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Ohav Weekly Emails
on our Website
If you are interested in checking out a past weekly email but can't find it in your inbox, check out our website at www.ohavshalom.com and click "News Archive" on the left hand side. |
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A NOTE FROM RABBI DAN:
Dear Ohav Family:
The Purim holiday, which we will celebrate next Saturday night and Sunday, always amazes me for two reasons. First, even though it is the quintessential Diaspora Jewish holiday, nowhere in the world is Purim celebrated more robustly and joyously than the sovereign state of Israel. Second, though later commentators try to discern God's hand in the story of our deliverance from the wicked Antisemite Haman, the biblical book of Esther never once mentions God's name.
Certainly, Purim's success can be attributed in great part to the fact that it is fun for adults and children. Yet, underlying all the fun is the somber message that the Jewish people's struggle for freedom from hatred and persecution is ongoing. As long as any Jew or Jewish community - whether in Israel or the Diaspora - is unsafe for being Jewish, all Jews are unsafe. This is because of the traditional Jewish principle that each of us is intertwined with and responsible for one another as one Jewish community. Thus, Jews in Israel celebrate Purim with equal or greater intensity than the rest of the Jewish world. Every member of the Jewish people has the capacity and the obligation to feel both pain and celebration for every other member of the Jewish family.
The overt absence of God from the Esther/Purim story perhaps indicates that the story may originally have been a more secular account of palace intrigue and our endeavor to survive as a people in the midst of terrible bigotry and danger. Perhaps God is not in the story explicitly in order to exemplify what the great Hasidic master, Levi Yitchak of Berditchev, called
nissim she b'tokh ha-teva, miracles embedded in the natural course of human affairs. What he may have meant is that God does not simply appear and perform nature-reversing miracles. God is always doing miraculous things behind the scenes, but they happen through the compassion, courage, and intelligence of human beings engaged in purely human actions. Purim reminds us that, a lot of the time, if we want to see God's hand in our affairs, we should look at the great things that our own hands are doing for each other.
Please join us next Saturday night and Sunday morning, 2/23 and 2/24 for our celebration of Purim! Purim is not merely a dress up holiday for kids. It is raucous celebration of Jewish survival and tenacity for everyone. More information about holiday details can be found in this week's and next week's emails, as well as the February DASH.
The week after Purim, March 1-3, do not miss our community scholar in residence, Ron Wolfson. Dr Wolfson is one of the most inspiring and effective Jewish educators and community builders in North America and the Jewish world today! We at Ohav are partnering with Temple Israel and United Jewish Federation to bring Ron here, and all of his speaking and teaching events are open to the entire community. More about Ron and what he is teaching can be found in this week's and next week's emails, in DASH, and at Ohav. We will also be placing information on our Facebook page. Please join us.
Many thanks to our Sisterhood gift shop for its generous support of Ohav's contribution to the weekend with Dr. Wolfson!
Finally, I'm happy to let you know that I am back on the air with monthly essays at WAMC, 89.1 FM, Northeast Public Radio. If you tune in next Thursday, 2/21, you should be able to hear me on Midday Magazine around 3:30 or 3:45 PM. These broadcasts can also be found at wamc.org I should be on the air the third Thursday of every month around the same time. Also, my weekly blog postings can be found weekly (generally every Sunday night) at timesofisrael.com/ops-and-blogs/ Just search for my name - Dan Ornstein - and you'll find my page.
All the best and Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Dan |
Morning Minyan Time Change Reminder:
Monday, February 18th, 2013, morning minyan will be at 8am due to the Federal Holiday. The office will be closed for the day and will reopen at 9am on Tuesday, February 19th.
Thank you |
Click HERE to get a copy of the 2013 Passover Food Order Form
Because of Hurricane Sandy, the array of offerings available from Petak's is smaller than in year's past. Petak's incurred significant storm damage and is still recovering. We send them our best wishes.
You can find the order forms in the synagogue lobby, our March DASH and Ohav's weekly emails. You may call the office at 489-4706 x10 to have Nancy fax or email you the order form or you can email Nancy at nancy@ohavshalom.com.The deadline to order food is Tuesday, March 12th, 2013 |
TROUBLE IN SHUSHAN? HAVDALAH WITH HAMAN? JOIN US TO CELEBRATE JOYOUSLY THE HOLIDAY OF PURIM.
SATURDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 23:
YOUNG FAMILIES' MEGILLAH READING, COSTUME PARTY AND HAVDALAH SERVICE: AT 6:15: PLEASE LOOK FOR MORE FORTHCOMING INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PROGRAM.
MEGILLAH READING, COSTUME PARADE, AND MISHLOACH MANOT (PURIM GIFT BAGS) AT 7:30, FOR YOUNG AND OLD OF ALL AGES.
PLEASE NOTE: THIS PURIM, OUR SUGGESTED COSTUME THEME FOR KIDS AND ADULTS IS "CLOWNING AROUND WITH OHAV SHALOM!" CREATIVE COSTUMES, NOISEMAKERS, JUGGLING EQUIPMENT, EVEN UNICYCLES ARE WELCOME!
WE WILL BEGIN END-OF-SHABBAT FESTIVITIES WITH "HAMANTASCHEN HAVDALAH"
SUNDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 24:
MORNING SERVICE WITH READING OF THE MEGILLAH IN THE SYNAGOGUE CHAPEL AT 8 AM. PLEASE NOTE THE TIME CHANGE.
PURIM CARNIVAL SPONSORED BY B'YACHAD SCHOOL AT TEMPLE ISRAEL AT 10:30 AM ALL ARE WELCOME.
IN OBSERVANCE OF THE PURIM MITZVAH OF MATANOT LA-EVYONIM, GIVING GIFTS TO THE POOR, WE WILL ALL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DONATE TO MAZON: A JEWISH RESPONSE TO HUNGER AT OUR PURIM SERVICES.
HAPPY PURIM!
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LOOKING TO HOST OR BE HOSTED AT A SEDER THIS YEAR?
Once again, the office at Ohav Shalom will be happy to match you up with a guest/s or a host for a seder during Passover this year. Please email Nancy Pandolfo, our office manager by Monday March 18 if you are willing to host a guest or guests at your seder, or if you would like to be a guest at a seder. Please note that we may not be able to arrange for you to attend both seders, but we will do everything possible to arrange an invitation for you at one of them.
We ask that you let Nancy know:
1. How many people you can host or how many people you need to have hosted.
2. Which seder night, or both nights if that applies.
3. Any eating restrictions for you, the guest. Are you allergic to house pets?
4. Any hosting restrictions for you, the host.
5. Your email address, or your phone number if you do not have email access.
Nancy can be reached at the Ohav office: nancy@ohavshalom.com or 489-4706 x-10.
Thank you in advance for hosting members of the community at your seder, and we look forward to helping you find a host with whom to celebrate Passover with this year!
"LET ALL WHO ARE HUNGRY, COME AND EAT." (From the Haggadah) |
The Ohav Shalom Social Action Committee invites you to
Break Matzah with Us!
Be a part of Albany's annual
Passover Seder
for Adults with Developmental Disabilities
Sunday, March 17, 2011 at Ohav Shalom
We need workers in shifts of 2-3 hours throughout the day (1 PM - 6 PM) to:
Prepare the meal, Assemble Seder plates, Set the tables, Greet guests,
Serve the meal, Clear the tables and Clean up
If you've worked on the Seder in past years, you remember how much fun it is.
If you haven't - come get to know one of Albany's greatest holiday projects.
To volunteer or for more information call/email Amy Anneling 928-7660 / acanneling@verizon.net or Dan Gordon 439-1277 / gordondn@juno.com
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Five Great Jewish Prayers That Can Change Your Life.
Still time to join the class!!
Too many people avoid praying or praying from the Siddur (Jewish prayer book) because they feel alienated from its ancient ideas, language, and use of Hebrew. However, our prayers are great poems that have lasted for thousands of years because they have important, inspirational messages that transcend time and place. In this class with Rabbi Ornstein we will study and decode five of the most important Jewish prayers of our tradition for what they say, what they mean, and what can mean to us.
Though knowing some Hebrew is helpful for this course, no formal skill in reading or understanding Hebrew or knowledge of prayers are necessary for you to join this class.
All classes meet on Mondays: 1/21, 1/28, 2/4, 2/11, 2/18, 2/25. Please note the change of dates for the first and last sessions.
ALL ARE WELCOME. |
IS ISRAEL IN YOUR FUTURE?
Israel is a land of ancient and modern miracles, and an amazing place for Jews and non Jews alike. If you are thinking of going to Israel, please consider joining us for our popular biennial Ohav Shalom Israel mission. All are welcome, and we make every effort to accommodate a variety of age groups. The next mission will take place on February 12-23, 2014. For more information, please email Rabbi Ornstein at ohavrab@gmail.com. (If you would consider a somewhat longer mission that would include a brief tour of Jewish Prague before heading for Israel, please let us know.) To register, please contact Diane Rubtchinsky at Diane@ayalet.com. It is never too early to register for our mission to our Jewish homeland!
We hope you can join us! |
Project Nehemiah
For many years, some generous Ohav Shalom members have been participating quietly in a fund raising effort for the synagogue called Project Nehemiah. This program was named for the religious leader who, in the 5th century B.C.E, rebuilt the moral, spiritual and physical infrastructure of the Jewish community in the land of Israel.
Project Nehemiah is a voluntary program of giving beyond standard annual congregational dues. Since annual dues account for less than 50% of the funds necessary to sustain our synagogue on an annual basis, Project Nehemiah is a way to bridge that gap and ensure that the programs and services we count on continue to be available and of the highest quality.
Three levels of one-year pledges are available:
Supporting member: $500 above dues
Sustaining member: $750 above dues
Guardian member: $1,000 above dues
Project Nehemiah is one way to assist in building the moral, spiritual and physical infrastructure of Congregation Ohav Shalom. If you are interested, please contact President Libby Post at lpost@commservices.net or by phone at 857-6788. |
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Volunteer at the Regional Food Bank
Come help sort and re-pack food and other essential products for the needy in our community.
The next volunteer opportunity at the Regional Food Bank is Sunday, March 10th. Contact Sharon Berko at 446.0476 or
sharonleeberko@yahoo.com for information. |
Find Us & "Like" Us on Facebook!
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Save the Date
March 1-3, 2013
Scholar-in-Residence Weekend
Our featured speaker will be Dr. Ron Wolfson, nationally known expert on Jewish family life, synagogue transformation and Jewish practice. He is widely renowned as one of the finest teachers in contemporary Jewish life. Co-sponsored by Temple Israel and the Jewish Federation of NENY.
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In The Larger Jewish Community
1. Hamantashen for Purim
As You Like It Catering is selling their home baked parve Hamantashen for Purim. Choose from: Cherry, Apricot, Chocolate, Poppy or Prune. Order Deadline: February 15
Order pick up is Feb. 21 and 22 from 10am-2pm
Click here for an order form today!
2. Check it out: Jewish camping fun for families!
Ramah Family Camp
Memorial Day Weekend: May 24-27, 2013
For more information or to register for Ramah Family Camp, click here or contact Ben Greene, Director of Education at beng@campramahne.org or 781-702-5290 x232 |
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