Shabbat Blast

Shabbat Blast!!!

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Hazak Activities for May

Sisterhood Membership Dinner

Summer Dates to Watch

Celebrate Israel Parade, June 4.

Erev Shabbat – June 2, 2017

Candle Lighting: 8:01 pm

Services: 6:30 pm

Shabbat,  June 3, 2017

Parshat Nasso

Nosh and Drosh 9:00 am

Services 9:45 am

Thank you to the Berkowitz Family, the Faber Family, and the Billig Family for sponsoring the kiddush honoring the momentous occasions. 

Mazel tov to Robyn and Ira Faber on the Baby Naming of their granddaughter, Audrey Brooke Billig, also on June 10th.

Mazel tov to Bill Berkowitz on the 70th Anniversary of his Bar Mitzvah.  Join us on June 10th as we celebrate and listen to Bill recreate the memorable event.  

Mazel Tov to Fran Gusoff on her very special birthday.  Thank you to Joan Gusoff for sponsoring the kiddush.

Dear [first_name],

This Sunday, Thousands of Jews will come together to celebrate Israel. We will march up 5th Avenue and sing “David Melech Yisrael.” Floats will blast Israeli music and Jews from all walks of life will come together to celebrate the homeland of our people.

I know one thing for sure. Without fail, I will run into the most random people from my Jewish past. Like the show, “This is Your Life,” my associations will unfold in front of me in the form of old friends, bosses, schoolmates, and colleagues.  In such a large group, it is funny to realize the Jewish community is so small in degrees of separation. I see these people and realize that through the individual relationships we are all connected. You might think that individuality is lost in such a large group, but at least within the Jewish community, the large group enables me to come in contact with specific people I never thought I would see again.

I see this paradox in a beracha we say over seeing a large group of Jews. We’re taught in  

Talmud Bavli, Berakhot 58a:

תנו רבנן: הרואה אוכלוסי ישראל אומר ברוך חכם הרזים שאין דעתם דומה זה לזה ואין פרצופיהן דומים זה לזה

בן זומא ראה אוכלוסא על גב מעלה בהר הבית אמר ברוך חכם הרזים

Our Rabbis taught: If one sees a crowd of Jews, one says: “Blessed is He who is the wise-knower of secrets”, for the mind of each is different from that of the other, just as the face of each is different from that of the other.

We look at a large crowd and we are struck by the thousands of individual souls present, each for their infinite reasons to love Israel and decide to be present at the parade. Each person has their own history, their own connection to the land through trips, through activities in Hebrew School, through the mere fact that he or she is Jewish.

I pray that every year the number of people in our community that attends the parade will grow because our presence increases the web and makes the degrees of separation smaller and smaller until each of us is able to say, “Kol Yisrael Areivim Zeh Lazeh,” “Each pein rson Israel is responsible for one another.”

Shabbat shalom,

Rabbi Bernstein

Note: We are planning to start a bereavement group for those who have lost a partner. Please email me (rabbi.bernstein@cbohr.org) or call 516-781-3072 to express interest. 

We’re Heading to Israel in 2018. Informational sessions have occurred. We have hit our Max! If you would like to get on the waitlist, contact the office.   Click here for a detailed itinerary!

Rabbi's Bar/Bat Mitzvah Class!  Mondays 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.

Junior Congregation is done for the year. Watch for the dates for Next Year! Miss Rachel is looking forward to coming back and spending Shabbat with all of the students!!!

Family Kabbalat Shabbat! Join us on the first Friday of every month for a special Family Service.  Services will begin at 6:30.  Dinner or a special themed snack will follow!  Tonight is our last one!