June 5, 2014
7 Sivan 5774
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Shabbat B'haalotecha
Rabbi Bradley Artson

Being constantly engaged in learning allows us to guard against the pervasive forgetfulness around us.

The human mind presents us with both a marvel and a mystery.

Capable of mastering a remarkable range of complex tasks, of remembering obscure experiences or facts, that same organ will also forget an important appointment, an acquaintance's name, or the contents of this morning's breakfast. Simultaneously able to outperform a computer in our manipulation of data into concepts, each of us also faces the unpleasant reality that we continually forget information we desperately desire or need.

Anyone who has reviewed notes taken in college or remarks scribbled in the margins of books read years ago has admitted to the enormity of what is routinely forgotten. It is not uncommon for authors to report rereading their own writing after the passage of several years with the uncomfortable sense that they are no longer the masters of what those essays or books contain.

Today's Torah portion hints at this problem, and the rabbinic tradition suggests a remarkable reason for such frustrating lapses of memory. In our portion, Moses "told the people of Israel that they should keep the Passover." Nothing surprising here, Moses often tells the Jewish people what they should or should not be doing.

But the midrash Sifrei Bamidbar objects that, in this case, the information he conveys is redundant. Didn't the Torah already relate in the Book of Leviticus that "Moses declared the festival seasons of the Lord to the people of Israel?" So why does he have to repeat himself now?

Sifrei goes on by answering its own question. "This teaches that he heard the passage of the festival seasons at Sinai and stated it to Israel, and then went and repeated it to them when the time had actually arrived to keep the rules ... He stated to the people the laws for Passover at Passover, the laws for Shavuot at Shavuot, and the laws for Sukkot at that season."

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Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson is Vice-President of the American Jewish University in Los Angeles and Dean of its Ziegler School of Rabbinical Studies. 


JTS logo
for additional insights on this week's parsha and others, visit The JTS Torah Commentary archive: 
http://www.jtsa.edu



UPCOMING SIMCHAS
June 14 Aviva Elisheva Lupovitch will become a bat mitzvah.  Aviva is the daughter of Alissa Citron and Jeffrey Lupovitch and sister of Miriam, Naomi and Ezra. Aviva is the granddaughter of Jan and Henry Citron and Rochelle and Aaron Lupovitch.

 

May Their Memories Be For a Blessing 

JUNE YAHRTZEITS

6/6/2014 (8 Sivan)               

Daniel Graub

6/9/2014 (11 Sivan)            

George Weiss

6/10/2014 (12 Sivan)         

Henry Fridenberg

6/12/2014 (14 Sivan)           

Irene Belsky

Victoria Esther Seigerman

6/14/2014 (16 Sivan)           

Harriet (Sivia) Band

6/15/2014 (17 Sivan)          

Elke Reiter

6/17/2014 (19 Sivan)           

Sidney Silverman

Ethel Toby

6/18/2014 (20 Sivan)           

Alex Harris

6/24/2014 (26 Sivan)           

Evelyn Wolock Eisman

Deborah Phyllis Vernick

6/26/2014 (28 Sivan)          

Irving Koren

6/28/2014 (30 Sivan)         

Milton Schloss

6/30/2014 (2 Tammuz)        

Rose Arbit Magy

To make a donation to commemorate a yahrtzeit, please click here.  If you are a member of the synagogue and a yahrtzeit for your loved one is not on the list, please contact the synagogue office so we can update our records.

   Please click here if you wish to permanently memorialize a loved one by purchasing a yahrtzeit plaque.  

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SHABBAT SHALOM!
Shabbat B'haalotecha
Friday, June 6th
6 p.m. Minha/Kabbalat Shabbat/Maariv,
Chapel
Saturday, June 7th
9 a.m. Services, Sanctuary, YOUTH SHABBAT.
Our youth will participate in and lead the service this morning.  We will honor our graduating high school seniors.
Kiddush Lunch is sponsored by Debbie and Michael Balkin and Trudy and Howard Jacobson in honor of their mother, Paula Balkin's 90th birthday.  Kiddush Lunch is also sponsored by Cathy and Michael Graub and Joanna and Jay Abramson in honor of Youth Shabbat.*
 
SHABBAT IN THE PARK RETURNS NEXT WEEK, JUNE 13TH.  SHABBAT IN THE PARK IS THE SECOND FRIDAY OF JUNE, JULY AND AUGUST AT BLOOMER PARK iN WEST BLOOMFIELD.

 

 
Click here to help with Kiddush Lunch
*Kiddush Lunch is available through donations to the Kiddush Lunch Fund, the generosity of weekly sponsors, and volunteer efforts of our congregants and regular attendees.  Please
e-mail or call the synagogue office if you would like to sponsor a kiddush lunch.To sponsor as part of a "group," please e-mail Joanna Abramson or Mindy Shuback. You may also make a donation to the Kiddush Lunch Fund by clicking here.To sign up to help prepare Kiddush Lunch please use the "volunteer spot" button above.
 
SNL
SNL:  Saturday Night Learning.  
The next Saturday Night Learning will
 be June 14th
, 8:15 p.m. at the home of Barbara and Irvin Kappy.  Text learning, light refreshments and havdalah.  Host homes will rotate weekly.  Please 
e-mail Mitch Parkerif you plan to attend.
 
********************************************* 
ORT HONEY FROM THE HEART Honey from the Heart logo FUNDRAISER HAS RETURNED AND THE HONEY STORE IS OPEN!!!  
Send honey to your family and friends for Rosh Hashanah with just the click of a button.  
Questions?  E-mail Peter Fenyes.  
ORDER DEADLINE:  JULY 21ST.
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Community Opportunities
MACCABI INFO
Maccabi

Macabbi 2014.  Registration is open for Artists/Athletes, Coaches, Host Families, Volunteers and Sponsors.  JCC Maccabi Hotline:  248-432-5500, www.jccdet.org


Add Beth Ahm info, cantors' concert
Upcoming Youth and Family Activities
Shabbat Youth Activities will resume in the fall.
 
To stay current on all youth and family activities, contact Ilana Glazier to join the B'nai Israel Families Facebook Group.
Learning Opportunities
Adult Education
"Reflections on the Siddur," with Dr. Mitch Parker
will return in the fall.

Look for summer learning opportunities coming soon.

Want to brush up on your prayer skills, tropes or birkat hamazon? Click here.
Mazel Tov 
Happy Birthday!

Birthday Cake

JUNE BIRTHDAYS

      

 Naomi Lupovitch            

 Joshua Saperstein

 Melanie Soverinsky              

 Sarah Baruch                  

 Robert Breitman                                                         Lowell Schmeltz                                                    

12 Laura Berger        

13 Bess Glazier                      

14 Phillip Litt               

14 Cecily Myers

14 Marla Schloss

16 Ilana Glazier

20 Davida Robinson    

21 Carol Golob                                                

21 Marni Jacobson                               

24 Jessica Singer                                         

25 Max Feber                                   

26 Herb Lantor                                                        

26 Karen Rosenberg

28 Madeline Kaufman

28 Ruth Webber

  

 

JUNE ANNIVERSARIES Jewish Wedding

10  Murray & Linda Baruch

10  Mark & Ruth Webber                   

12  Dan & Miry Serlin

13  Andy & Libby Beider

13  Mark & Amy Robbins

20  John Marcotte & Vicki Freedman

21  Phillip & Cheryl Litt

22  Steve & Joan Freedman

22  Leonard & Sharon Rosen

24  Belmont & Gertrude Kershenbaum

25  Lowell Schmeltz & Ilana Glazier

26  Ron & Sharon Gadoth-Goodman

27  Ken & Shula Brown

27  Lenny & Robin Jacobson

27  Karyn and Barrett Zeff                                             

28  Robert & Laurie Kimmel

28  Noel & Judy Lawson

29  Mark & Loraine Kuhn

30  Alan & Barbara Funk

 

To make a donation in honor of someone's birthday or anniversary, please click here.

If your birthday or anniversary information is not listed, please email the synagogue so we can update our records.

Caring Community Information

Refuah Sh'leimah/Wishing a Speedy Recovery.  

Please e-mail Michael Golob or call the synagogue: 248-432-2729 to add a name to our communal mishebeirach list.   

 

Shiva assistance: To assist in providing a shiva meal for BI member families and/or if you are able to lead a shiva minyan, please e-mail the synagogue.

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phone:  248-432-2729
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B'nai Israel Synagogue is affiliated with USCJ, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.

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