Shabbat Blast

Shabbat Blast!!!

Erev Shabbat – January 27, 2017

Candle Lighting: 4:48 pm

Services: 8:00 pm

Shabbat, January 28, 2017

Parshat Va'era

Rosh Chodesh Shevat

Nosh and Drosh 9:00 am

Services 9:45 am

Note: The scheduled Mock Bar/Bat Mitzvah for this Shabbat has been postponed

Schechter School of Long Island presents the 5th Annual Night of Jewish Learning -"Celebrating our Past. Inspiring our Future."  January 28, 2017 - 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm.  Upper School Campus  - 6 Cross Street, Williston Park, NY 11596.  Rabbi Bernstein will be offering a class on "Chicken Parm, Yes or No?".  This event is open to the public.  Walk-Ins are welcome. ID is required at the door.  Click here for more information.

Dear [first_name],

There is a verse in our Torah portion that troubles me. We read in Exodus 6:5:

וְגַ֣ם ׀ אֲנִ֣י שָׁמַ֗עְתִּי אֶֽת־נַאֲקַת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר מִצְרַ֖יִם מַעֲבִדִ֣ים אֹתָ֑ם וָאֶזְכֹּ֖ר אֶת־בְּרִיתִֽי׃

I have now heard the moaning of the Israelites because the Egyptians are

holding them in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant

Many questions arise from this verse, but here are just a couple:

1. Did God not hear the moanings of the Israelites before this moment?
2. Were the Israelites not able to moan until this point?

There is a sense of being asleep in this verse. That both God and Israel were somehow blocked from each other- God, from attending to the covenant and Israel from being able to cry.

The condition of not being able to cry can leave people feeling stuck and overwhelmed. Some people are just not big “cryers,” yet other feel things deeply, and would like to break through the block inside, but cannot express themselves. They are enslaved by the shmutz that has accumulated on their souls. Crying out can be a blessing and a release.

And we have God, who just woke up to the needs of the people. Is it that God forgot? The text urges us to ask, “why now?” Suddenly Moshe came on the scene and God finally has a partner in redemption, someone who can wake up both God and the people of Israel to one another.

This Shabbat is a blessing for us to stop sleeping through life, and to give utterance to the deepest experience of our souls and perhaps to listen, to be compassionate witnesses to each other’s tears when they form.

Shabbat shalom,

Rabbi Bernstein

BE PART OF PROJECT PHOENIX: Help Masorti (Conservative) communities like Nataf, Harmed by Fires in Israel. This and other Masorti communities are devastated. Children and adults alike are in need of respite and trauma support services, services that Masorti kehillot are expert at providing. Whole towns must be rebuilt. We need to raise over $500K quickly. We hope that we can count on you to come to the aid of Nataf, Haifa, Zichron Yaakov and other injured Masorti communities.

The New And Improved Junior Congregation! Join us for our next great Junior Congregation on Febuary 4, 10AM in the Muraskin Room. There will be learning, there will be noshing.  Our talented Educators will be explaining the Saturday Morning Service, discuss the prayers in depth and how they pertain to each of us, and of course, bagels.  Parents are welcome (Encouraged) to come to the Sanctuary during this time.  Stay for a lovely kiddush with the entire congregation.  Click here for a printable flyer with the dates.  

Rabbi's Bar/Bat Mitzvah Class! Resumes MONDAY January 30 at 6pm, join the Rabbi for an informative class to learn all about the Torah/Haftorah Service, the prayers and tunes associated with it, and the history of the Bar/Bat Mitzvah service.  This is geared toward those who do not have any background in the Torah Service.  Flyer is available here.

Travel to Cuba with us!

The rabbi held an informational session. If you are still interested but could not make the meeting, please contact the office.

Superbowl Shabbat is here! Join the Men’s Club on February 3, 2017 for a fun filled evening of services and dinner fit for a tailgate party!  It’s your chance to wear your team jerseys to a Shabbat Service. 

World Wide Wrap – February 5, 2017.  Join our Hebrew School Students in this 17^th annual national Jewish Men’s Club event celebrating the wearing of tefillin.  Students make various tefillin wraps and learn proper tefillin wrapping techniques from Rabbi Bernstein, Cantor Myerson and Beth Ohr’s Men’s Club members.  The event takes place during Hebrew School with exact time to be determined.  As in the past, our Men’s Club has arranged for members for members to purchase tefillin sets from the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs at a discount.

"Or Lachayal" and its strategic mezuzah project for IDF.

Having a kosher mezuzah on every doorpost is one of the most important and widely observed mitzvot in the Torah, and is especially important now, with the dangerous security situation in Israel.

In addition to its religious significance, a mezuzah affords physical protection to everyone dwelling in the house, while at home or away. In Psalm 121:8, King David refers to the mitzvah of mezuzah with the words, "Hashem will protect your going out and coming in from now and forevermore." In fact, the Hebrew letters shin, dalet and yud, inscribed on every mezuzah, are an acronym for one of the names of G-d Protector of the Doors of Israel.

It is no exaggeration to say that this project has the potential to change the course of Jewish history by giving our soldiers an extra measure of blessing in their holy mission of defending the Land and its people.

Or Lachayal was founded in 2000, following an attack on Rabbi Menachem Ofen and his brother by Hamas terrorists near Hebron, while on their way to deliver Purim baskets to soldiers. Although their injuries were severe, they miraculously survived and decided to devote their life to raising IDF morale, enhancing the soldiers' awareness of their Jewish heritage and bringing them light and joy.

In the past few years, Or Lachayal has developed a wonderful relationship with the Friends of the IDF (FIDF). As part of our collaboration, FIDF has initiated a matching funding program with Or Lachayal, aimed at addressing the spiritual needs of the soldiers. This assistance has been instrumental in bringing our programs to an ever-growing number of army personnel. Our morale-boosting events throughout the year, holiday programming, which brings the excitement and happiness of the holidays to the bases, as well as educational and recreational programs have reached hundreds of thousands of soldiers.

Providing for the spiritual needs of the soldiers is a major part of our work. Due to the tremendous demand we are witnessing, Or Lachayal has undertaken a unique project of historic proportions to provide a kosher, mehudar mezuzah for every entryway in the army.

As part of this project, Or Lachayal will install 40,000 mezuzot, first and foremost at places that lack any mezuzah, and then replace those that are no longer kosher. The mezuzot will include a durable cover to ensure adequate protection from the elements, so that the new mezuzot will remain kosher for as long as possible.

The cost of each mezuzah is $40 for a total of $1.6 million.

We have obtained matching funding for half of this sum, and we would be honored if you would consider partnering with us for the remaining half ($800,000). Needless to say, any donation that you would make to the project will enable us to move forward. I am available to answer additional questions at any time. Thank you in advance for your consideration.

All checks should be sent to:

FIDF

60 east 42nd Street

New York, NY 10165

With a note: contribution to Or Lachayal Mezuza Project.

Please also send an email to: Rabbi Menachem Or Lachayal (orlachayal@gmail.com) so they can track checks.