x7.
Torah and Pizza Monday, April 30 from 6:30pm –7:30pm
Grades 8-12 Join Rabbi A.Y. on Monday evenings as we debate how Torah knowledge relates to
contemporary issues. This class is open to boys and girls in grades 8-12. Piping hot pizza and drinks
will be served!!
B'nei Mitzvah Enrichment Program Tuesday, May 1 from 4:15 pm-5:15 pm
class and focuses on building a strong Jewish knowledge on various topics such as the weekly Torah
Portion, Mitzvos, and the Holidays. This class is open to boys and girls in grades 5-7. Snacks and
drinks are served.
NCSY Spring Regional May 25-27. All teens in grades 9-12 are welcome to join us as we head to
Orlando for an action packed Jungle themed weekend. We will close the weekend with a trip to
Busch Gardens in Tampa on Sunday.
For more information and to hear about all the scholarship options please contact
Rabbi A.Y. at rabbicohen@etzchaim.org.
Babysitting is a supervised free play program for boys and girls ages infant through 3 years old and
is staffed by professional sitters.
Gan Shabbat is for boys and girls in nursery and Pre-K and is led by Sara Brown. The children are
entertained with stories, games, songs, and organized activities.
Tot Shabbat is for boys and girls in 'K' and 1st grade. The children are entertained with stories and
songs; they pray together and play together with organized activities led by our teenage group
leaders Nechama Finkelstein & Carlie Rosenthal.
Junior Congregation now meets with distinct groups for boys and girls. The boy's group is led by
Joey Hamaoui and is for grades 2 though B’nei Mitzvah, and the girl's group is led by Rachel Shyken
and is also for grades 2 through B'nei Mitzvah. The children begin their morning with group
morning prayers and continue with questions on the parsha, stories, and other activities.
NCSY Tefillah Workshop is a discussion based group dedicated to giving deeper insight into the
Parsha and general hashkafa and is for boys and girls b'nei mitzvah through 12th grade. This group
is currently studying Ethics of Our Fathers and is led by Joey Hamaoui. This group meets from
11:15am-12:00pm.
DAILY CLASSES Daf Yomi Weekdays 6:00am Shabbos 7:45am Sundays & legal holiday 7:30am Please join us each morning before services in the Mirkis Chapel. Hot coffee is served. Limud Yomi Rabbi Fisch will teach a brief lesson on gratitude following Minyan every morning. Mishna Yomi Rabbi Fisch will teach a brief Mishna between Mincha & Maariv every evening. We are studying Tractate Bava Kama.
SPOTLIGHT ON A SHUL PROGRAM
RABBI FISCH & ETZ CHAIM MEMBERS PARTICIPATE IN THE JEWISH
FEDERATION MISSION TO ISRAEL
Get excited for Camp Sheves Achim 2018! Early Bird Registration
Deadline- April 30th.
For more information and to register please contact the shul office. 904-262-3565
Ita Rabinowitz Miriam Phillips
Eric Held
Isaac Rush
Robert Mandella
Brandon Melamed
Marissa Kempner
Chaya Bayla Hauptman
Chaim Smith
Caroline Lee
Naida Gould
Louis Shapiro
Ken Jacobs
Travis Melamed
Sharon Browdy
Lila Smolensky
Herschel Rabinowitz
Itamar Ohayon
Joseph & Ariella Hamaoui
Moise & Elizabeth Hamaoui
Barbara Feldman
Martin Schwartz
Murray Husney
Jay Lipper
Abe Goldenthal
Phyllis Sprecher
Susan Goldman
Bertica Hubsch
Cecil Lee
Rena Bernard
Fannie Ozer
Yakov Vaynman
I was born in Long Island Jewish Hospital in NY. The doctor who
delivered me was at a concert when he was paged to come to the
hospital. I was born so quickly that he missed only intermission and
one act. When his friend, who was sitting with him at the concert,
asked him, “when are you going to go deliver that baby?”, he replied
that he had already gone and now he was back!
August 2005. After completing the Ner L’Elef teacher training program
in Jerusalem, we moved to Jacksonville where my husband, Rabbi
Mayer Rabinowitz, would teach Judaic Studies in Torah Academy. The
Etz Chaim community gave us a great warm Southern welcome!
Wow, it is hard to choose just one!
One of the things I love most about the Etz Chaim community is that
every person is important and everyone’s contribution is valued and
appreciated.
Whether it was giving classes for women, having Shabbos guests, or
cooking dinner for someone in the hospital, I felt blessed to use my
talents and abilities in a way that actually made a difference in the
lives of others. Living in a small and close knit community offered lots
of amazing opportunities I might never have had otherwise.
As my kids grew up, they were lucky to have many opportunities in Etz
Chaim as well. Even before they were old enough to count for a
minyan, the minyan regulars treated them as contributing members.
They were given the chance to participate in age appropriate ways. For
example, they sang anim zemiros, rolled the Torah (gelilah), served as
“page turner”, or helped return siddurim and chumashim to their
shelves. Of course, it was very exciting when, after reaching the age of
13, they could be counted for the minyan, read from the Torah, and
serve as the chazzan as well.
I love to sew (thank you Barbara Feldman for getting me into that
sewing class so many years ago!) and make fun crafts. I love to bake -
that's how I ended up starting Sweeta By Ita!
And I love to make music and sing! I teach piano online at my website
www.playjewishmusic.com and by giving private lessons.
I love Jacksonville and I feel privileged to be part of this wonderful
community!
CORNER Source: Gesher K
Rabbi Yaakov Fisch– Rav
Hamachshir
Rabbi Brown-Administrator
Some hechsherim give a certification of "DE" which stands for dairy equipment. This means that even
though the food does not contain dairy, it was processed on equipment which has been used for dairy in the
past. The Halachah for food which was made with dairy equipment is that it should not be eaten together
with meat, but it may be eaten immediately after eating meat.
Many hechsherim will label a product as dairy even if it only was used with dairy equipment. If you check the
ingredients and discover there is no dairy, it is possible that the product is merely dairy equipment. We may
not, however, assume that a product does not contain dairy because there is no dairy in the ingredient list.
The only way to find that out is to consult the certifying agency and ask them for more information.
Britain’s Simon Kindleysides, a 34-year old man
paralyzed from the waist down, set out at 10 a.m.
on Sunday and in 36 hours walked the London
Marathon, becoming the first paralyzed man to
complete the course on foot. To perform his feat, he
used Israeli technology — the ReWalk exoskeleton,
a suit for patients with spinal cord injuries that
helps them walk independently with the help of
computers and motion sensors.
“I’m exhausted, I’m not going to lie, “ Kindleysides
said in a YouTube video at 8:41 the next morning,
after he had walked 16 miles as drivers tooted and
fans applauded. “I’m going to get to the finish line.”
“This is the furthest I have ever walked in my entire
life,” he said at 22 miles. And at mile 25, he said,
“Bring it on, I’m almost there.”
He hit 26.2 miles (42.2 kilometers) at around 11
p.m. on Monday amid cheering crowds, raising his
arms in victory. The marathon winner, Eliud
Kipchoge, crossed the finish line in little over two
hours.
Kindleysides was diagnosed in 2013 with a
neurological condition and a benign brain tumor
that left him paralyzed from the waist down.
In 2012, Claire Lomas, paralyzed from the chest
down, completed the marathon course at the
London Paralympics using the ReWalk exoskeleton.
“The support has just been overwhelming and like a
dream come true,” Kindleysides told the Eastern
Daily Press. “It is incredible because I didn’t expect
it to be as big as it was. My children are getting
great comments at school and they are very proud
of their dad.”
“I just wanted to show that anything is possible if
you put your mind to it,” he said. “You can stay in
bed and feel sorry for yourself or get out and enjoy
your life, because you are only here once.”
Kindleysides raised £6,500 for Brain Tumor Charity
with his marathon walk, the Eastern Daily Press
reported.
Britain’s Simon Kindleysides, a 34-year old man
paralyzed from waist down, uses the ReWalk
exoskeleton to complete the London Marathon in
36 hours on April 23, 2018 (YouTube screenshot)
In June 2015, Kindleysides raised over £5000 for
charity when he hand-cycled from London to Paris.
The ReWalk exoskeleton was developed by ReWalk
Robotics Ltd., a Nasdaq-traded Israeli company. Its
inventor, Amit Goffer, is a mechanical engineer who
became paralyzed from his upper back down after
an accident.
The ReWalk exoskeleton allows independent,
controlled walking similar to that of an able-bodied
person, as computers and motion sensors do the
“heavy lifting.” The suit hugs the legs of users as
they walk, with crutches to stabilize them. Users
wear a remote-control system on their wrists so they
can control their movements. As they walk, sensors
make sure that their chest remains upright and
balanced, allowing them to take strides without
falling.
The system controls movement using subtle
changes in center of gravity, mimics natural gait
and provides functional walking speed, enabling
paraplegics to move independently.
ReWalk Robotics said in March that in 2017, 107
ReWalk systems were placed, of which 57 were in
the US, 37 were in European markets, and 13 were
in other markets. Net loss for 2017 was $24.7
million compared to a net loss of $32.5 million for
2016.
The biggest hindrance to sales growth is ReWalk’s
price, which is some $80,000 to $85,000, and the
company is seeking insurance reimbursements to
help reach wider audiences, Jeff Dykan, the
chairman of ReWalk, said earlier this month.
In April, the company started a clinical study of a
new product that will aid the rehabilitation of people
who have suffered a stroke.
All Night Learning Shavuos Night May 20
We not only commemorate the anniversary of receiving the Torah but also relive that dynamic
experience. Please join us for this memorable evening. Special concurrent learning sessions are
held for youth and teens. We will offer hot coffee, snacks, and ice cream. Learning is followed by
morning services at sunrise. Stay tuned for this year's programming schedule.
Etz Chaim Synagogue &
Jewish Family Food Drive
THANK YOU for this week's
GENEROUS food donations! Momentum is great.
Let's keep adding to this great MITZVAH!
Etz Chaim Bikur Cholim volunteers are available to
visit the sick or home bound of the Etz Chaim
community. Please contact Hilde Meyer at
904-262-5316, or jayhilmey@gmail.com, to arrange
a visit.
Neshei Chessed (for ladies only)- if you are
interested in joining Neshei Chessed by providing
food (either cooking or purchasing a meal through a
local caterer) for those in short term need, please
contact hennyfisch@gmail.com
Save the Date
Shabbaton with Aliza Bulow on Friday, June 1 & Shabbos June 2 Aliza Bulow a Jewish Educator for over thirty years, is the national director of Ner LeElef’s North
American Women’s Program, and the Senior Educator for The Jewish Experience in Denver,
Colorado. She teaches ongoing classes in Jewish philosophy, basic Judaism and textual learning
skills, as well as lecturing on a broad range of topics in venues across the country and around
the world.
Monday, April 30 at 7:00pm
Jewish Community Alliance
Spring Event -First, Do No Ham
Jewish Medical Ethics Panel Discussion
Featuring Rabbi Cohen, Rabbi Fisch and Rabbi Lubliner
(A minimum gift of $104 to the 2018 Federation Annual
Campaign is required to attend.)
Tuesday, May 1 from 7:00-8:30pm
Walking he Streets of Jerusalem
Jewish Community Alliance
Join Shelly Shalev & Rabbi Avi Feigenbaum as we
explore Israels capital city.
Advanced Registration appreciated.
Monday, May 14 from 7:00-8:30pm
AIPAC event in Jacksonville, featuring author
Yossi Klein Halevi.
Jewish Community Alliance
5:30pm Club Member Pre Reception and Book Signing
7:00pm Program Open to the community
Dessert and coffee will be served
RSVP www.aipac.org/YKHJAX
Registration Required by May 10
Come Celebrate Lag Ba Omer
Wednesday, May 2 at 8:00pm
3651 Crown Point Road
Hosted by Avi & Tzippy Zaguri
8th Annual Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai
Hilola/Celebration
RSVP- Zagurirsvp@gmail.com or 904-434-4335
The book of Vayikra contains most of the mitzvoth/commandments that appear in the Torah itself. Because of
this, it contains relatively little narrative. Nevertheless, the number and quality of the commandments
themselves demand our study and appreciation. The Torah apparently could have sufficed by itself by just
saying “be a good person.” In fact, this was the slogan of many Jews and even of Jewish institutions and
organizations in the past who claimed that none of the ritual commandments were necessary if one just
remained “a good person.”
Of course, there was no unanimous opinion as to how to define who was a good person. The definitions varied
from generation to generation and culture to culture. The henchmen of Joseph Stalin and perhaps even those
of Adolf Hitler somehow justified every evil behavior in the belief that they were accomplishing some ultimate
good that transcended the bothersome details of murder and genocide. The capacity of human beings to
continually redefine good to fit any political agenda or current fad is truly limitless.
So, if it were not for the specific commandments of the Torah that have a defined, ultimate good for the Jewish
people and for civilization generally over millennia, we would be at a loss to find any moral footing for our lives
and behavior.
The Torah has always been the trees and the forest at one and the same time. It is the minute detail and a
general pattern of behavior that represents the traditional view as to what makes up a good person. As is often
the case, many humans double down on the details and minutia of rules to the exclusion of seeing the general
pattern of behavior into which they must fit. And, on the other hand, we find those that only see the general
moral pattern and ignore the detailed instructions that give meaning and substance in daily life to this general
moral pattern.
When we purchase a sophisticated piece of machinery we find that it always comes with detailed and
sometimes very complicated instructions as to how this device is to be assembled, connected and installed. One
may completely understand how the device works and what its ultimate benefit will be, but if one does not
follow the instructions for installation, even as to its smallest detail, this device cannot be installed and will not
work.
Without the detailed commandments, the general pattern of morality outlined in the Torah simply would never
come into being. Jewish history attests to this. It would be unthinkable that the Torah would command us to
be a Holy nation dedicated to the service of God and human beings without telling us how this was to be
achieved. It would not have shipped that necessary device to us without including instructions for its use in our
everyday lives. This I believe this is the primary message of the Torah reading of this week.
Shabbat shalom,
Rabbi Berel Wein
PARSHAS ACHREI MOS KEDOSHIM
Scot Ackerman, M.D. President 904.571.9000
Rabbi Yaakov Fisch Senior Rabbi
262.3565 ext. 8 I 904.616.8955 cell
rabbifisch@etzchaim.org
Rabbi Avi Feigenbaum Education Director
262.3565 ext. 5 I 913.230.6448 cell
rabbifeigenbaum@etzchaim.org
Rabbi A.Y. Cohen Youth Director
262.3565 ext. 12 I 908.922.0268 cell
rabbicohen@etzchaim.org
Terri Velazquez Office Manager
ecoffice@etzchaim.org
Jeannie Wright Administrative Assistant
Jeannie@etzchaim.org
10167 San Jose Blvd Jacksonville, FL 32257 I Office 904.262.3565 I Fax: 904.292.0524 I www.etzchaim.org
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