Congregation Agudath Sholom | 301 Strawberry Hill Ave | Stamford, CT 06902 (203)-358-2200 www.agudathsholom.org

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Friday, March 15, 2024

Congregation Agudath Sholom Shabbat Bulletin

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Congregation Agudath Sholom
Shabbat Bulletin
PekudeiMarch 16, 20246 Adar II 5784
send your submission to
bulletin@cas-stamford.org
Friday
Candle Lighting6:43 PM
Mincha6:48 PM
Shabbat
Shacharit7:00/8:00/9:00 AM
Sephardic Minyan8:45 AM
Coffee and Commentary8:45 AM
Latest Shema9:22 AM
Bob's Basics10:00 AM
Shiur10:30 AM
Latest Shacharit10:36 AM
Code Of Jewish Law5:50 PM
Mincha6:40 PM
Havdalah7:45 PM
Shabbat Shalom
Unity

One of the major themes of the upcoming holiday of Purim is Jewish unity. Haman sensed the vulnerability of the nation of Israel when he perceived their division and divisiveness. He tells Achashverosh, they are a nation scattered and divided. In response, Esther calls on the Jewish people to unite in prayer to thwart the threat.The mitzvot of the day, Mishloach Manot, public Megillah readings, welcoming feasts and gifts to the poor are designed to forge bonds of unity.

Since October 7th, we have seen unprecedented levels of unity within the Jewish people and we pray that we sustain and grow the achdut in times of joy God willing very soon!

I am reminded of the words shared by Chani Lifshitz, Chabad emissary in Kathmandu, Nepal, who shared her thoughts in the wake of the Coronavirus four years ago. Her reflections were and are a powerful reminder for all of us.

She wrote, "Suddenly we need to think very well: Which route did we take? Which people were in our area? How long were we in the presence of those people? Do we recall other people who passed by, their exact proximity and what exactly happened between us? Did we shake their hand, embrace one another?

How many of us stop and think about such things when we are not talking about the coronavirus? Day quickly follows day and suddenly we need to stop - to understand how critical it is to remember every detail concerning those we met along the way. This can have a major impact on our lives. Suddenly it becomes clear how much long term influence there is in every encounter with another person.

We should never think for a moment that the contact we make with another is arbitrary. It becomes clear that contact with another can stay within our body and soul for many days, and can change our life from one extreme to the other, for good or for bad. And one can infect another who infects another. So it is in this world.

We are dependent upon each other.The influence of every action is felt from one end of the earth to the other. And there are those who need to be quarantined.They are given time to look inside, to reflect in isolation, kept far away from everyone. I am sure that when they are released from quarantine, they appreciate the energy generated in every contact between two people."

God willing, in the days ahead, as we celebrate Purim, we will experience a deeper appreciation within our community, our country and the world of our shared humanity and the impact and influence we can all create to forge a better and brighter world.

Wishing you and your families a Shabbat Shalom, a joyous upcoming Purim celebration and good news from Israel in the days ahead,

Rabbi Daniel Cohen

Shabbat Information 
  • Learn about the Shabbat Torah Reading for Parshat Pekudei with the insights of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks z"l - click here
  • Please find Dovi Siderson's weekly parsha resource here
  • The Haftarah is read from I Kings 7:51-8:21
  • Haftarah summary by Chabad.org - click here
  • Haftarah summary by Haftarah Helper - click here
  • Fast of Esther - Thursday March 21st - Fast Begins at 5:42 am and Ends 7:38 pm. For more information, please see our complete Purim schedule.
  • Would you like to read the Torah or Haftara for your bar mitzvah parsha? Let us know by clicking here.

Shabbat Table Conversation - Pekudei The parsha highlights the Divine in the details. Every vessel and accounting is recorded. Review your week or day in the most detailed way and like Moshe, render an account. What were the moments that you acted in accordance with G-d? When were the moments when you sensed the Divine in the littlest of details?

Parsha Icebreakers (Courtesy of Elisheva and Yaakov Moshe Shmidman)
  1. Quote a statistic that you like (The parsha describes all the counting of the things dedicated to the Mishkan).
  2. What is something cool/interesting that you have built or made (the Mishkan is completed)?
  3. What is a mitzva or halacha that you try to do with exactness or extra attention to details (the Jewish people built the Mishkan exactly as Hashem commanded)?

Thank God, our annual dinner was an overwhelming success on so many levels!  Thank you to Aviva Maller for capturing the magical evening! Check out the photos here. Thank you to Sima Broza for designing a beautiful Dinner Journal!
Shabbat Topics & Participants
Bob's BasicsBob Abrams
ShiurRabbi Moshe Kurtz: The Great Megillah Microphone Controversy
Code of Jewish LawRabbi Yossi Kamman
Seudat ShlishitRabbi Moshe Kurtz
Welcome
  • We welcome our Chazan Duvie Shapiro from Israel who will be leading Kaballat Shabbat on Friday night, and Shacharit and Musaf on Shabbat morning.
Mazal Tov
  • to Rachel & Jay Jubas on the forthcoming marriage this weekend of Talia to Moshe Steinberg!
  • to Diane & Rabbi Daniel Cohen on the birth of a granddaughter - Yakira, born to Tamar & Feivel Segelov in Israel!
  • to Steven Labkoff & Liron Sissman and Tracey Ryan on the engagement of their daughter, Nicole Leigh Labkoff to Nathan Bick, son of David & Susan Bick z"l!
Celebrate with the family! Make a donation in their honor and we will send an acknowledgement to the family. Just click here
Thank You
  • to Hilary Goldstein, Jessica Furmansky, Shaya Speter, Wendy Siegal and Jennie Folkinshteyn for serving as chairs of the Rookies and Vets Shabbat with over 150 people sharing Shabbat lunch together!
  • to Marla Lewis, Rina Miller, Yonnie Rubinfeld and Miriam Sperber for planning a glamorous Hollywood Pre-Purim Party!
  • to Mitchell Bell and the Men's Club for planning Sunday's Passover Fair!
Thanks To Our Sponsors
  • Senior Challah Deliveries: Greg & Amanda Smith
  • Chapel Kiddush: Dina & Paul Berger in commemoration of the yahrzeits of Dina & Paul's fathers, Maurice Sternbach (4 Adar) and William Berger (14 Adar)
  • Sephardic Kiddush: The Hanna Family in honor of Grandma Angele's birthday
  • Sanctuary Kiddush: Ivy & Marvin Schildkraut in commemoration of the yahrzeits of Marvin's parents, Samuel & Mabel Schildkraut
  • Seudat Shlishit: Anonymous in memory of Ruth Chaya Bas Abraham
Sign Up for these Events
Learn more
CAS Mens Club Passover Fair
Sunday, March 17 - 10:00 AM
sign up
CAS Youth Pesach Mystery Show
Sunday, March 17 - 11:30 AM
sign up
Effy Unterman - Innovative Book and Purim Resource Presentation
Sunday, March 17 - 2:00 PM
sign up
Rabbi Aryeh Lev Katzin - The Mistake of the KGB and What We Can Learn From It
Monday, March 18 - 7:30 PM
sign up
Pre-Purim Virtual Shiur with Elisheva Shmidman
Wednesday, March 20 - 12:15 PM
Learn more
CAS Purim Schedule
Shabbat, March 23 - 8:30 PM
sign up
Purim at the Atria
Sunday, March 24 - 2:00 PM
sign up
Purim Seudah
Sunday, March 24 - 5:00 PM
sign up
55+ Empty Nesters Movie and Dinner
Thursday, March 28
sign up
CAS Movie Club
Sunday, March 31 - 8:00 PM
sign up
Matzah from Southern Israel [Limited Opportunity]
Monday, April 1
Learn more
Donate Seforim to the Beit Midrash
Learn more
Senior Challah Delivery Sponsorships
Israel Updates
Israel MEALuim Update - Our Support Matters!  To Join the Mitzvah, visit https://tzohar-eng.org/mealuim/

Rabbi Cohen-- Your community's participation in MEALuim has made a significant difference in the lives of IDF miluim families. Especially now, as the war has extended into almost 4 months, the absence of a spouse and parent is even more profound and difficult. The homefront has become one of the more important places where we need to place our support. Overall we have thus far provided over 5000 meals to hundreds of families.Using Tzohar's strong connection we have been able to identify and serve those most affected by their soldier's absence and with limited local support. We have focused on ten yishuvim, and sporadic individual families.15 Agudath Sholom Congregation members participated thus far, donating 418 meals. The recipients of these meals were primarily families in Katamonim Jerusalem, an area with many young men in miluim. Yasher Koach!! Please deepen and expand the support!
Am Yisrael Chai

CAS Announcements
  • Mezuzah Checking, Tefillin Maintenance and Shatnez Checking  This Sunday at the Men's Club Passover Fair with Rabbi Yirmiyahu Moldovan and Rabbi Yisrael Small
  • Save the Dates 
    • Monday, April 8th - Men Seder at 613
    • Wednesday, April 10th - Nachos and Knowledge with Diane and Rabbi Daniel Cohen hosted by Deb and Dan Faizakoff
    • Thursday, April 11th Film Premiere Ein Od Milvado
  • Holy Habit - Food Pantry Donations  Rather than wait for a Food Drive, make it a habit each week when shopping for Shabbos to purchase kosher, non-perishable food for the Freedberg Kosher Food Pantry.Drop off at JFS or CAS
Weekday Schedule
  • Shacharit  Sunday: 7:15/8:30 AM; Monday-Friday: 6:30/7:30 AM
  • Mincha  Sunday-Thursday: 6:55 PM; Friday: 6:56 PM
  • Candle Lighting  Friday: 6:51 PM
  • Thursday  Ta'anit Esther - Fast begins at 5:42 am and ends at 7:38 pm
  • Saturday  Erev Purim
CAS Classes
Join one of our classes.

We Wish A Speedy Recovery To
  • Tzvi Zev Yosef ben Chana Shulamit
  • Hershel Wolf ben Brucha
  • Chaya Sara bat Chava
  • Freidel bat Esther
  • Chaya Shoshana bat Yehudit
  • Nira bat Rachel
  • Sara bat Nira
  • Yitzchak Osher ben Chana Shauna Chaya
  • Nadav Ephraim ben Shlomit Leah
  • Mark Emanuel ben Leah
  • Shlomo ben Velvel
  • Dorit bat Ora
  • Asher Anshel Eliezer ben Baila
  • Leah bat Tzirel
  • Miriam Rut bat Chana
  • Daniel David Yitzchak ben Shulamit
  • Chaya bat Liba
  • Harav Eliezer ben Chaya
  • אסתר רחל bat רייזל ביילה
  • פרידה הדסה bat פערל לאה
  • Dov ben Pnina
  • Moshe Gavriel ben Rachel Esther
  • Cheryl Sheva bat Gittel Leah
  • Sossie Raizel bat Sarah Fraida

We Honor Our Military
  • Ariel Y
  • Shani Y
  • Tali Y
  • Harry B
  • Zevi M
  • Nathan H
  • Noam H
  • Yehudit
  • Sally K
  • Oren L
  • Nathan L
  • Jeremy S
  • Meni N
  • Yaniv H
  • Rachel W

Community Announcements
  • It's Purim Party Time!  Dress up in your favorite costume and enjoy a festive night of fun at the young adults (20s, 30s, 40s) Purim Party on Thursday, March 21, 8:00 pm at Half Full Brewery in Stamford. A chance to celebrate Purim together with friends old and new, this holiday event is in partnership with UJF and UJF NextGen, Stamford Jewish Experience, Congregation Agudath Sholom, Moishe House Without Walls WOW, Chabad of Stamford, Young Israel, Temple Beth El, Temple Sinai, and Chabad of Harbor Point. Sign up today to join the Purim Party (www.ujf.org/purim) or contact UJF Community Shaliach, Yoav Yaron (yoav@ujf.org), for more information.
  • Registration for 2024 Jewish Baseball League season is live!  FCCJBL is a co-ed, ages 4-12 year old little league and plays on Sundays only. Season opener is 4/14. Please sign up on www.fccjbl.org. Please reach out to info@fccjbl.org with any questions.
  • Schoke Jewish Family Service invites you to its annual gala, An Evening with Schoke JFS  Sunday, April 7, 2024 at 5:30 PM, at Temple Beth El, 350 Roxbury Road. Honorees include: The 44th Annual Mitzvah Award, Nan and Paul Gordon and Betsy and Michael Stone; Volunteer of the Year Award, Sally Kleinman; and Community Service Award, Ronnie Sichel. The evening will begin with appetizers, cocktails, followed by dinner, presentation of awards to the honorees, a paddle raise and dessert. There will also be an online auction. The event is chaired by Connie Freeman, Meryl Japha, Jillian Klaff, and Esther Rein with Jeri Appel as auction chair. General tickets include dinner and dessert for $250, purchase your ticket at www.ctjfs.org. Contact Janet Wainright at 203-921-4161 or jwainright@ctjfs.org to place a journal ad.
  • Temple Sinai will host Judy Batalion, writer of The Light of Days: The Untold Story of Women Resistance Fighters in Hitler's Ghettos  for the fourth Joan Danoff Community Lecture. This acclaimed author will be available to discuss not only the extraordinary stories of the young women resistance fighters she has chronicled but also the implications of their story for events today. Join on May 19th at 4:00 pm for an in-person conversation or to attend via a webinar. The event is free and open to the community. To register to attend in person or to view as a webinar, contact Temple Sinai at 203-322-1649 or https://www.templesinaistamford.org/form/joan-bruder-danoff-lecture2024.html.
  • Interfaith Seder to Unite Our Diverse Community   April 11th at 6:30pm, UConn Stamford, 1 University Place, Stamford, CT. Hosted by United Jewish Federation of Stamford, New Canaan and Darien, The Interfaith Council of Southwestern Connecticut, the Mayor's Multicultural Council and UConn Hillel. Using a specially designed Haggadah, the themes of the seder will include unity among varied cultures, backgrounds and faiths. Rabbi Joshua Hammerman has worked on creating the event this year. It will be his last community event before his retirement. We hope that you can join us. For more information and to register: www.ujf.org/seder or contact Sharon Lewis, slewis@ujf.org

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