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Shabbat Eikev
Alana Alpert, AJWS
In Parashat Ekev,
Moses reflects on the journey through the wilderness and prepares the Israelites for their transition into a new life of responsibility in the Promised Land.
He begins, "And it will be, because you will heed these ordinances and keep them and perform, that the Lord, your God, will keep for you the covenant and the kindness that God swore to your ancestors" (Deuteronomy 7:12). The Hebrew word used for "heed" is theparashah's namesake, "Ekev," which also means "heel." A midras hproposes that the use of this word conveys a double-meaning: "The verse shows us that even those righteous deeds which a person takes lightly, like things of no value trodden underfoot, these commandments too should be kept. One should not weigh the commandments and say: "This is an important commandment and I
will fulfill it, and this is a small one and I will ignore it."
Arguing against the very human impulse to develop a hierarchy of responsibilities, this midrash warns us not to assign relative importance to the range of obligations that demand our attention and response.
Prioritizing Social Justice Work
This desire to prioritize feels especially familiar when we face the enormity of social justice work. We experience the frustrating gap between the resources of an individual or organization and the overwhelming amount of suffering in the world, and so we create our own idiosyncratic systems to
somehow make the impossible decisions about how to allocate our limited resources. We establish
for additional insights on this week's parsha and others, visit The JTS Torah Commentary archive:
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May Their Memories Be For a Blessing
AUGUST YAHRTZEITS
8/14/2014 (18 Av)
Lillian Handler
8/17/2014 (21 Av)
Theodore P. Mason
8/18/2014 (22 Av)
Joel D. Hamburger,
Bennie Magy
8/19/2014 (23Av)
Marilyn "Mike" Feigelson
Bertha Chitkin
8/22/2014 (26 Av)
Sarah Lewis
Ormond Sacks
Louis Jonah Lieberman
8/25/2014 (29 Av)
Judge Edward Avadenka
Max Friedman
Leonard Gaba
Robert Alan
Kapetansky
Moshe Buncel
Louis Silverstein
8/28/2014 (2 Elul)
Robert Keila
8/29/2014 (3 Elul)
Louis Rose
Sam Toby
8/30/2014 (4 Elul)
Jack Harold Kaufman
8/31/2014 (5 Elul)
Lillian Katzman
Please click here if you wish to permanently memorialize a loved one by purchasing a yahrtzeit plaque.
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SHABBAT SHALOM!
Shabbat Eikev
Friday, August 15th
6 p.m. Chapel
9 a.m. Services, Sanctuary
Kiddush Lunch* is sponsored by the Kiddush Lunch Fund.
*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.
 SATURDAY NIGHT LEARNING, including Seudah Shleesheet August 16th,
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B'nai Israel Upcoming Events
SAVE THE DATE: NEXT SHABBAT
Saturday, August 23rd 
Please join us as we honor Linda Jacobson, president of B'nai Israel Synagogue 2010-2014, for her leadership and tireless commitment to our synagogue.
 DATE CHANGE Tiger Baseball Game
moved to Sunday, September 14th
Bus leaves from the TKA/BI parking lot at 11:30 a.m. and returns to the synagogue following the game. Cost: $30/person includes admission ticket, transportation and pizza. Click here for reservation form. Bus space limited to first 45 reservations.
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HIGH HOLIDAY PACKETS, WHICH INCLUDE
TICKETS, WILL BE MAILED IN AUGUST TO MEMBERS IN GOOD STANDING. TO PURCHASE HIGH HOLIDAY TICKETS,
Please order your additional tickets for family members prior to the deadline to allow time for processing.
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Upcoming Youth and Family Activities
Shabbat Youth Activities will resume in the fall.
 Fall Events for Camp RamahSeptember 7th
Camp Heremelin, 12:30 p.m. at the home of Doreen Hermelin
September 14th
Welcome Back from Camp Ramah
5-7 p.m., Adat Shalom Synagogue
To stay current on all youth and family activities, contact Ilana Glazier to join the B'nai Israel Families Facebook Group.
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Adult Education
"Making Sense of the Machzor"
A 3-Part Series as part of SNL, Saturday Night Learning
Shabbat, September 6, 13, 20 - 6:30 pm
Prepare for the Yamim Noraim over Seudah Shlishit, as we wrap up the season's Saturday Night Learning sessions.
Location TBD
"Reflections on the Siddur," with Dr. Mitch Parker
will return in the fall.
Want to brush up on your prayer skills, tropes or birkat amazon? Click here.
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Mazel Tov
 AUGUST BIRTHDAYS
15 Andy Beider
15 Kayla Kapen
15 David Saperstein
16 Marlene Margolis
16 Marcia Seigerman=
18 Melissa Berlin
19 Katie Rosen
19 Sally Soverinsky
21 Stefani Chudnow
21 Adam Gordon
22 Maya Rosenberg
23 Vernon Gordon
25 Rabbi Jonathan Berger
27 Noah Marcotte
27 Cary Rosen
27 Melvin Toby
29 Edward Chudnow
If your birthday or anniversary information is not listed, please email the synagogue so we can update our records.
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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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B'nai Israel Synagogue is affiliated with USCJ, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.
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