| Congregation Agudath Sholom
Shabbat Bulletin |
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| | Yitro | | February 15, 2025 | 17 Sh'vat 5785 |
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| | Friday | | | Candle Lighting | 5:09 PM | | Mincha | 5:14 PM | | Shabbat | | | Shacharit | 7:00/8:00/9:00 AM | | Coffee & Commentary | 8:40 AM | | Sephardic Minyan | 8:45 AM | | Latest Shema | 8:47 AM | | Melachim Class | 9:00 AM | | Latest Shacharit | 9:54 AM | | Family Minyan | 10:00 AM | | Bob's Basics | 10:00 AM | | Shiur | 10:30 AM | | Mincha Gedola | 12:38 PM | | Code Of Jewish Law | 4:15 PM | | Mincha | 5:05 PM | | Havdalah | 6:11 PM |
The Timeless Preamble to the Revelation at Sinai We all know the preamble to the United States Constitution beginning with the words, "We the people of the United States in order to form a more perfect union." The introduction of our country's founding principles sets the tone to the guiding vision of our nation. What is the preamble to the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai? The Torah offers laws for building a just and righteous society, but what is the overall mission? Understanding the vision serves as a motivator and source of inspiration. The mitzvot are tools for us to realize our sacred mission. The preamble to the revelation is God's call to us, "You should be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." What does that mean? What is the nature of our eternal mission? Many years ago, my father shared with me the words of Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein upon his receipt of an honor in 1986 at the Yeshiva University Rabbinic Alumni Convention. His insights resonate within me deeply and inspire me every day. Rabbi Lichtenstein said, "We should have a sense of ourselves as messengers. I see myself as a survivor. I am the only surviving grandson of a paternal grandfather who had eleven children. Today I see myself as a shaliach l'kabalah, a receiver of past messages. I accept this award on behalf of my parents, my rabbeim -Rav Hutner, Rav Shatkes, the Rav, Rav Aharon Soloveitchik - on behalf of my wife, my children, my friends and students, all who provide the infrastructure so that I can devote myself to Torah. 'What is mine is yours.' I am also a shaliach l'holacha, a messenger going forward. This honor is a mantle and a mandate to transmit, to transfer, to hand over in an immediate sense to my children, boys and girls, to my non-biological children as well, my talmidim, to receive and to transmit, which is the essence of Torah. I want to impart what I have absorbed from my home, my teachers, to others. I want to give students a sense of how meaningful it is to learn an hour of Torah, to do an act of chesed. I live within time, but I also live within eternity. Each act has ultimate significance beyond the here and now." Each of us is invested from time immemorial as receivers of past messages and bearers of messages going forward. God willing, we will rise to the occasion and be the bridge from one generation to the next. This is our sacred and awesome task. This Shabbat it is fitting to host Hailey Stern from Stand with Us. Our commitment to Israel bridges generations. As one of David Ben Gurion's advisors shared when explaining to the Prime Minister with whom he consulted when offering guidance for Israel, he stated - "I consulted my grandfather who is no longer living and my grandchild who is not yet born." May God bless us to reinvest in this transcendent purpose and with renewed vigor and vision each and every day of our lives. Wishing you and your families a Shabbat Shalom and God willing good news from Israel, Rabbi Daniel Cohen |
Shabbat Information - Learn about the Shabbat Torah Reading for Parshat Yitro with the insights of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks z"l - click here
- The Haftarah is read from Isaiah 6:1–13
- Haftarah summary by Chabad.org - click here.
- Haftarah summary by Haftarah Helper - click here.
- Would you like to read the Torah or Haftara for your bar mitzvah parsha? Let us know click here
Shabbat Icebreakers (courtesy of Yaakov Moshe and Elisheva Shmidman) - What is a good piece of advice you have learnt from a parent or in law (Yisro gives Moshe advice)?
- What is the most precious gift you have been given (Hashem gives the Jewish people the Torah)?
- What is an important rule that you have for yourself (the Ten Commandments)?
Parsha Would You Rather?- Would you rather have the best mentor in the world who is very intimidating or a lesser mentor who is still good and more personable (The Jewish people ask for Moshe to speak to them instead of Hashem because they are scared)?
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Prayers for Hostages - We Pray for the Immediate Rescue and Release
"Acheinu kol Bais Yisrael – Our brethren, the entire Jewish People"
"Hanesunim bitzara u'bishivya – who are delivered into confinement and captivity"
"Ha'omdim bein bayam u'vein bayabasha – whether they be on the sea or dry land"
"HaMakom yiracheim aleihem viyotzi'eim mitzara li'rvacha – May the Omnipresent have mercy on them and remove them from distress to relief"
"U'mei'afela li'ora – and from darkness to light"
"U'mishibud lig'ula – and from subjugation to redemption"
"Hashta b'agala u'viz'man kariv – now, speedily, and close at hand"
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UPDATE FROM THE ASSISTANT RABBI SEARCH COMMITTEE We are excited to welcome Rabbi Aryeh Roberts to CAS next Shabbos, February 21-22. Congregants will have a chance to meet Rabbi Roberts and hear him speak multiple times during his visit. Please look for a follow-up email in the coming days for more information. We look forward to having you get to know Rabbi Roberts and show him what a warm, welcoming community we have here at CAS.
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Shabbat Topics & Participants |
| Coffee & Commentary | Rabbi Daniel Cohen | | Melachim Class | Mark Wagshul | | Bob's Basics | Rabbi Bob Abrams | | Shiur | Rabbi Moshe Kurtz: R. Moshe Feinstein on Military, Merit and the Second Amendment | | Sanctuary Speech (11:00 am) | Hailey Stern of StandWithUs | | Code of Jewish Law | Rabbi Yossi Kamman | | Seudah Shlishit | Hailey Stern of StandWithUs |
- We welcome Hailey Stern, Midwest High School Regional Manager for StandWithUs, as our guest speaker this Shabbat!
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- to Dani & Michael Levine on the birth of a baby girl! Mazal Tov to siblings Julia and Nate!
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- to Rachel & Richard z"l Seligson on the engagement of their son Daniel to Bracha Weinberger, daughter of Tal & Josh Weinberger of Bala Cynwyd, PA!
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- to Sharon & Simeon Wohlberg on the engagement of their son Josh to Shira Borochov, daughter of Devora & Ronen Borochov of Cedarhurst, Long Island!
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- to Marguerite & Kenny Neuhaus on the forthcoming marriage of Remy to Noa Friedman!
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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- Senior Challah Deliveries: Tamar Lilienthal and Tzvi Merczynski-Hait in commemoration of the seventh anniversary of the shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and in memory of the students and teachers who lost their lives
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- Chapel Kiddush: Co-sponsored by Richard & Jodi Boxer in memory of Hedda Boxer and by Nicole & Jack Jacob for Zachy and Evan's birthdays and Mike & Debbie Berg in commemoration of the anniversary of Mike's bar mitzvah and the yahrzeit of Debbie's father, Howard Lilienfeld, OBM
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- Sephardic Kiddush: Ariel Yusupov in honor of his wife Masha's 30th birthday
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- Sanctuary Kiddush: Co-sponsored by StandWithUs in honor of Hailey Stern and Agudath Sholom's dedication to Israel Advocacy; Lori & Raph Gilbert in commemoration of the yahrzeit of Raph's father, Dr. Edward Gilbert/Yitzchak ben Moshe z"l; and Lorraine & David Kweskin in memory of Minerva Kweskin z"l and Lillian Kalmer z"l
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- Seudah Shlishit: Riva Alper and the Bierman/Wallis family commemorating the yahrzeit of Riva's father and Sarah's grandfather, Bezalel Alper
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| CAS ANNUAL DINNER
March 23, 5pm One People, One Heart Celebrate our honorees for their Dedication and commitment to our community...
Guests of Honor
Maria & Glenn Reicin
Young Leadership Award
Shushannah & Ari Yasgur
Community Service Award
Aviva Ephraim Maller
Chai Award
Lorraine & David Kweskin |
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StandWithUs Shabbat with Hailey Stern |
| CAS Youth Presidents Day Camp |
Monday, February 17 - 10:00 AM |
| New and Prospective Member Bagel Brunch |
Sunday, February 23 - 10:00 AM |
| Little Lights Parent and Me Playtime |
Sunday, February 23 - 10:00 AM |
| Sunday, February 23 - 8:00 PM |
| Agudath Sholom Kesher (ASK) |
Monday, February 24 - 5:45 PM |
| Ritual Renewal: Exploring the Past and Present of Mikvah Practices |
Wednesday, February 26 - 8:00 PM |
| Agudath Womens Speaker Series - |
Tuesday, March 4 - 2:00 PM |
| Shabbat Dinner with Shaina Trapedo |
Friday, March 7 - 6:45 PM |
| Scholar in Residence Weekend with Shaina Trapedo |
| Jr Cong Pajama Party & Movie Night |
Shabbat, March 8 - 8:00 PM |
| Israel Teen Fellowship for 10th & 11th Graders |
| CAS Youth Fundraiser - Mishloach Manot |
| Jewish Heritage Trip through Italy |
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Literature at Lunch Roundtable led by Dr. Richard Schwartz Wednesday, February 19 - 12:00 PM community is invited to join our discussions as we transition to The Prophet written by Russian poet, playwright, novelist and historian Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837). He is credited with developing Russian Literature. We will parse the verse and connect the dots to the sixth Chapter of Isiah. Lunch from Restaurant 613 is provided by your host. If you plan to attend in person or have any questions, please contact meat rj@richardjschwartz.com Zoom meeting ID 8784487429 Passcode 868450 | Save the Date! February 28/March 1: We welcome our Chazan Duvie Shapiro from Israel who will be leading Kaballat Shabbat on Friday night, and Shacharit and Musaf on Shabbat morning.
March 22: Shabbat Scholar-in-Residence Weekend with Zissy Turner |
In Parshat Yitro, we read about the amazing moment when the Jewish people received the Torah at Mount Sinai. After they left Egypt, they traveled to the desert, where they camped at the base of Mount Sinai. This was when G-d gave the Ten Commandments, which are the foundation of all the laws we follow today.
Yitro, Moshe's father-in-law, heard about all the great things that G-d had done for the Jewish people, like splitting the Red (ahem… Reed) Sea and helping them win battles. He came to visit and brought Moshe's wife and children with him. When Yitro saw how Moshe was trying to help everyone on his own, he gave Moshe wise advice to delegate and set up a system of judges to help him. This lesson teaches us the importance of teamwork and listening to others' advice.
But the most exciting part of this Parsha is when the Jewish people agreed to accept the Torah. In Shemot 19:8, the people say, "All that G-d has spoken, we will do." This shows how the Jewish people were ready to follow G-d's commandments with their whole hearts, without hesitation.
Rashi explains that when the Jewish people said "Na'aseh v'nishma" (we will do and we will listen), they were not only agreeing to follow the commandments, but they were also showing their complete trust in G-d. They promised to do whatever Hashem asked, even if they didn't fully understand why at the time.
For fun and experiential learning, we will reenact the giving of the Torah at Har Sinai with snacks shaped like the mountain and tablets.
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Questions for Your Shabbat Table: - Why do you think Yitro wanted to come to Moshe after hearing about the miracles?
- What do we learn from the fact that Moshe accepted Yitro's advice?
- Can you think of a time when listening to someone's advice helped you?
- How can we make sure we don't just hear important lessons, but actually act on them?
- Why do you think Hashem wanted Moshe to have help in leading Bnei Yisrael?
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- Lost Item Dark brown leather, zippered glasses case, including my distance glasses. Please notify ronsichel@aol.com
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- Message from CAS President Harvey Kaminski Helene and I will be in Florida for most of the remaining winter, returning home intermittently. In any case, I will be carrying on my duties as president while away and am always reachable by telephone (914) 589-1751 or via email; president@cas.stamford.org. Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns or just want to say hello.
Hope to see everybody soon.
Harvey Kaminski, CAS President
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- Registration for 2025 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 4/27. Please sign up on www.fccjbl.org. Please reach out to info@fccjbl.org with any questions.
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- Nili Steinberg's Bat Mitzvah Project For my bat mitzvah project, I have chosen to raise funds to provide therapy dogs for Israeli soldiers that need additional assistance. Please consider making a donation to not only help our soldiers struggling with PTSD, but also to give these dogs a purpose and a loving home. Click here
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- Israel Advocacy - Sign up for Pens and Swords This group shares links to petitions and information about how everyone can contact political figures and businesses to advocate on behalf of Israel. Most of these actions take under a minute to complete and they keep pressure on policymakers to support Israel and/or drop actions that are detrimental. Please share the link for this group with as many supporters of Israel and the Jewish people as possible. click here
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- Shacharit Sunday: 7:15/8:30 AM; Monday-Friday: 6:30/7:30 AM
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- Mincha Sunday-Thursday: 5:20 PM; Friday: 5:23 PM
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- Candle Lighting Friday: 5:18 PM
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- Monday President's Day - Office Closed
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We Wish A Speedy Recovery To |
- Tzvi Zev Yosef ben Chana Shulamit
- Raanan Noach ben Slova
- yosef ishai ben miriam
- Sheina Feiga bat Rivka
- Hershel Wolf ben Brucha
- Rema bat Etta
- Ahron Dovid ben Esther Bayla
- Freidel bat Esther
- Leeba Minna bat Rivka
- Pesach Melech ben Basha
- Chaya Shoshana bat Yehudit
- Nira bat Rachel
- Sara bat Nira
| - Chana Leah bat Esther
- Nadav Ephraim ben Shlomit Leah
- Ariella Maor bat Liba Chaya
- Leah bat Rivka
- Adeline bat Bat Chava
- Moisha Gedalia
- Nechemiah
- Dorit bat Ora
- Yospa bat Shana Menucha
- Mary
- Miriam Rut bat Chana
- Chaya bat Liba
- Moshe Yitzak ben Raisel Crendel
| - Miriam bat Devorah
- אסתר רחל bat רייזל ביילה
- Chaya Rachel bat Carmi Adina
- Penina bat Batya
- Sarah Rochfl bat Paya Etel
- Dov ben Pnina
- Nehama Miriam bat Dvora
- Moshe Gavriel ben Rachel Esther
- Cheryl Sheva bat Gittel Leah
- Sossie Raizel bat Sarah Fraida
- Eliezer Meyer ben Leah
- Calev Natanel ben Sara
- Yitzchak Osher ben Chana Shayva Chaya
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- Ariel Y
- Shani Y
- Tali Y
- Harry B
- Zevi M
- Joreh M
| - Ayden M
- Nathan H
- Noam H
- Yehudit
- Sally K
- Oren L
| - Nathan L
- Jeremy S
- Yehudit S
- Meni N
- Yaniv H
- Rachel W
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- Application Window for the Lilly Reiser Scholarship Now Open United Jewish Federation of Stamford, New Canaan, and Darien (UJF) invites any current 12th graders or college-aged students to apply for a $10,000 college scholarship (renewable for up to 4 consecutive years). The student must be attending an accredited US-based college or graduate school at the start of the 2025-2026 academic year to be eligible. Awards will be based on both financial need and merit. The winning applicants will demonstrate the potential to live up to Lilly Reiser's example, as a person who overcame significant hardship, prized education, and became a responsible and productive citizen. To apply, please visit www.ujf.org/LillyReiser. For more information please visit www.ujf.org/LillyReiserScholarship.
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- Reminder: Aaron's Place, on the ground floor of Stamford Hospital provides kosher snacks, drinks and meals, in a comfortable environment. If you are caring for a hospitalized loved one or waiting for tests, this comfort room is a place to regroup and refresh. Information is available at the hospital front desk , The code, in Hebrew letters, is on the door of the room.
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- Check out and Visit the YU Seforim Sale - On Now! Known as the largest Jewish book sale in North America, The Seforim Sale was founded in 1964 to meet the needs of the greater Jewish community. Every year, about 15,000 customers come to browse our amazing selection of titles. The Sale is run by students, for students, and all of our profits go towards YU Student Life initiatives. The Seforim Sale is located at 2495 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10033. https://theseforimsale.com/
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