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Condolences
To Jack Friedman, on the recent death of his wife, Bernice Friedman. Our condolences to the entire Friedman family.
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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.
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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
Please click here if you wish to permanently memorialize a loved one by purchasing a yahrtzeit plaque.
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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.
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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.
 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. 
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)
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.
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UPCOMING YOUTH AND FAMILY ACTIVITIES
FAMILY CAMP 2015: FEBRUARY 27-MARCH 1ST.
EARLY BIRD PRICING UNTIL JANUARY 9TH.
 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.
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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.
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Mazel Tov
DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS
4 Rabbi Mark Robbins
4 Cindy Victor
5 Christopher Beider
6 Jacob Abramson
6 Robyn Canvasser
6 Michelle Kappy
8 Shay Finn
8 Judith Lawson
9 Brandon Beider
9 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
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
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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5085 Walnut Lake Road
West Bloomfield, Michigan 48323
248-432-2729 |
B'nai Israel Synagogue is affiliated with USCJ, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.
QUICK LINKS:
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