December 4, 2014
12 Kislev 5775
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memorial candle
Condolences
To Jack Friedman, on the recent death of his wife, Bernice Friedman.  Our condolences to the entire Friedman family.
PARSHAT VAYISHLACH 
"Exile and Survival:  Jacob's Legacy"

Rabbi Gerry Serotta 

In Parashat Vayishlah, Jacob is transformed from successful itinerant businessman to spiritual ancestor of the people of Israel. Events include a solitary nocturnal struggle with the legacy of Jacob's past, personified variously as God, God's emissary, or a projected human form. This dramatic episode grabs our attention because it provides the powerful name both Jacob and we have borne throughout history--Israel, the God wrestler.

Jacob and Esau's Reconciliation

This drama, so replete with images of symbolic wounds and archetypes of shadow sides, completes a process that enables Jacob to approach his brother Esau in a fashion that leads to reconciliation. Esau embraces his brother. This surprise conclusion is hardly anticipated by the text, which makes clear at every possible turn that Esau's retinue of 400 men was clearly understood by Jacob and his representatives (who failed in their mission to placate Esau's enmity) to be a military show of force.

Was it Jacob's limping that evoked his brother's sympathy? Was it his directness and simple courage in moving forward alone, ahead of his own troops, contrasted with his hightailing it out of town decades earlier--his stolen birthright in tow?

Jacob's Spiritual Growth

The answers may be inferred 


 

click here to continue reading.
 


 


May Their Memories Be For a Blessing 
DECEMBER YAHRTZEITS

12/4/2014 (12 Kislev)  

Mr. Hyman M. Beale

Earl Schwartz

12/5/2014 (13 Kislev)  

Howard Lazarus

12/6/2014 (14 Kislev)  

Irvin Lewis

12/7/2014 (15 Kislev)  

Shirley Lauterstein Taub

12/8/2014 (16 Kislev)  

Helen Funk

12/9/2014 (17 Kislev)  

Maurice Schlussel

12/10/2014 (18 Kislev)

Ruth Finkelstein

12/11/2014 (19 Kislev)

Robert Friedman

Albert W. Handler 

Libbie Schlussel

12/13/2014 (21 Kislev)

Sara Burbank

12/14/2014 (22 Kislev)

Liba Malka Ginsberg

12/16/2014 (24 Kislev)

Megan Lewis Graub

12/18/2014 (26 Kislev)

David Benjamin Levy

12/19/2014 (27 Kislev)

Elizabeth Glazier

Richard Rosen

12/20/2014 (28 Kislev)

Saul Charles Dorfman

Isidor Katzman 

Sarah Klein

12/22/2014 (30 Kislev)

Helen Rosenthal Levine

12/23/2014 (1 Tevet)  

Jeanette Klein

12/24/2014 (2 Tevet)  

Helen Feiner

Ethel Fishman

Diana Nussbaum

12/25/2014 (3 Tevet)  

Sophie Chitkin

12/26/2014 (4 Tevet)  

Edith Gans

Harrison Myers

12/28/2014 (6 Tevet)  

Graham Miller

12/29/2014 (7 Tevet)  

Steven Lawrence BealeKenny Birnholtz

Mark Lieberman

Julian Nusbaum, Leonard Sonenshein

12/30/2014 (8 Tevet)  

William Erlich

David Kaufman

12/31/2014 (9 Tevet)  

Lillian Lewis

Annie Wineberg

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.  

SHABBAT SHALOM!
SHABBAT Vayishlach
Friday, December 5th
6 p.m. Services, CHAPEL
Saturday, December 6th
9 a.m. Services, SANCTUARY
10 a.m.  Supervised Youth Room
Kiddush Lunch is sponsored by the following Kiddush Lunch Bunch Group/Families: Feigelson, Berlin, Beider, Seigerman, Glazier, Berger, Gittleman, Canvasser, Marcotte-Friedman, Ellias, and Dines.
12:45p.m., Social Hall:  Informal Sisterhood gathering to discuss future meeting date.  E-mail Sheila Kurland if you are interested but unable to attend.

Kiddush Lunch each week is sustained by the generosity of sponsors If you would like to become part of a sponsoring lunch group, please e-mail Mindy Shuback.  Donations to the Kiddush Lunch Fund can also be made directly to the synagogue.

SAVE THE DATES:
THIS Saturday Evening, December 6th
Coffee House/Music and Dancing to the sounds of The Detroit Boomer Band, featuring our very own Frank Ellias. $10.00/person advanced reservation/ $18.00 at the door without reservation. PLEASE RSVP BY DECEMBER 4TH IF YOU PLAN TO ATTEND.   You may e-mail your response to the synagogue office.

SNL
Saturday Night Learning/Melave Malka
December 13th, 7:30 p.m. at the home of Cheryl and Phillip Litt featuring Professor Howard Friedman:  "Hanukkah and American Religious Liberty-- A Contrarian Perspective". Please rsvp to Cheryl if you plan to attend.  chanukah with star
Professor Howard M. Friedman, Professor of Law Emeritus at the University of Toledo, and a new member of B'nai Israel, is a graduate of Ohio State University (BA), Harvard University (JD) and Georgetown University (LLM). He headed the Cybersecurities Law Institute until 2005 where he created the Financial Regulators Gateway, an online guide to securities, banking and insurance regulators around the world. In 2005 Prof. Friedman began Religion Clause, a blog devoted to legal and political developments in free exercise of religion and separation of church and state. 

Saturday January 31st
(please note new date)
Talent Show Reprise. For details, or to register your act, please e-mail Frank Ellias.

TODAH RABBAH, MINYAN BREAKFAST SPONSORSHIP
Robert Breitman, marking conclusion of Shloshim for beloved sister, Lorraine Eras.
Marlene Margolis, marking yahrtzeit of beloved husband, Dr. Harold Margolis.
UPCOMING YOUTH AND FAMILY ACTIVITIES
FAMILY CAMP 2015:  FEBRUARY 27-MARCH 1ST.   
EARLY BIRD PRICING UNTIL JANUARY 9TH. 

hot cocoa2 Teen D'var Torah Cafe (8-12 graders) and Shabbat Children's Workshop (ages 7-12) have returned! 
Future dates: 12/6, 1/17, 2/7, 3/7, 4/11, 5/9  PLEASE WATCH THE WEEKLY SHABBAT BULLETIN FOR DETAILS.

ATTENTION HILLEL DAY SCHOOL FAMILIES:
Rabbi Robbins will be having lunch with your students on December 15th, 11:30-12:30.  Rabbi Robbins will provide dessert for your children.
To stay current on all youth and family activities, contact Ilana Glazier to join the B'nai Israel Families Facebook Group.
ADULT EDUCATION
Shabbat morning study with Dr. Mitch Parker: 
"Reflections on the Siddur:  Hallel, Birkat Hamazon and Beyond." 
Future dates: 12/6, 12/20, 1/10, 1/24, 2/7, 2/21, 3/7, 3/21, 4/11, 4/25, 5/9, 5/23.
Mazel Tov 
Happy Birthday!

Birthday Cake

DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS

  Rabbi Mark Robbins

  Cindy Victor

  Christopher Beider

  Jacob Abramson

  Robyn Canvasser

  Michelle Kappy

  Shay Finn

  Judith Lawson

  Brandon Beider

  Andrew Serlin

11 Hallie Bernstein

14 Miriam Lupovitch

15 Michael Balkin

15 Bernice Friedman

15 Louis Soverinsky

16 Sydney Gordon

16 David Victor

17 Jolie Gittleman

18 Benjamin Canvasser

22 Lori Orel

22 Kelli Rosen

23 Joyce Breitman

26 Linda Baruch

26 Steven Myers

28 Brian Ginsberg

30 David Ruskin

31 Gaye Taub

 

Jewish Wedding

DECEMBER ANNIVERSARIES 

 16 Joseph & Carrie Roth

 19 David Victor

 20 Alan & Gaye Taub

 20 Nancy and Raymond Silverman

 23 David & Marla Weiss

 25 Sy & Pearl Manello

 26 Frank & Lisa Ellias

 30 Mitch & Cheryl Parker

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

IT IS TIME TO RESET THE MISHEBEIRACH LIST.  The current list will be cleared as of Monday, December 8th.  Please submit any times you wish to have remain on the list to Michael Golob.  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. 

 

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B'nai Israel Synagogue  
5085 Walnut Lake Road
West Bloomfield, Michigan  48323
248-432-2729
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B'nai Israel Synagogue is affiliated with USCJ, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.

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