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The Jewish Center - The Modern Orthodox Center for Jewish Life
and Learning www.jewishcenter.org • 212-724-2700
The Jewish Center S H A B B A T B U L L E T I N
May 2-3, 2015 • Parshiot Acharei Mot/Kedoshim • 13 Iyar 5775
Erev Shabbat 7:00PM Minchah 7:34PM Candle Lighting
Shabbat 7:45AM Hashkama Minyan 8:30AM Rabbi Israel Silverstein
Mishnayot Class with Rabbi Yosie Levine 9:00AM Shacharit (3rd
floor) followed by the Martha Sonnenschein Memorial Lecture by Arna
Poupko Fisher, The Holy Heights of the Hu-man Heart: Family,
Friends and Faith 9:15AM Hashkama Shiur with Rabbi Daniel Fridman,
Sefirah- A Time for Mourning, Part II? 9:24AM Sof Zman Kriat Shema
9:15AM Young Leadership Minyan (The Max Stern Auditorium) 10:00AM
Youth Groups, 2-year-olds, 3-4-year-olds and 5-6-year-olds: Geller
Youth Center; 2nd-3rd graders, 4th-6th graders: 7th floor 11:00AM
Youth Department Mishnayot Class for grades 1-4 (The Max and Marion
Grill Beit Midrash) Community Hot Kiddush (5th floor)
With Thanks to Our Kiddush Sponsors: Rachel & Daniel
Solomons invite the entire congregation to a Kiddush in celebration
of their son Aaron's recent Bar Mitzvah over Pesach in Jerusalem
Sonnenschein Family in memory of Martha Sonnenschein Vivian &
Daniel Chill in memory of Vivian's father, Harold M. Ja-cobs whose
yahrzeit is on Lag B'Omer Rebecca & Emilio Krausz in
commemoration of the yahrzeit of Re-becca's father, Aaron Green,
z”l Paulette & David Meyer in memory of Manfred Meyer
4:00PM Bikkur Cholim/Bikkur in the Home (meet at 730 Columbus
Ave) 5:30PM Parent-Child Learning with Rabbi Daniel Fridman (grades
1-4 are welcome) 6:40PM Shabbat Afternoon Jewish History Series:
Arna Poupko Fisher, Subversive Stories, Sanity and Survival: The
Transformative Power of the Biblical and Rabbinic Narrative 6:40PM
Israel Friedman Daf Yomi 7:25PM Minchah, Shabbat afternoon groups
Seudah Shlishit Speaker: Arna Poupko Fisher, Is there an Ethic
Be-yond Halacha?
8:34PM Shabbat Concludes
THE JEWISH CENTER ANNUAL DINNER
Tuesday, June 9, 2015 at Guastavino's
Guests of Honor STEVE GRABER
MARVIN FORTGANG
Rabbi Dr. Leo Jung Memorial
Award MARNIE & SCOTT
BLACK
Community Service Award DINA BURCAT
HONORING
MARTHA SONNENSCHEIN MEMORIAL LECTURE BY ARNA POUPKO FISHER, THE
HOLY HEIGHTS OF THE HUMAN HEART: FAMILY, FRIENDS AND FAITH
Shabbat, May 2 at 11:00AM
Please see the insert for complete schedule and bio.
MEMORIAL DAY LECTURE BY LIEUTENANT GENERAL HOWARD BROMBERG
Wednesday, May 20 at 7:00 PM
Please join us as we host dozens of active duty US Marines and
veterans of the US armed services. We will honor the memories of
our fallen soldiers and pay tribute to the brave men and women who
protect this great nation.
For more information and to register, please visit our
website.
— DAILY SERVICES —
WOMEN'S TEHILLIM GROUP Monday, May 11 at 7:15PM. Contact Joyce
Weitz for more info at 212-877-1176.
Sun., May 3 Daf Yomi 7:45AM Shacharit 8:30AM Minchah 7:40PM
Mon., May 4 - Thur., May 7 Shacharit 7/8AM Daf Yomi 7:45AM
Minchah 7:40PM
Fri., May 8 Shacharit 7/8AM Daf Yomi 7:45AM Minchah 7:00PM
Candle Lighting: 7:40PM
MAY & SAMUEL RUDIN LECTURE FEATURING DANIEL LIBESKIND, THE
SHAPING OF MEMORY FROM BERLIN TO GROUND ZERO
Wednesday, May 6 at 8:00PM
An international figure in architecture and urban design,
architect Daniel Libeskind is renowned for his ability to evoke
cultural memory in buildings of equilibrium-defying
contemporaneity. He is known for his work as the planner of the
World Trade Center rede-velopment and designing the Jewish Museum
of Berlin. A limited number of seats remain. Please visit our
website to register.
Jewish Museum of Berlin
4TH ANNUAL KETER TORAH AWARDS HONORING DR. ADENA BERKOWITZ AND
MICHELLE CHREIN Shabbat, May 16 following 9AM Services
Please see the insert for more information.
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DAILY (except Shabbat) Israel Friedman Daf Yomi, 7:45AM
MONDAY Innovation & Conservation: Ancient Judaism &
Christianity with Rabbi Ari Lamm, 8:00PM
TUESDAY Advanced Talmud Chabura with Rabbi Daniel Fridman,
7:45AM
Nosh & Drash with Dr. Adena Berkowitz, 10:15AM
From Zionism to Zion: The Journey of Modern Israel with Rabbi
Yosie Levine, 8:00PM (last class on May 5)
WEDNESDAY Advanced Talmud Chabura with Rabbi Daniel Fridman,
7:45AM
Women of the Bible with Rabbi Yosie Levine, 11:00AM
Iyun Tefilah: Study of Prayer with Rabbi Daniel Fridman,
6:30PM
The Next Level with Rabbi Mark Wildes, 8:00PM
THURSDAY From Supervision to Competition: Business Ethics and
the Jewish Consumer with Rabbi Dovid Zirkind, 8:00PM through April
30 and then at 7:00PM
SHABBAT Rabbi Israel Silverstein Mishnayot Class with Rabbi
Yosie Levine, 8:30AM
Ramban on the Weekly Parsha with Rabbi Daniel Fridman,
9:15AM
Parent-Child Learning with Rabbi Daniel Fridman
Youth Department Mishnayot Class with Rabbi Daniel Fridman
Israel Friedman Daf Yomi with JCU Faculty, 45 minutes before
Minchah
39 Melachot with Rabbi Dovid Zirkind
JEWISH CENTER UNIVERSITY SPRING SEMESTER THROUGH JUNE 18
May 9: Rabbi Adam Mintz, The Chevra Kaddisha Comes to America:
Burial Policies in Early American Orthodoxy
May 16: Rabbi Daniel Fridman, Shiur in Tribute to Rabbi
Lichtenstein
May 30: Professor Jonathan Helfand, Deciphering an Inscription:
A Family at the Crossroads of Modern Jewish History
June 13: Professor Sharon Flatto, Who is a Jew?: The Case of the
Marranos - the First Modern Jews
JEWISH HISTORY SERIES SHABBAT AFTERNOONS, ONE HOUR BEFORE
MINCHAH
Daniel Libeskind, B.Arch. M.A. BDA AIA An international figure
in architecture and urban design, architect Daniel Libeskind is
renowned for his ability to evoke cultural memory in buildings of
equilibrium-defying contemporaneity. Informed by a deep com-mitment
to music, philosophy, and literature, Libeskind aims to create
archi-tecture that is resonant, original, and sustainable. Born in
Lódz, Poland to Holocaust survivors in 1946, Libeskind immigrated
to the United States as a teenager. Daniel Libeskind established
his architectural studio in Berlin, Ger-many, in 1989 after winning
the competition to build the JEWISH MUSEUM IN BERLIN. In February
2003, Studio Daniel Libeskind moved its headquarters from Berlin to
New York City when Libeskind was selected as the master planner for
the WORLD TRADE CENTER REDEVELOPMENT. His practice is involved in
designing and realizing a diverse array of urban, cultural, and
commercial projects interna-tionally. The Studio has completed
buildings that range from museums and concert halls to convention
centers, uni-versity buildings, hotels, shopping centers, and
residential towers. As Principal Design Architect for Studio Daniel
Libeskind (SDL), Libeskind speaks widely on the art of
ar-chitecture in universities and professional summits. His
architecture and ideas have been the subject of many articles and
exhibitions, influencing the field of architecture and the
development of cities and culture. He lives in New York with his
wife and busi-
ness partner, Nina Libeskind.
A limited number of seats remain. Please visit our website to
register.
Jewish Museum of Berlin
World Trade Center redevelopment
YOUNG LEADERSHIP PRE-SHAVUOT DINNER Friday, May 22
Kick off the three-day chag with this annual Young Lead-ership
sell-out event. Visit our website for more infor-
mation and to register. Please email [email protected] with
any questions or to get involved.
HERB LAUER TIKKUN LEIL SHAVUOT KICKS OFF WITH
A SPECIAL SESSION CO-TAUGHT BY RABBI YOSIE LEVINE AND DR. ERICA
BROWN
Saturday, May 23 at 11:45PM Shiurim and classes throughout the
night
WOMEN AND GIRLS’ MEGILLAH READING
May 25th at 6:00PM
MEN AND BOYS’ LEARNING May 25 at 6:00PM
FAMILY SHAVUOT DINNER WITH DR. ERICA BROWN
May 25 Following Women and Girls’ Megillah Reading and Men
and Boys’ Learning, families are invited to celebrate Sha-vuot
together. Join us for a light dinner and conversation
with JC Community Scholar, Dr. Erica Brown.
SHAVUOT PROGRAMS AT THE JC FRIDAY, MAY 22 - MONDAY, MAY 25
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MAZAL TOV Rachel & Daniel Solomons on the occasion of
Aaron's bar mitzvah which took place in Israel over Pe-sach
THANK YOU TO OUR USHERS Thank you to Steve Graber and Mindy
Horowitz who are our ushers this Shabbat. THANK YOU TO CSS We would
like to once again thank CSS and our dedicated CSS mem-bers for
providing the security for our synagogue this week.
COMMUNITY ACCOMPLISHMENTS Congrats to Susan Canter on receiv-ing
the Nathan K. Gross Community Service Award at Congregation Ohab
Zedek's upcoming annual din-ner.
CONDOLENCES We regret to inform you of the pass-ing of Herbert
Knobel, father of Jew-ish Center member, Estie Knobel. Shivah will
be observed through Fri-day afternoon at the Knobel home, 1401
Ocean Avenue apartment 14A. Estie can be reached by phone at
718-253-4758. THE ANNUAL WEST SIDE MIKVAH FUNDRAISER Tuesday, May 5
at 7:30PM at 535 West End Avenue The Rebbetzins of the Upper West
Side cordially invite the women of the community to celebrate and
sup-port The West Side Mikvah. Guest speaker: Rebbetzin Rivkah
Slonim, Total Immersion: An Honest Look at the Place of Mikvah in
Our Lives. Reg-ister and learn more at
www.westsidemikvahfundrasier.com.
GRADUATION KIDDUSH Shabbat, June 13 Join us as we celebrate the
academic achievements of our community grad-uates. From preschool
to PhD, if you, a family member or a friend flipped a tassel this
spring, please let us know by contacting Eliane at
[email protected]. If you would like to sponsor the
Graduation Kid-dush, please contact Aaron Strum at
[email protected] or Yitzy Sprung at
[email protected].
COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
UPCOMING EVENTS
BOOK CLUB MEETING Sunday, May 10 at 7:30PM at the home of
Maureen & Laszlo Marcus This year the Book Club theme is Holy
Land: Spotlight on Israel. We conclude our book club series with
Yossi Klein Halevi’s Like Dreamers: The Story of the Israeli
Paratroopers Who Reunited Jerusalem and Divided A Nation. This book
is an account of seven para-troopers who participated in the
reunification of Jerusalem in the ’67 war and the unfold-ing of
their lives and ideology in the decades that followed. For more
information and to RSVP email [email protected].
LINCOLN AND THE JEWS - A GUIDED TOUR WITH RABBI YOSIE LEVINE
Wednesday, May 13 at 11:00AM As we commemorate the 150th
anniversary of President Lincoln's passing this spring, join Rabbi
Levine for a special tour of this limited-run exhibit at the NY
Historical Society. The exhibition explores the relationship
between Abraham Lincoln and his Jewish contempo-raries. For more
information and to register, email [email protected].
SISTERHOOD ANNUAL BRUNCH Sunday, May 17 at 10:30AM Spice up your
life at Sisterhood’s spring brunch. Join us at the home of Rachel
Wolf for a presentation by Lior Lev Sercarz of La Boite a Epice.
The Israeli-born Sercarz, who trained as a chef in France, creates
personalized spice blends for A-list clients including the chefs at
the French bread company Poilane, and New York’s Le Bernardin.
Enjoy learning to take home cooking to the next level. For more
information email [email protected].
YOUNG LEADERSHIP PRE-SHAVUOT DINNER Friday, May 22 Kick off the
three-day chag with this annual Young Leadership sell-out event.
Visit our website for more information and to register. Please
email [email protected] with any questions or to get
involved.
BIKKUR CHOLIM LUNCH Shabbat, May 30 at 12:45PM Come support and
learn about the Bikkur in the Home and Bikkur Cholim programs!
Pro-ceeds from the lunch go to help support the Bikkur Cholim
projects - birthday cards, holi-day packages and flowers for the
homebound. Registration will open shortly. CELEBRATE ISRAEL PARADE
Sunday, May 31 from 11:00AM to 4:00PM Join The Jewish Center at one
of the largest gatherings in the world in support of Israel.
Celebrate the 67th anniversary of the State of Israel as we march
up Fifth Avenue.
CHILDREN, JOIN US FOR ADON OLAM Children ages 2-6 are encouraged
to come up during the Cantor’s recitation of Kiddush and then sing
Adon Olam together.
ART CONTEST: WHAT ISRAEL MEANS TO ME Entry Date: May 3 Winners
announced: May 17 JC youth of all ages are invited to take part in
a contest that focuses on what Israel means to them. Paint, draw,
photograph or sculpt something that tells us about your
relationship with Israel, and submit by May 3. Entries will be
judged by world-renowned artist Tobi Kahn and photogra-pher
Shulamit Seidler-Feller. The artwork should be signed on the back,
to allow for blind judging. The winner will be declared
on Yom Yerushalayim, and the three top entries will be displayed
on the 7th floor. The winner will also receive a large Israeli flag
and two books exploring Israel's past and present. Questions? Email
[email protected]
MEET THE MARINES! PIZZA WITH OUR SOLDIERS IN HONOR OF MEMORIAL
DAY Wednesday, May 20 at 6:00PM Prior to The JC Memorial Day
lecture, we invite our youth to join US Color Guards and Soldiers
for dinner and a short Q&A. To register, sponsor and for more
information please contact Yitz.
WOMEN'S AND GIRLS' MEGILLAT RUTH READING Monday, May 25 at
6:00PM
YOUTH DEPARTMENT
To sponsor Kiddush or Seudah Shlishit or a JC event, please
contact Aaron at [email protected]
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Yosie Levine Rabbi
Dovid Zirkind Assistant Rabbi
Chaim David Berson Cantor
Daniel Fridman Resident Scholar
Erica Brown Community Scholar
Ari Lamm William Fischman Resident Rabbinic
Scholar
Aaron Strum Executive Director
Eliane Glassman Director of Programming
and Communications
Yitzchak Sprung Youth Director
OFFICERS Avi Schwartz President
Andrew Borodach First Vice President
Andrew Kaplan Vice President
Mark Segall Vice President
Rose Lynn Sherr Vice President
Michael Jacobs Assistant
Vice President
Yaron Kinar Treasurer
Len Berman Assistant Treasurer
Miri Lipsky Secretary
Lisa Septimus Yoetzet Halacha 917-382-9008
Chevra Kadisha 212-724-2700
UWS Mikvah 212-579-2011
Hatzalah 212-230-1000
Eruv Status 212-724-2700
Clergy & Staff
Phone Numbers
Root, Root, Root for the Home Team Rabbi Dovid Zirkind,
Assistant Rabbi
The box score for Wednesday’s outing between the Chicago White
Sox and Baltimore Orioles will show nothing unique for the history
of base-ball, but the circumstances surrounding the game were truly
one for the books. With the city still very much on edge, fear of
ongoing rallies, pro-tests and looting still a serious possibility,
Major League Baseball allowed the game to go on, but no fans were
allowed in Camden Yards. The sounds and images are eerie. The
stadium that seats tens of thousands, the hub of Baltimore’s most
passionate locals, closed off for the safety of its fans. I still
remember the debates about how quickly America’s pastime should
resume after 9/11, and here the same question was being raised, but
localized to my home town. While it’s been quite some time since I
lived in Baltimore, my personal connection is still very strong. I
remember the All Star Game of 1993, my summer working at the Kosher
Stand and all my Cal Ripken Jr. memorabilia, which still hangs on
the walls of my childhood home. But of course, my strongest
emotions this week were not connected to baseball, but to my family
and friends overwhelmed with uncertainty. Anger quickly became
protest, protest led to violence, and then a state of true
emergency. For many, their home town pride has been flattened,
ashamed of the people’s disappointment in law enforcement,
disgraced by the citizens reckless and destructive, nonsensical
violence. While oth-ers remain steadfast in their commitment to the
town, all agree things need to change. Parshat Acharei Mot
concludes with a clear warning about the responsibility placed on
the occupants of Eretz Yisrael. If we are to make the land our
home, to build our future upon it, we must maintain its inherent
sanctity. If our society
erodes in the manner of those who came before us, the land will
spit us out, in the way it ex-pelled its previous tenants. And yet,
the Ramban observes, that the context of this warning is
sur-prising. We would expect a conversation about the sanctity of
Israel to include the mitzvot hati-luyot ba’aretz – the
commandments involving the land. Logic would dictate that the
sanctity of Israel is achieved when the land is used correct-ly,
when the shmitta year is observed, when Te-rumah is taken from its
crops. But those mitzvot make no appearance in our Parsha. The
emphasis of Parshat Acharei Mot, the laws which it enumerates, are
those of idolatry and adultery. Clearly then, the Torah informs us
of two methods of sanctity; not just what we do with our land, but
how we live upon it, will de-termines it kedusha. Some places are
kodesh because they are endowed with an unshakable destiny; others
will never achieve that privilege. But every morsel of earth that
humanity calls home has the potential to become great. It is with
tremendous pride that the Baltimore Jewish Community has taken this
week to show its solidarity with the entire city and at the same
time express its communal hakarat hatov to the Law Enforcement
agencies that have treated them with such courtesy for over a
century. But this sad week is a cautionary tale, that reminds us
how much work there is left to be done. As I continue to pray for
the safety and well being of my home town, my family and my
neighbors, I am all the more cognizant of our calling, to build
communities of kedusha, in Eretz Yisrael and around the world,
where morality and dignity are afforded to all, by the agencies
built to protect them, but first and foremost, from one citizen to
the next.
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Please join us for three special presentations. Shabbat Morning
Public Lecture: The Holy Heights of the Human Heart: The Holy
Heights of the Human Heart: The Holy Heights of the Human Heart:
The Holy Heights of the Human Heart: Family, Friends and
FaithFamily, Friends and FaithFamily, Friends and FaithFamily,
Friends and Faith This year’s Martha Sonnenschein Memorial Lecture
will discuss "Identity Agents,"* an article authored by Drs. Elli
Schachter and Jonathan J. Ventura, of Bar Ilan University. Their
study addresses the complexities of transmit-ting "identity" as it
pertains to values and religious life, but also helps us understand
relationships of all sorts and the essential building blocks of
re-lating to others with meaning and authenticity. It is a
wonderful and mov-ing read and unearths some very interesting
Bndings. *copies are available on our website and in the shul
lobby. Shabbat Afternoon Lecture:
Subversive Stories, Sanity and Survival: Subversive Stories,
Sanity and Survival: Subversive Stories, Sanity and Survival:
Subversive Stories, Sanity and Survival: The Transformative Power
of the Biblical and Rabbinic The Transformative Power of the
Biblical and Rabbinic The Transformative Power of the Biblical and
Rabbinic The Transformative Power of the Biblical and Rabbinic
NarrativeNarrativeNarrativeNarrative "The Eicha Problem,"* by Dara
Horn, acclaimed novelist and Professor of Literature at Harvard
University, will be addressed during the pre-Minchah lecture,
"Staying Whole Through Thinking Holy: The Redemptive Power of
Personal and Communal Narrative". Dr. Horn's playful and
pro-vocative essay, published in a festschrift in honor of Dr. Ruth
Wisse, the Martin Peretz Professor of Yiddish Literature and
Professor of Comparative Literature at Harvard University, is both
a commentary and critique of Pro-fessor Wisse's thesis on
historical responses to Jewish suMering, and will provide good
fodder for our discussion on the power of narrative in
con-structing Jewish responses to both tragedy and triumph. *copies
are available on our website and in the shul lobby.
Seudah Shlishit:
Is there an Ethic Beyond Halacha?Is there an Ethic Beyond
Halacha?Is there an Ethic Beyond Halacha?Is there an Ethic Beyond
Halacha?
The Jewish Center Presents the
Martha Sonnenschein Memorial Lecture Featuring
Arna Poupko FisherArna Poupko FisherArna Poupko FisherArna
Poupko Fisher Shabbat, May 2
The Jewish Center The Jewish Center The Jewish Center The Jewish
Center 131 W. 86th Street • www.jewishcenter.org • 212-724-2700
Arna Poupko Fisher, an internationally-noted lecturer, educator
and author, currently teaching at the University of Cincinnati, has
dedicated her life to Jewish issues, including the challenges and
opportunities of Jewish leadership and the capacity for the Hebrew
Bible and Jewish philosophy to inform contemporary communal
life.
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Fourth Annual Keter Torah Awards
Shabbat May 16
Rabbi Shimon said, "There are three crowns: the crown of Torah,
the crown of priesthood, and the crown of kingship. And the crown
of a good name is
superior to them all."
The Fourth Annual Keter Torah Awards will be presented to
DR. ADENA BERKOWITZ and MICHELLE CHREIN on SHABBAT, MAY 16
following Shabbat morning services in the main sanctuary. In the
spirit of Shavuot, which celebrates two great Jewish heroines,
Naomi and Ruth, the
Keter Torah Awards will coincide with Shavuot, and is an
opportunity for the congregation to show its high regard for the
outstanding commitment and
leadership of women in our community. The program will be
followed by a festive kiddush.
Please mark your calendars and join us for this special
event.
If you would like to acknowledge the women of our synagogue, and
our honorees, please visit The Jewish Center website -
www.jewishcenter.org.
Your donation will contribute towards honoring these women, as
well as to support the work of The Jewish Center. Your name will be
published in the
program which will be distributed at the presentation.
Keter Torah sponsor - $180 • Rimon sponsor - $72
*All participants in The Jewish Center One Gift program are
automatically included as sponsors of the Keter Torah Award. We
thank you for your support.
A member of The Jewish Center for eleven years, Michelle Chrein
has served as the journal chair for our annual dinner and on the
Administrative Commit-tee of The Jewish Center. She is The Jewish
Center’s representative for Food Funnel, an organization that picks
up and delivers leftover bread to the needy. She’s in regular
contact with synagogue members, encouraging their support for a
variety of initiatives such as sponsoring kiddush and replenishing
the syna-gogue’s supply of chumashim and siddurim.
Dr. Adena Berkowitz initially came to The Jewish Center to say
kaddish for her father in 2008, but since then, she and her family
have become an integral part of the shul. Adena teaches a weekly
Tuesday morning Parsha class - Nosh and Drash - that attracts women
from across the demographic spectrum. The annual Chanukah shiur, Tu
B’Shevat Seder, Pre-Pesach Shiur and Post-Pesach Challah Bake, run
in con-junction with Kol HaNeshamah, which she co-founded, have all
become occasions to share Torah thoughts, good food, and spiritual
food for the soul.
The Jewish Center ▪ 131 West 86th St. ▪ New York, NY 10024 ▪
212-724-2700 ▪ www.jewishcenter.org