| Congregation Agudath Sholom
Shabbat Bulletin |
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| Bamidbar | Shabbat Mevarchim
Omer: 44 | May 20, 2023 | 29 Iyyar 5783 |
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| | Friday | | | Mincha | 7:00/7:56 PM | | Candle Lighting | 7:51 PM | | Shabbat | | | Shacharit | 7:00/8:00/9:00 AM | | Latest Shema | 8:21 AM | | Sephardic Minyan | 8:45 AM | | Latest Shacharit | 9:51 AM | | Bob's Basics | 10:00 AM | | Shiur | 10:30 AM | | Post-Kiddush Conversation | 12:00 PM | | Mothers and Daughters Beit Midrash | 5:30 PM | | Code Of Jewish Law | 6:50 PM | | Mincha | 7:40 PM | | Havdalah | 8:52 PM |
God Is Counting On You The small town was getting ready for a wedding feast and in anticipation everyone was asked to bring a bottle of wine to the banquet hall. There was a vat in the center and each person was expected to pour their wine into the large vessel. One fellow decided that rather than pour wine, he would pour a bottle of water. After all, he reasoned, who will notice that I brought water. The remainder of the container would be filled with wine and his water would be negligible. The next fellow was just as smart and he also poured in a bottle of water for, after all, nobody would notice his water. The day of the wedding arrived. After the ceremony was complete and the guests made their way into the hall, the wine container was rolled into the center of the feast. One by one, the guests placed their cups underneath the vat and all that came out was water. Needless to say, the bride and groom were mortified. Each person assumed someone else would contribute the wine and their lack of contribution, their water, would not be noticed. They made the selfish calculation that what they did personally would not matter in the grand scheme of things. They figured someone else would make the contribution that counted. They failed to realize that each person is needed for the celebration. Each person bears a gift worth counting. This parable embodies one of the prime messages of the opening of Bamidbar and its proximity to Shavuot. We always read this Parsha and the counting of the Jewish people prior to the holidays celebrating the receiving of the Torah. Why the juxtaposition? What is the connection? One answer emerges from the first Rashi in the book of Bamidbar. Rashi is troubled why God needs to count the people if He is omniscient. Rashi answers that God counts the people not for His knowledge but for our knowledge. He wants us to realize that we are each significant in His eyes. Tellingly, Rashi adds that God counts us "every hour." He is alluding to the mishna in Ethics of our Fathers, Chapter 4 Mishna 3 that states that there is no man who does not have his hour. Never discount the capacity of any human being, ourselves included, to make a difference and be counted. In the spirit of Shavuot, God is counting on us to embrace the Torah anew this holiday. God does not limit his end of life question, "Did you set aside time for Torah study?" to Rabbis, teachers or scholars. He asks everyone. It could be as little as one minute. What will be your commitment this Shavuot? What Torah will you choose to learn on a daily basis? God is counting on YOU. Wishing you and your families a Shabbat Shalom and early Chag Sameach, Rabbi Daniel Cohen |
Shabbat Information
- Day 44 of the Omer. To learn more about Sefiras HaOmer, see here.
- Learn about the Shabbat Torah Reading for Parshat Bamidbar with the insights of of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks z"l - click here
- Read Rabbi Kurtz's weekly halachic essays on the parsha here.
- The Haftorah is read from Machar Chodesh - the special Haftorah for a Shabbat whose morrow is Rosh Chodesh. (Samuel I 20:18-42)
- Haftarah summary by Chabad.org - click here
- Haftarah summary by Haftarah Helper - click here
- We bless the month of Sivan. Rosh Chodesh is observed from Saturday night through Sunday.
- Molad for Sivan: Saturday, May 20, 2:52 AM and 14 Chalokim
- We DO recite Av HaRachamim, however we omit Tzidkasecha at Mincha.
- Halachic Note: We do not say Tachanun from Rosh Chodesh Sivan until after the 12th of Sivan. We also do not recite Kel Malei and the series of Yehi Ratzons after Torah reading on those days when we do not say Tachanun. Lamnatzeiach and Kel Erech Apayim are said during this period (except on Rosh Chodesh).
- This Shabbat, we study Chapter Six of Pirkei Avot.
- Shavuot will be this coming Thursday evening through Shabbat. Please see our Shavuot schedule for more information.
- Would you like to read the Torah or Haftara for your bar mitzvah parsha? Let us know by clicking here.
Parsha Icebreakers (Courtesy of Elisheva and Yaakov Moshe Shmidman) - What is the hottest place you have ever been (Bamidbar)?
- What is a special quality about your family (l'mishpichosam l'bais avosam)?
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You are cordially invited to a Hachnasat Sefer Torah - Tuesday, May 23, 2023 at 7:30PM at the Armon Hotel, Stamford, CT. As the completion of the writing of a Torah will be celebrated with music and dancing In memory of Tova Feldstein ע"ה טובה גיטל בת מיכאל גרשון ושרון - The Torah will be presented to the Feldstein family by friends and associates of Sharon Feldstein from the Armon Hotel. Seudat Mitzvah (festive meal) to follow the ceremony. No RSVP required
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Shabbat Topics & Participants |
| Bob's Basics | Bob Abrams | | Shiur | Rabbi Moshe Kurtz | | Sanctuary Sermon | Rivka Alter: Torat Chesed - The Role and Relevance of a Yoetzet | | Post-Kiddush Conversation | Rivka Alter: Cultivating Soulful Relationships in Marriage and Beyond | | Mothers and Daughters Beit Midrash | Rivka Alter: Gossip and Self Introspection | | Code of Jewish Law | Ari Lieberman | | Seudat Shlishit | Rivka Alter: A Day in the Life of a Yoetzet |
- to Rivka & Rabbi Daniel Alter, who are visiting this Shabbat. Rivka - our Steinmetz, Bernstein, Alexander Yoeztet Halacha - is the guest speaker this Shabbat.
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- to Heidi & Evan Bernstein on Elan's upcoming Bar Mitzvah this Sunday, Rosh Chodesh Sivan!
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- to Neil & Deborah Metviner who are celebrating Aaron's aufruf this Shabbat in celebration of his upcoming marriage to Amanda Mondre, daughter of Mila and Dr. Steven Mondre!
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- to Elissa & Dr. Philip Klapper on the engagement of their daughter Hannah to Elie Lehmann, son of Rabbi Daniel & Dr. Lisa Lehmann of Newton, Massachusetts!
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- to Adrienne & Michael Alexander on the arrival of a granddaughter, Ayelet Rachel!
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- to Mimi Cohen, Rhoda & Avi Freedberg and the Bradley, Fischel, Gradman, Katz, Sperber, Speter, Tobin, Yasgur and Zizmor Mitzvah Match Families! We are proud of your affiliation with Agudath Sholom and inspired by your selfless dedication to the mission of Schoke JFS and igniting mitzvot across our community!
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Celebrate with the family! Make a donation in their honor and we will send an acknowledgement to the family. Just click here- to the family of Lois Grace Kolodny
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- We are grateful to Andrew of Carvel on Long Ridge for sponsoring the Shavuot evening's ice cream treats.
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- to Beldotti's Bakery for their partnership in hosting a Meet and Greet Cheesecake tasting on Friday
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- to Bruce Newman for donating sephorim to the Faye and Ben Manger Beit Midrash
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- to our CSS Volunteers this Shabbat - Margie Abrams, Adam Breiner and Jesse Salver
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- Senior Challah Deliveries: Rosalyn Novick Sherman in memory of her parents, Lillian & Harold Novick
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- Sanctuary Flowers: Heidi & Evan Bernstein in celebration of Elan's Bar Mitzvah
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- Chapel Kiddush: In memory of Dr. Howard Berg, Marlene Lilienfeld, Murray Niedober and Judge Arnold Price by the Berg, Frenkel, and Niedober Families
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- Sanctuary Kiddush: In honor of Shabbat happy Hour Opening Weekend bySeth Bettan, David Coleman, Dan Faizakoff, Ethan Green, David Lasher, Jason Lewis, Bradley Lowenstein, Sam Maryles, Yoni Miller, Yonnie Rubinfeld, Jason Saibel, Seth Tobin and Simeon Wohlberg
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Graduation Kiddush
Shabbat, May 27 | | Join the CAS Graduation Celebration!If you have a graduate in your family (preschool, elementary school, middle school, high school, college or graduate school), we will publish his/her name and the level from which he or she is graduating.Celebrate the graduates with a festive kiddush on the second day of Shavuot in honor of the graduates.
Thanks to our Graduation Kiddush sponsors on the second day of Shavuot |
Rachel & Nimrod Dayan
Beth & David Held | Shana & Robert Yakubovich |
Meredith & David Cohen
Ziona & Elie Doft
Jessica & Levi Dulitz
Kayla & Leon Hanna | Rhonda Schaffer-Maron & Jeffrey Maron
Rena & Tzvi Schwartz
Rachel Seligson
Amy & Sam Sroka |
| Bnos Aliya | | Jennifer Schwartz |
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| Bi-Cultural Hebrew Academy | Eden Cohen
Kira Doft | Ella Dulitz
Joshua Schwartz |
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| | Westchester Day School | | AJ Dayan |
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| | Stamford High School | | Allison Yakubovich |
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| Rutgers University-Business School | | Yaakov Held |
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| | University of Chicago | | Ethan Lichtenberg |
| Columbia University -- School of Engineering | | Jonathan Maron | Daniel Seligson |
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| Hofstra University - School of Accounting | | Daniel Hanna |
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Scholar in Residence Weekend with Rivka Alter |
Shabbat, May 20 - 11:00 AM |
| Womens Shabbat Pirkei Avot Gathering |
| | Spring Scholar Series with Dr. Chaya Sima Koenigsberg |
Wednesday, May 24 - 8:15 PM |
| Youth Shavuot Night Learning |
| Shavuot Schedule for All Ages |
Thursday, May 25 - 11:30 PM |
| Middle School Shavuot Scavenger Hunt |
| CAS Youth Torah Minute To Win It |
| Shavuot Ice Cream Bar & Aseret Hadibrot |
| Shavuot Scholar in Residence Program with Rabbi Shlomo Zuckier |
Friday, May 26 - 11:45 PM |
| Shabbat, May 27 - 12:00 PM |
| Post Kiddush Conversation with Alex Traiman |
Shabbat, June 3 - 12:00 PM |
| The Essential Guide to Purchasing Real Estate in Israel |
| | Donate Seforim to the Beit Midrash |
| Sunday, June 18 - 9:00 AM |
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Shavuot Scholar in Residence Sponsorship Opportunities Thursday, May 25 We are blessed to host Rabbi Shlomo Zuckier as our guest for Shavuot. His speaking line up is below. If you would like to sponsor a lecture in memory or in honor of someone, please contact Rabbi Cohen ($360 per shiur - up to 2 per shiur). Tikkun Leil - Shavuot Night: When Was the Torah Given and When Should We Celebrate Shavuot? (First Slot) and The Lishem Yichud Controversy: Do Mitzvot Require Preparation? (Second Slot). Derasha (Day 1): Why the Torah was Given to Mere Mortals. Mincha/Ma'ariv: The Book of Naomi - A New Perspective on Megillat Rut (Day 1, between mincha and maariv) and What Does the Divine Image Look Like? Exploring Interpretations of Tzelem Elokim (Day 2, between mincha and maariv) |
- Volunteers Needed to Help the Men's Club in the Garden This Sunday from 4-5 pm - The CAS Men's Club is looking for volunteers to help clean up and plant the CAS garden. The produce will be donated to the kosher food bank. This is a wonderful tzeduka opportunity for all ages to hopefully provide fresh produce for the Freedberg food bank. Picking and weeding opportunities as the summer progresses.
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- Save Shabbat June 3rd for Special Events
- Youth Led Shabbat Morning Service in the Sanctuary
- Rabbi Daniel Cohen "Reflections on our Morocco Journey"
- Post Kiddush Conversation Alex Traiman - CEO and Jerusalem Bureau Chief JNS - "Democracy Debacle and Demographics: Is Israel Imploding or Reloading?"
- Seudah Shlishit Reflections by David Cohen "Reflections on Aliyah and What You May Not Know about the Current State of Affairs in Israel"
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- Save the Date - Stand with Israel Stand with Israel and the Israel Day Parade - Sunday, June 4th in NYC. Israel @ 75: Renewing the Hope. The JCRC-NY Celebrate Israel Parade is unquestionably the world's largest expression of solidarity with the Jewish state. To learn more, visit https://celebrateisraelny.org/parade/2023-parade-theme/ and more details in the weeks ahead.
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- Baby Boomers 50s and Older We are forming a new committee to plan social events for people over the age of 50. If you are interested in this initiative, please contact Bruce Newman (bruce.newman8@gmail.com, Judy Cahn judithcahn@gmail.com or Rabbi Cohen in the weeks ahead.
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- Make it a Holy Habit! Rather than wait for a Food Drive, make it a habit each week when shopping for Shabbos to purchase food for the Freedberg Kosher Food Pantry.Imagine what an impact it would make if every week, on our shopping list, each one of us consistently added just one item from this list. You can drop off food at JFS or CAS. Or make a donation to JFS here https://www.ctjfs.org/kosherfoodpantry/. Thank you in advance for your kindness and generosity. Together, each contribution will make a real difference in people's lives.
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- Making Mitzvah Moments - Challah Deliveries For over 3 years, we have been delivering Challot on Fridays to Seniors in our community. Thank you to all of the volunteers! It is about not only the Challah but the friendship. If you would like to sponsor the effort weekly, click here and/or for a month or more please email Rabbi Cohen.
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- Shacharit Sunday: 7:00/8:30 AM; Monday-Thursday: 6:30/7:30 AM; Friday: 9:00 AM
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- Mincha Sunday-Wednesday: 8:00 PM; Thursday: 8:01 PM; Friday: 7:20 PM
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- Candle Lighting Thursday: 7:56 PM; Friday: 7:57 PM
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Join one of our CAS classes.
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We Wish A Speedy Recovery To |
- Kosher News: Pureganic in Harrison in a kosher dairy and gluten free restaurant under the supervision of Rabbi Shmuel Greenberg of the Young Israel of White Plains. https://www.pureganic-cafe.com/. It is dairy and gluten free which could be very helpful for some people. And, while not cheap, it was pretty good. - Kosher News
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- An Evening with Schoke JFS Sunday, May 21st, 5:30 PM. Schoke Jewish Family Service invites you to its annual gala, An Evening with Schoke JFS – Feeding the Community at the Italian Center of Stamford, 1620 Newfield Avenue, in an outdoor tented pavilion. Mimi Cohen and Rhoda & Avram Freedberg are the recipients of the 43rd Annual Mitzvah Award, United Jewish Federation of Stamford, New Canaan, and Darien and Jewish Federation of Greater Fairfield County are recipients of the Community Service Award, and the Mitzvah Match Families including the Bradley, Fischel, Gradman, Katz, Sperber, Speter, Tobin, Yasgur, and Zizmor families are recipients of the Volunteer of the Year Award. The evening's events will be hosted by the weather anchor for NBC 4 New York, David Price. The event is co-chaired by Connie Freeman and Jillian Klaff with Jeri Appel as auction chair and Meryl Japha, Liz Kitay, and Ronnie Sichel serving as advisors. General tickets include dinner and dessert for $250, purchase your ticket at www.ctjfs.org. Contact Lisa Rich at 203-921-4161 or lrich@ctjfs.org to place a journal.
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- Go the Extra Smile! Please donate & participate in The Friendship Day & Walk May 21, 2023 this Hakel Year from 12:30-2:30. Come for a free family fun day as we walk hand in hand and smile to smile in support of families of individuals with special needs. There will be entertainment, delicious food, and more. Go to www.FriendshipDayCT.com to sign up!
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- Schoke JFS is Here to Support You - Learn more about Our Ongoing Support Groups Bereavement Support Group available at Schoke Jewish Family Service, for more information please contact, Rebekah Kanefsky, Interim Director of Clinical and Family Life Services at rkanefsky@ctjfs.org or 203-921-4161.
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