September 3, 2015

19 Elul 5775

HIGH HOLIDAY INFORMATION

High Holiday Set up: Sunday, September 13th, 2 p.m., Covenant Baptist Church

Please e-mail John Marcotte if you are able to assist. Total time commitment is approximately 45 minutes. Thank you in advance for helping transform our holy space.

Member Tickets

Member tickets were mailed last week. If you did not receive your packet, please contact the synagogue office.

Guest Tickets

Order deadline has passed. PLEASE CONTACT THE SYNAGOGUE OFFICE IMMEDIATELY if you need to purchase guest tickets. For order form, please click here.

Click here for a complete schedule of High Holiday Services.

Lulav and Etrog Order Forms: Click here to download and print form. ORDERS DUE WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9TH.

SHABBAT KI TAVO

Rachel Kapen

Commemorating the40th Yahrtzeit of her father, Yosef Garber and the 90 Years anniversary of his Aliyah

Following Parashat Ki Tetze of the previous week, parashat Ki Tavo meaning: As you come (to the land), is also in the singular underscoring the fact that the words are directed to each and every one of the people personally.

In its first part, the parasha recounts the mitzvah of Bikkurim- first fruits which are to be gathered and presented to the kohen in the Beit HaMikdash. However, these aren't supposed to be the first of any fruits, only the ones among the Shivat HaMinim, the Seven Species which typifies the best fruits of Eretz Israel, namely: wheat, barley, vines, figs, pomegranates, olives, and date-honey.

In the Mishnah there is a beautiful description of the Bikkurim Procession heading for Jerusalem;

'They, that were near to Jerusalem, brought fresh figs and grapes, and they, that were far off Jerusalem, brought dried figs and raisins. Before them went an ox, having his horns overlaid with gold and a wreath of olive leaves on its head. The flute was played before them until they drew near to Yerushalayim. when they drew near to Yerushalayim, they sent messengers before them and bedecked their baskets with their first fruits...

Another quite important topic Ki Tavo covers is the one of Ma'aser or Tithe, the apportioning of one tenth of the yield to the Levi'im. There were a few types of the Ma'aser: Ma'aser Rishon, the first ma'aser,was used for the maintenance of the Leviim, the Levites, who did not receive their own plots of land like the rest of Bnai Israel did, Ma'aser Sheni, the Second Ma'aser, had to be taken to Jerusalem by the owner and consumed there by him and his family, or redeem it and use the proceeds there. However, in the third and sixth year of the Shmitah- the seventh year when the land is prohibited from being worked on, this ma'aser was fully dedicated to the poor, the orphan, and the widow. it was appropriately also called: Ma'aser Oni (with an ayin not aleph)., the Ma'aser of the Poor.

Yet, despite the fact that the Levi was taken care by the community as a whole, he too had his own responsibilities towards the others. So, from his own ma'aser he had to give a ma'aser to the kohen. share and share alike.

Judaism always made sure that the poor and the most vulnerable members of society are well taken care of so it enacted special laws to make sure this is done. In later years of our Jewish history it gave birth to special local institutions of the different Jewish communities to help the poor marginalized such as we still have today in America.

Yet, Parashat ki tavo is mostly known for the wonderful blessings and conversely, most awful curses- which traditionally read in a whisper- conditioned on the people's behavior.

Shabbat shalom.

May Their Memories Be For a Blessing

SEPTEMBER YAHRTZEITS

9/3/2015 (19 Elul)

Abraham Hurvich

9/5/2015 (21 Elul)

Douglas Cohen, Paula S. Lawson

9/8/2015 (24 Elul)

Lawrence Sklar

9/10/2015 (26 Elul)

Ida Goode, Sophie Blau Konek

9/11/2015 (27 Elul)

Robert Nusholtz

9/13/2015 (29 Elul)

Malkah Muchkies

9/14/2015 (1 Tishrei)

Nathan (Bob) Crone, Tillie Kershenbaum

9/15/2015 (2 Tishrei)

Abraham Lewis

9/17/2015 (4 Tishrei)

Louis Glazier

9/18/2015 (5 Tishrei)

Moishe Haar

9/19/2015 (6 Tishrei)

Paul Feiner

9/21/2015 (8 Tishrei)

Alvin Martin Friedman

9/22/2015 (9 Tishrei)

Sidney Kaye

9/25/2015 (12 Tishrei)

Esther Berkowitz Ellias

9/27/2015 (14 Tishrei)

Irving Morris Wiseman

9/28/2015 (15 Tishrei)

Jerome Burbank, Anita Harris, Ben Kert, Mrs. Sophie Kuhn

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.

THERE IS A TKA BAR MITZVAH THIS SHABBAT. PLEASE USE THE SHUTTLE PARKING FROM PRINCE OF PEACE.

SHABBAT
SHALOM!

Shabbat Ki Tavo

Friday, September 4th

6 p.m., Chapel

Saturday, September 5th

9 a.m., CHAPEL

Fred Shuback will teach High Holiday melodies prior to Musaf.

Kiddush, sponsored by the Kiddush Lunch Fund, will be in the lower level following the conclusion of services.

To help sustain Kiddush Lunch, please consider joining a Kiddush Lunch Bunch group. E-mail Mindy Shuback for more information.

Donations to the Kiddush Lunch Fund can also be made online or mailed directly to the synagogue.

COMMUNITY WIDE SELICHOT SERVICE

This SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5TH, Congregation Beth Shalom

9:30 Maariv and Havdallah

10 p.m. Movie: The Walk

11 p.m. Selichot Click here for downloadable flyer.

UPCOMING YOUTH AND FAMILY ACTIVITIES

Formal youth activities will resume after the conclusion of the fall holidays.

ATTENTION FAMILIES: PARENTAL ASSISTANCE IS REQUESTED IN THE YOUTH ROOM DURING THE HIGH HOLIDAYS. Please e-mail Leah Bernstein with any questions. CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE SCHEDULE AND SELECT A TIME SLOT

COMING THIS FALL:

"PJ OUR WAY," a reading program for youth ages 9-11.

A unique book club for parents and children which will meet 10/18, 11/15, 1/31, 2/28, and 5/1. Please e-mail Rabbi Robbins if you wish to receive further information about this program.

To stay current on all youth and family activities, contact Ilana Glazier to join the B'nai Israel Families Facebook Group.

Sisterhood Corner

Book Club

Next Book Club Meeting: Sunday, October 18th.

We will be discussing the book All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr.

Thank you to Lori Orel and Shelley Fenyes for organizing Book Club. Your suggestions are welcome.

Mazel Tov

SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAYS

3 Toby Gittleman

3 Avery Robinson

4 Brenda Soverinsky

5 Stephanie Singer

9 Donna Sklar

10 Alan Taub

11 Beverly Avadenka

11 Julia Feber

11 Bernice Jacobson

12 Adam Baruch

12 Samantha Dines

12 John Marcotte

13 Benjamin Rosenberg

15 Adena Wolf

16 Benton Karesh

17 Linda Jacobson

17 Renee Kozlowski

18 Daniel Chudnow

19 Carol Wiseman

20 David Bernard

20 Madeline Jacobson

20 Edith Kozlowski

20 Samuel Saperstein

23 Allan Lovinger

25 Frances Chudnow

26 Howard Friedman

27 Erika Finn

27 Warren Lada