Shalom KJ - Israel Edition

contents 4

articles

35

gap year experiences

45

kjyd

50

Classes/events

56

community

60

Zmanim

November & December 2023

israel edition

fall issue • CHESHVAN & Kislev Volume XCV, Issue No 2

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IN THE DARKNESS

2

WE SHALL FIND LIGHT

INTRO

By Leonard Silverman

I am the cavorting Old City children in Shabbat whites.

I am the hurrying Machane Yehudah shoppers.

I am the lounging Tel Aviv beachgoers.

I am the studying Bet Midrash pious.

I am the bounding Golan hikers.

I am the harvesting Galil farmers.

I am the training Negev soldiers.

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I am nothing without Israel.

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Giving With a Broken Heart: Chesed as the Jewish Response to Tragedy By rabbi chaim steinmetz This is an edited transcript of the Leah Modlin Annual Lecture on Caring and Community Service, delivered on Shabbat morning, October 28th.

I want to share some insights from a trip that Rabbi Josh Lookstein and I took to Israel this past week. (October 23-27) There was one primary goal. To represent the Ramaz/KJ community and tell everyone in Israel how we are thinking of them, and there for them.

And the message in response, is how thankful Israelis are. One of the representatives of Ichilov Hospital wrote me after my visit there: Dear Rabbi Steinmetz, I am still floating from your visit. You gave us, all of us -staff and patients- comfort and strength in these very dark days. The fact that you came here, took the time to talk to people, and to offer solace that our sisters and brothers in America are with us, means so much to us.

Your brothers and sisters in Israel send you their love.

They thank you for your help.

But I would like to offer a short report of my own.

And that's where it gets difficult. Because the situation is even worse than you can imagine. I say this as an inveterate optimist, so I hope you will take what I am saying seriously.

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We went to see several of our community alumni, including Max Koffler, Eli Magid, and Yair Moses (Danielle Reisman’s husband), who are reservists serving in the army once again. During our visits, it was apparent that the army was still hard at work getting itself ready, and not as prepared as it would like to be. This is what happens when you engage in the largest mobilization in your country's history; it becomes an enormous logistical challenge.

And for Israel, these are challenging times.

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There is a great deal of worry about the rockets that both Hamas and Hezbollah possess. When catching my return flight, I had to rush into a shelter in the airport during a rocket attack. When we were flying back from Eilat to Ben Gurion Airport, the pilot gave a short announcement about what would happen if there were sirens during landing.

Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv has an underground facility with 700 beds, which can function as a hospital inside a bomb shelter. The underground parking lot was designed to be easily transformed into a hospital if need be.

Now, for the first time since it was built 11 years ago, this underground hospital is being used. Ichilov doesn’t have enough shelter space in some of their buildings, and so they have moved several units into the underground hospital.

We also spent a lot of time meeting with evacuees. There are over 200,000 right now, from near the borders on both the North and the South. The hotel we stayed in, which in ordinary times is a five-star hotel in Tel Aviv, is now a temporary home for hundreds of people from Sderot, thanks to the generosity of the owners.

The hospitality Israel is showing to the evacuees is heartwarming. But even so, tens of thousands of people who have fled their homes have no idea when they will be able to return.

In Eilat, we met with some of the displaced people from Kibbutz Nirim. Eilat, which is a city of 60,000 people, is now contending with 70,000 evacuees.

Kibbutz Nirim is in better shape relative to the neighboring Kibbutzim. Their losses were five dead and four kidnapped.

But the trauma experienced is enormous. So much so, that the psychologist who came to serve the people from Kibbutz Nirim needed a psychologist of her own, because she had secondhand trauma from the therapy sessions.

We met with two women whose husbands protected their families by killing terrorists who had entered their homes. One of them, Lilach, explained to us that her two daughters, aged 2 and 6, were hidden under a blanket while they waited in an eerie quiet for the army to liberate them.

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Now, her daughters cannot tolerate quiet. They associate silence with danger. Sleeping at night is hell for them.

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All of these people need an enormous amount of psychological help.

And that is not easy to find in a place like Eilat which has doubled in size overnight.

In Ichilov, I spoke with Dr. Renana Eitan, the head of psychiatry. (She is the sister of Azi Schwartz, the Cantor at Park Avenue Synagogue.) Dr. Eitan has been working day and night. She said that when her brother came to visit her, it was the first time she had left her office in 3 days.

She showed me a picture that had been taken during a therapy session with a seven-year-old from one of the Kibbutzim.

The method of therapy used employs toys to allow the child to express their feelings; so the therapist gave the child a doll's house and asked her to portray her family.

What did the child do? She placed the dolls on the floor as if they were dead bodies, and arranged the furniture on their sides as if it had been knocked over in an attack. It was a frighteningly realistic picture of what many Kibbutz homes looked like after the massacre.

As Dr. Eitan put it to me, "There is no psychiatry textbook for situations like this."

That is why I am saying that the situation is worse than you imagine. Because it is.

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et at the same time, people are living their lives.

There are still smiles. Some of the people who've experienced profound loss are still able to find a way to laugh. And they do so, even if they are conflicted with guilt.

In the end, they decided to go forward and made the wedding. Rav Doron said he decided he had to split his mind; to put the pain and worry to one side, and turn to celebration. And that is what the Perez family did. They celebrated and danced.

But everyone is wounded. Everyone is hurting.

I asked Rav Doron how he was able to do this. His answer to me was very straightforward. The Torah says ‫ובחרת בחיים‬ - one must choose life. And as he pointed out to me, it is our enemies that glorify death. We must glorify life.

Jews have a playbook for what to do in times of catastrophe. Even in the worst of times, we find a way to give each other chizuk, strength.

And that was the question I asked the people I met: how are you finding the strength to cope with what is happening?

We went to visit with Rav Doron Perez, Executive Chairman of World Mizrachi. On the first day of the war, two of his sons were engaged in battle. Yonatan, who heroically saved 20 soldiers in a long gun battle, ended up being shot in the leg. The other, Daniel, who is a tank commander, is now presumed to be in the hands of Hamas.

Yonatan made a rapid recovery. But then there was a question. Yonatan was engaged to be married the week after the war began. Could they go ahead and make the wedding right after Daniel was kidnapped by Hamas?

This is not easy to do. He said he doesn't know how his family was able to get through the wedding. But they did because they felt a sense of responsibility to build Jewish life and build a Jewish future.

This is what Jews have done for generations. I have a friend in Montreal who was the only survivor from his family. As a teenager, he hid in the woods and survived because he was both resourceful and lucky.

He would say to me that the first thing he wanted to do once he was liberated was to build a family of his own.

And so he did; he and his wife were blessed with children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

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But another path to chizuk is to give.

Kindness is the Jewish superpower. Sarah and Avraham are renowned for their kindness; and the Talmud states (Yevamot 78a) that being merciful and kind are the defining characteristics of Jewish identity.

Everywhere on this trip we were surrounded by kindness. Actually, even before we got on the plane.

Rabbi Josh Lookstein and I took 16 large duffel bags to Israel, stuffed with muchneeded supplies for soldiers, and much-needed goods for those who have been displaced.

We did get stuck at customs for an hour and a half. There are new rules about bringing in supplies; we needed to scramble to get the necessary letters at 6:00 in the morning Israel time and 11:00 at night New York time. Bureaucracies are bureaucracies.

I mention this not because it is a grand act of philanthropy; our community has given a great deal more than sixteen duffel bags to Israel in the last three weeks. But it was the symbolism of these bags that mattered most. We wanted the items our children had packed up here to be placed into the hands of Israelis there.

We wanted that direct connection.

True compassion arises when our hearts are completely connected; and that is what those sixteen bags were about.

In Israel, kindness is everywhere. Israelis are volunteering and donating as much as they can.

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We saw a Chamal, or, a command room, in Jerusalem, with Nicole Agus and Beverly Gribetz. This is a place where hundreds of volunteers come every day to take care of the needs of the 25,000 displaced people in Jerusalem. Without paying, they can take from the clothing, toys, food, baby goods, diapers, and other supplies that have been donated.

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It is a place where you can find psychological help, entertainment for your children, connections for housing, and a new doctor in case you don't have one. It is staffed every day by hundreds of volunteers, with an enormous amount of donations coming in.

In Tel Aviv, I went to a restaurant called Kitchen 94. Actually, it was a restaurant. But not now.

There I met Ariel Shay, who volunteers in this new makeshift catering center which provides meals for soldiers and the displaced. It makes as many as 15,000 meals a day, with the same quality meals the restaurant is known for.

But it’s not just the food; it’s the personal touch. On one table people were writing personal notes to put into each meal, with blessings for a good day, hope, and the like.

The funniest one I saw was from a young man, who wrote "I'm age 28, looking for a female soldier. If you are interested in meeting, this is my number."

In Eilat, we went to a distribution center that supplies displaced people with goods.

The place was enormous. About 150 people were picking up supplies for their families while we were there. I spoke for a while with Liat, a young mother of two children, who created and runs this center.

I asked her how she got the center started. She explained that on the second of the war, when evacuees began to stream into Eilat, she got together some donations of supplies for them.

Then something extraordinary happened. More and more people came to donate, and more and more people came to volunteer. Every day it grew. It moved from one facility to another, just to find enough room to accommodate everyone and everything.

Yes, kindness can be contagious. Everyone seems to be swept up in what my friend likes to call a baalagan of chesed, a tornado of kindness.

To live, and to give, are where we find chizuk. They can transform our soul, no matter how wounded we are.

But there is a third idea that gives us strength as well: to transcend.

Jews are wounded healers. The Kotzker Rebbe famously said that there is nothing so whole as a broken heart. This idea is already found in Psalms (34:19,) which says that “God is close to those with a broken heart”; the corollary being that those with a broken heart are in turn close to God, and can bring enormous moral beauty to this world.

The Talmud (Sanhedrin 98a) explains that Messiah himself is covered in bandages, a wounded healer looking to redeem the world.

On Thursday morning I went to Yeshivat Orot Shaul in Tel Aviv to visit an exceptional wounded healer.

The Rosh Yeshiva of Orot Shaul is Rav Tamir Granot.

He's a brilliant scholar who also has a Ph.D., which he wrote about the Hasidic response to the Holocaust.

Rav Granot's son, Amitai, died on the first day of battle.

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This was a blow to the entire Yeshiva as well. As another Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Itamar Eldar, explained, the young students in the Yeshiva didn't know how to grapple with their mentor's grieving and mourning. The entire Yeshiva gathered together several times to work through their collective grief.

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I asked Rav Granot how he grapples with this overwhelming tragedy of losing a son.

He mentioned three things that help him cope.

The first is writing. He tries to write all different thoughts down, all different ideas. This itself is a form of therapy, allowing him to express the ideas running through his mind.

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Some people are “wounded healers.” (Carl Jung coined this phrase, which was later the title of a book by the Dutch theologian Henri Nouwen.) It means that someone, who because of their own wounds, feels compelled to seek out others and help them.

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The second is by controlling his emotions.

He explained that he has many obligations, and if he allows the grief to overtake him, he will not be able to fulfill them.

Rav Granot gave the example of his niece's wedding, which took place the night after he got up from shiva; he officiated at the wedding.

This is what he did. First, he went to the side and had a good cry. Then he composed himself, and went into the wedding, drawing up all the joy that he could find inside his heart.

Mourners must mourn. But at times, they also have to put their grief aside in order to move forward with life.

But the third idea was particularly moving.

Rav Tamir said he is searching for meaning. Every day he searches for ways to bring more goodness to the world.

His particular focus has been on what he calls "the day after the war." He was profoundly disturbed by the divisions in Israeli society that manifested themselves in the months before the war. He's currently having meeting after meeting trying to find a way to bring people from various segments of Israeli society closer together.

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So he is running around the country speaking to leaders from different sectors. The previous day, he had just met with one prominent Hasidic Rebbe, and he was meeting with another prominent Rebbe the following week. He wants these Hasidic Rebbes to understand how important it is to be devoted to the totality of Israeli society. He is meeting with secular leaders, and offering them the very same message.

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This is exactly what a wounded healer does.

This is what chesed with a broken heart looks like.

These heroes are role models of how to live our lives at such a difficult time.

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ne final note.

On the first day, Rabbi Josh and I went to visit the students at various gap year Yeshivot in Israel.

I impressed upon each of them that they are in Israel during what is a difficult, but historic, time. And that they should be aware that what they do to support the country during these days will define who they are for a lifetime. They will be telling the stories of what happened this year to their children and grandchildren.

They have a front-row seat to the drama of Jewish History. And so do all of us.

What they will be able to tell their grandchildren is that this was a time when our hearts were broken, yet also a time when our souls got stronger. They can tell their children how people have been giving, and then coming back and giving again and again.

It is a time of incredible courage and exceptional chesed.

Personally, I am so proud to be a part of this community and everything we have done so far. If I may paraphrase Winston Churchill, in a thousand years,

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“the Jewish people will look back at this moment and say, This was their finest hour.”

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MAY THE FUTURE DEFINE OUR PAST By rabbi roy feldman

Society cares deeply about the past: we take photographs and post them on social media, build monuments, commemorate special days, and even name our children after ancestors. All of this is meaningless if it is merely academic; the point of remembering and documenting the past is the hope that it will influence our future. Indeed, past decisions and experiences have an outsized influence on how we view the world and how we experience our present and future.

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But Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik offered a wholly different perspective on the relationship between past and future. For Rav Soloveitchik, it is not the past that imparts meaning on the future. Instead, what we do in the future can change the meaning of the past. That is how teshuva works, according to the Rav. The strongest form of repentance is a self-creation in which one takes his previous sinful deeds and, through future acts, turns them into valuable deeds. Think, for example, of the ba’al teshuva who uses his own experience to help others. In Rav Soloveitchik’s words (from Halakhic Man): “The main principle of repentance is that the future dominate the past and there reign over it in unbounded fashion. Sin…can be transformed, under the guiding hand of the future, into a source of merit and good deeds, into love and fear of God.”

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The Rav applied the same idea to our experience of suffering. There are two dimensions to the experience of suffering. The first is the primary, raw experience, which he designated as fate. He wrote in Kol Dodi Dofek, “Evil is a fact that cannot be denied. There is evil in the world. There are suffering and agony, and death pangs. He who would deceive himself...by romanticizing life is but a fool and fabricator of illusions.” Judaism neither ignores our suffering and pain nor pretends they do not exist. We do not know the “reason” why people suffer: we just know we have suffered and will again in the future; such is our fate. The Jewish people are currently bound together by that shared fate; there is no escaping it.

But there is a second dimension that is open to us, destiny. “When the ‘Child of Destiny’ suffers, he says in his heart…What should the sufferer do to live with his suffering? … What does suffering obligate man to do?’” No one denies the truth and deep struggle and pain of suffering. But Judaism’s primary questions are the ethical ones: What shall we do with this suffering, now that we have experienced it? If we choose to answer this question, we move from fate to destiny.

Egyptian slavery was a great evil; following it, our ancestors used its experiences to establish our nation, our relationship with God, and inspire our ethical treatment of strangers. The destruction of the Temple and subsequent exile were catastrophic, but the rabbinic sages used the experience to develop religious practices and Torah study which have kept our people strong and together for close to two millennia. Following the greatest evil we have known in centuries, the Holocaust, the Jewish people profoundly understood that our task was to create and build up the modern State of Israel. In each instance, future actions changed the significance of the past.

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Evil and suffering are the greatest bitterness, but we must not waste our suffering.

And without a call to the future, remembering our history is meaningless. A monument is just a stone; a name is just an arbitrary combination of letters.

Allowing our future to take our past and reshape it is what gives our memories and our experiences value, depth, meaning, and hope.

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A few weeks ago, the head of the Yeshiva where I studied, Rav Tamir Granot, lost his son Amitai to an anti-tank missile from Lebanon. He was 24 years old and was just engaged to be married two weeks earlier. In his eulogy, Rav Granot first spoke to the wailing mother and to the bereaved fiancé. He then turned to everyone else, made clear that the war and his son’s death were caused only by the enemy, and added the following charge to make sure that in the future our memories are not wasted: In the days leading up to Simchat Torah, I was trying to make peace among the people of Israel. I dreamed of everyone dancing together – far left extremists, protestors, the far right, would all dance in joyous circles. But God took away our circles. Instead of dancing together in joy, we are together at funerals and in war.

Bnei Mitzvah Alex Resnick Mazal Tov to Elena and Jed Resnick upon the Bar Mitzvah of their

Welcome!

But hearson,me: not return to the way it was! We must not return Alex,we at themust Kotel HaDromi in the Jerusalem Archaeological Park on October 5, where Alex led Chol HaMoed Sukkot Shacharit and Torah reading. Alex also readdisputes!

Parashat VayeraDivision at Congregation Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun warmly to the path of divisions and and fragmentation weaken Kehilath Jeshurun on Shabbat morning, November 4. Alex is a welcomes the following new members seventh-grade student at the Ramaz Middle School. who joined the Congregation between the us; it provides an opportunity for our enemies. When we love, respect, printing of the last Bulletin, September, and and believe in each other, we can overcome our enemies. We mustwhich form this Bulletin, went to press on Nov 11: Oliver Charles Friedman Mazal Tov to Danielle Jason uponathe Bar Mitzvah of fate through war and a new covenant, oneand that isFriedman not just covenant of their son, Oliver Charles (Ilan Chaim), at Congregation Kehilath Dina and Joshua Androphy Jeshurun on Shabbat morning, November 18, at which time he will suffering, also a and covenant ofTorah. destiny a vision, then ourEisenkeit light will Brigitte and Matthew Horowitz readbut Parashat Toldot deliver a D’var Oliver is awith seventhgrade student at the Ramaz Middle School.

Zachary Helprin conquer the darkness without a doubt. My family and I have lost our Evelyn Intrator Benjamin Kantowitz personal battle, and now is a dark time of war, but I promise Lana you,andthat if Adina and Philip Wagman Jake Hoff Tal and Eliyahu we formMazal this covenant, be strong and no one can defeat us. Ziskind Tovnew to Rachel and Eliot Hoff we upon will the Bar Mitzvah of their

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son, Jake, at Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun on Shabbat morning, December 2, at which time he will read Parashat Vayishlach and deliver a D’var Torah. Jake is a seventh-grade student at SAR Middle School.

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ְ ‫ֵ​ֵא‬ ‫ְִׂשֹׂמֹ ַ​ַח �ּ​ְּב ׂ​ִׂש� ְ​ְמ ַ​ַחת ּ​ּת ֹ​ֹו ָ​ָרה‬ � ‫ׂשּׂוׂשׂ ְ​ְוִל‬ ּ ‫יְך ָ​ָל‬ ‫לּו ִּב�ּ ְ​ְמד ּ​ּו ָ​ָרה‬ ּ ‫ְ​ְו ַ​ַא ֵ​ֵחינ ּ​ּו ָ​ָע‬ ‫מּוָנָ ה‬ ֶ ‫ָ​ָל � ׁ​ִׁשיר ְ​ְוִל ְְִרֹקֹ ד ַ​ַעל ָ​ָה ַ​ַא‬ ּ ‫ֶּד�ֶּרת ְ​ְו ַ​ַעל ָ​ָה ֱ​ֱא‬ ‫חֹו ֵ​ֵתנ ּ​ּו ָ​ָה ְ​ְי ָ​ָתה ְ​ְל ַ​ַא ְ​ְל ָ​ָמָנָ ה‬ ֹ ‫ַ​ַו ֲ​ֲא‬ ּ ‫ֶנֶ ְ​ְה �ּ​ַּפ ְ​ְך ָ​ָלנ ּ​ּו‬ ‫ִמִִּׂש� ְ​ְמ ָ​ָחה ְ​ְל ָ​ָי ֹגֹו ן‬ ׂ � ‫טֹוב ְ​ְל ֵ​ֵא ֶ​ֶבל ּ​ּו‬ ֹ ‫ִמִּי ֹ​ֹו ם‬ ‫קּום ַ​ַר ֵ​ֵחם ִצ ִּּי ֹ​ֹו ן‬ ּ ‫ָ​ָאָּנ�ּא‬

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‫מֹו ֵ​ֵעד‬ ֹ ‫�ּ​ִּכי ֵ​ֵעת ְ​ְל ֶ​ֶחְנְ ָנָ ּ​ּה �ּ​ִּכי ָ​ָב א‬

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Simchat Torah?

How can we dance and rejoice on Simchat Torah, when our brothers have gone up in flames?

How can we sing and dance about “The Glory and the Faith” when our sister has become a widow?

Our festival has become a day of mourning; our joy, sorrow, Arise, please, and have mercy upon Zion For the time to favour her has come

‫רּו ַ​ַח ְ​ְו ָ​ָח ֵ​ֵרד‬ ּ -‫ָּכ�ּל ָ​ָה ָ​ָעם ְנְ ֵ​ֵכה‬

The entire nation is of contrite spirit and trembleth.

‫ָּפ�ַּת ְ​ְחנ ּ​ּו ָּכ�ּל ַ​ַהָּק�ּ ָ​ָפה‬ ַ ‫ֲ​ֲאַזַ י‬

We opened each Hakafa circuit

‫יָעה ָנָ א‬ ָ ‫הֹו � ׁ​ִׁש‬ ֹ '‫יַאת ָ​ָאָּנ�ּא ה‬ ַ ִ‫ִּב�ְּקִר‬ ְ

with a call of “Save us now, please, O Lord!”

‫אְיֹו ֵ​ֵבנ ּ​ּו‬ ְ � ‫ִּת�ּ​ְּט�ֵּׁשנ ּ​ּו ְּב ַ�ַּיד‬ ׁ� ‫עֹו ָ​ָלִמִ ים ַ​ַאל‬ ֹ ‫ַ​ַחי‬

O creator, do not cast us off into the hands of our enemies,

‫ָּל�ֵּתנ ּ​ּו‬ ֵ ‫ְּג�ֻּא‬ ֻ ‫יַחת‬ ַ ִ‫אִׁשית ְ​ְצִמ‬ ׁ � ‫ַ​ַר ֵ​ֵחם ָנָ א ַ​ַעל ֵ​ֵר‬

Please be merciful with the first flowering of your redemption.

Original poem written in Hebrew by Rabbi Feldman *

The Prayer for the Soldiers of Israel

WHY, HOW AND WHEN DO WE RECITE? By

Rabbi Haskel

Lookstein

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‫מי ׁשברך לחיילי צה׳׳ל‬

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We began to say this prayer at Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun after the Six Day War, a war which demonstrated the extraordinary bravery, skill and power of the Israel Defense Forces. Following that war, the bumper stickers in Israel featured the words ‫כל הכבוד לצה״ל‬, “Glory to the IDF.”

Six years later, after the terrifying failures of Israel’s leadership in the Yom Kippur War, and the glorious victory which overcame the failures, the bumper stickers in Israel read: ”‫“ישראל בטח בה׳‬, “O’ Israel Trust in God.

The Misheberach for Tzahal had a different meaning to us, post Yom Kippur War, from its meaning post the Six Day War. We all understood that, ultimately, ‫“ ה׳ איש מלחמה‬God is the True Warrior.” It was His Providence which enabled the IDF to triumph in both 1967 and in 1973. It will be His Providence which will lead Israel to victory after the terrifying pogrom of October 7th.

And, so, we must fervently pray to God to give the IDF ‫כח‬ ‫ לעשות חיל‬- the strength, the power, the skill and the courage to defeat Hamas and the enemies of the State of Israel and the Jewish people.

We used to say the Misheberach at KJ every time we read the Torah: on Shabbat; on Yom Tov; and during the week, on Mondays and Thursdays and Rosh Chodesh, and on Chanukah and Purim.

The Rabbi recited it immediately after the kaddish following Torah reading. We followed this practice until COVID. Regrettably, COVID adversely affected many things in shul life, including davening, even after we came back to shul in person. People expected the service to be shorter. Many meaningful prayers and practices were dropped and, among others, the recitation of the ‫מי ׁשברך לחיילי‬ ‫ צה׳׳ל‬was discontinued during the week.

It is unfortunate that an accelerated service brought about the partial elimination of this prayer. Let us analyze why this Misheberach is so important for us.

We recite the Prayer for the Israel Defense Forces for two reasons: First, we recite it because Israel cannot survive without the power of the IDF and the fear that it instills in the enemies of the Jewish State. Israel lives in a very dangerous neighborhood of hateful murderers and beastly butchers. We always knew that, but, for some time, we didn’t pay enough attention to it. After the pogrom of October 7th, we understand clearly that the only thing that stands between a secure and blessedly peaceful Israel and the Kishinev-like pogrom of October 7th, is the fear of a powerful IDF on the part of our enemies. We have to pray, fervently and tearfully, that Tzahal wins this war. We must pray at every possible opportunity, for the success and the safety of the soldiers of Tzahal and for God’s support of the first line of defense for Israel and for us.

The life of the Jewish State and our people depend upon it.

But, there is a second reason for reciting this prayer regularly, particularly for us as Diaspora Jews. Most of us have been reciting Avinu Malkeinu since October 7th on both weekdays and Shabbat. Rav Hershel Schachter made an Halakhic decision, right after October 7, that we should recite Avinu Malkeinu even on Shabbat. His basis was that when Yom Kippur falls on a Shabbat, we do not say Avinu Malkeinu because we do not petition God on a Shabbat. The exception, however, is at the closing prayer, Ne’ila, when the Gates of Repentance are closing and the Jewish people is in danger (Sakana). At Ne’ila, we pull out our entire liturgical arsenal and we recite and sing Avinu Malkeinu with heartfelt feelings, before we say Shema Yisrael.

This was an unprecedented psak by Rav Schachter. It was inspired by his clear understanding that we are in a ‫ שעת סכנה‬- a period of ultimate danger to our lives. At such a time, we have to pray to our Father and our King with utmost fervor.

At KJ, we began reciting Avinu Malkeinu at every Shacharit and Mincha, on weekdays, and on Shabbat, starting the prayer with ‫אבינו מלכנו שמע‬ ‫קולינו חוס ורחם עלינו‬, “Our Father, our King, hear our voices, pity us and have mercy upon us.” The rabbi chants the verses and the congregation responds until the end of the Avinu Malkeinu passages when we all sing the last Avinu Malkeinu with a fervor that I have only heard at the closing of Ne’ila.

I understand that, in Israel, most do not add this prayer. But, even if that is so, we in the Diaspora should continue to say it. Israelis need no reminders that they are in an existential struggle. We do. They live, for the first time in a long time, in great vulnerability. They live it night and day, in many ways.

We do not. They all have close relatives and friends who are risking their lives on the front lines. We do not. They experience rockets and missiles exploding around them. We do not. Their own lives are at stake in this war. Ours are not. They can add or subtract prayers as they wish, but we must change our liturgical routine in order to keep this struggle at the forefront of our minds for as long as the crisis lasts, until Israel destroys Hamas and wins this war. If our davening is elongated thereby by three minutes, so be it. Our prayers and our constant thoughts about Israel and its citizens make that necessary. This is our struggle too.

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Finally, how to recite the ‫ מי ׁשברך לחיילי צה׳׳‬. I have heard this prayer recited in any number of shuls. It is usually recited by someone – sometimes the rabbi – hastily and with very little feeling – like a routine prayer. We have never recited it that way at KJ. We recite it with utmost gravitas and kavanna, with an entire congregation standing in silence, at attention. We realize that we are praying for the lives of the soldiers of the IDF; we are praying for the survival of Israel which depends on the IDF. If we ever needed to be reminded about that, we surely understand it now. This prayer should be recited regularly and with the greatest possible feeling.

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To paraphrase Rabbi Akiba’s statement about Shir HaShirim – “If all the Books of Tanach are holy, Shir HaShirim is the holy of holies” – if all of the prayers in our Siddur are holy, ‫מי ׁשברך לחיילי‬ ‫( צה׳׳ל‬the Prayer for the Soldiers of Tzahal) is ‫ קודש קדשים‬- the holiest of holies.

May God hear our prayers and bring victory to our soldiers and peace to our Land.

Standing with Israel: Decisions and Determination at

by Rabbi Meyer Laniado

The world as we once viewed it has irrevocably changed. The foundations we stood upon were smashed and turned to rubble. The reports of Hamas's unimaginable cruelty rocked our perception of humanity to its core, with atrocities too heinous to adequately articulate. We hoped the world would grieve alongside us, offer solace, or at least recognize our anguish.

Defining Moments

Instead, what unfolded were rallies, articles, posts, and escalating sentiments – 'while we denounce the grievous acts of October 7th, the reasons for their resistance are understood’ — an alarming attempt to rationalize an unfathomable massacre, and dignify it as justified resistance!

And then, beneath the vitriolic protests and the noise, roars the deafening silence of our acquaintances and colleagues. How can so many of them stand idly by and say nothing? Civilians and celebrities, too,… silence or lukewarm statements. The response of too many in the academic community has also been deeply disconcerting, mirroring a country and world whose moral compass no longer points True North.

Relative calm in the region and with our neighbors — a façade abruptly and severely shattered.

With these realizations, we face a daunting unknown, as did our forefather Abraham when God called to him: ‘lekh lekha….’ Leave familiar ground and journey toward the place I will show you.

Abraham, enjoying a life enriched by the culture of Ur Kasdim, and later of Harran, could have remained complacent. Instead, he heeded God’s command, and left behind life as he knew it, not as a young man — later in life, already established, with his family and all he owned. On a mission without a map, he forged ahead, embracing a new reality and paving a path for the nation that God promised would descend from him, as Le a h numerous as the stars. He faced tests, obstacles, and periods of acute Lec you. Lech pain. But he pressed on, fortified by a sense of purpose and the voice of w ll sho the Divine guiding him. e I wi c a l p e rd th towa y e urn n jo a d n g ou iar 20 l i fam ave e l z t 20 re a Ma Lech Lech a And the

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God’s call to Abraham resonates with many of us now more than ever — "Leave behind everything you knew to build anew."

Throughout history, there have been pivotal moments, like Abraham’s, that demanded immense courage, profound introspection, and action from our ancestors. Moments when the world tilted on its axis, and we had to choose which side of history to be on, where we would land when the dust settled.

During the Babylonian captivity, when Esther was appointed Queen of Persia and Medes, she learned that her people were in danger. She risked losing her luxury, status, and life itself by speaking up to save her people and hold Haman accountable. Instead of shielding herself with her power, she wielded it to protect Am Yisrael. By calling upon the scattered people to fast together and unite in battle, she turned our day of sorrow into a celebration that led to many Jews returning to Israel and the rebuilding of the Temple.

Hanukkah presents another such inflection point, a time when the Jewish world was unraveling due to Greek oppression, internal conflict, and a tainted Temple. With the political leadership corrupt and the odds against their favor, the Maccabees led by Matityahu stood resolute, echoing Moshe Rabbenu's clarion call - Mi laHashem Elai. Their unwavering commitment not only restored the proper functioning of the Temple but instilled hope for generations to come, becoming a new model for our nation.

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At critical junctures, each of these figures pushed through adversity and took responsibility. Their decisions to march forward altered not only the course of their own lives but also the course of history, transforming the trajectory of the Jewish people. Such historical transition points, then and now, are trying and terrifying. The guiding forces through these epochs are resilience, vision, and a deeprooted sense of duty.

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Now, we stand at a crossroads. The issues we face, whether with Hamas or Hezbollah, will test our resolve and commitment to our principles. We are weighed down by anxiety and turmoil while also propelled by renewed purpose in our mission, reawakened awareness of our Jewish identity, fervent gratitude to our soldiers, and a fierce commitment to fighting for our homeland however we can.

We recognize that we must rely on and stand up for each other. When Abraham parted ways with Lot over business disputes, Lot was referred to as his nephew.

But when Lot was captured, Abraham swiftly gathered his troops, responding to the news that 'ahiv'—his brother—was taken. At that crucial moment, all disagreements were set aside in recognition of brotherhood.

Just a few weeks ago, Israel was engulfed in debates and protests surrounding its judicial reforms – heated conversations that now appear almost trivial in the face of the existential crisis confronting us. Today, as this war wages on, we shift the focus from our contrasting ideologies, religious views, and politics to our foremost concern and what we cannot afford to lose: Israel.

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In Israel, America, and worldwide, we are witnessing an evolution in how we perceive ourselves and the Jewish people. Our shared destiny drowns out the minor distinctions that previously divided us. Our urge to unite is not a fleeting sentiment but an emerging collective consciousness, writing our nation's

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narrative in real-time. We desire to support our brothers and sisters and ask daily in earnest: “How can I step up?” and “What can I contribute?”

Those who are with Israel and the Jewish people through this historical moment now will have the opportunity to take part in its rebuilding, as the Gemara in Ta’anit states: “Those who are with the community while it is in distress will merit being a witness to its consolation.” The decisions we make, the stances we take, and the voices we elevate will determine how this chapter unfolds.

When our resolve falters, we must draw strength from past inflection points and remember Abraham's faith, Esther's bravery, and the Maccabees' resilience so that even as tensions thicken, headlines scream, and antisemitism rises, we refuse to back down, be silenced, or allow ourselves to be divided.

We will, and we must, continue to stand with Israel and our brothers and sisters worldwide.

And in time, when the pages of history have turned, we will have the privilege of looking back at this defining moment, cherishing our collective memories, and sharing stories with our children and grandchildren of how we stood as a steadfast people, side by side, undaunted in the face of adversity. In our lifetime, we will pave the way for a reinvigorated State of Israel and foster a global Jewish community more cohesive and resilient than ever before.

being a jew

By Ruthie Hollander

I apologize often.

My arsenal is made up of sorrys, nuance, empathy. Of “all children deserve to feel safe.” Of “there are people who commit atrocities on both sides.”

And for the first time, I’ve truly understood God’s punishment of Shaul when he fails to wipe out Amalek — for sparing its king, for the glimmers of empathy that ultimately endanger the people we love.

Being a Jew in the Diaspora is growing thicker skin: I won’t give these people a second chance to hurt me.

I hold my one-year-old tightly at night and my mind touches the images I’ve been pushing away the whole day, of the savagery, the brutality and remorselessness required to remove the head of a squirming baby.

My warm, soft baby; I breathe her in. I am haunted.

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Haunted.

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And there are stories of great generosity and offers of help, gracious. Each place I look I find more people looking for an opportunity to hold others up. Chartered flights leaving from several cities: bags of clothing, bulletproof vests, scopes, toys, letters. May they be overwhelmed with our offerings. May these offerings be used, wholly and completely; may they be drained as fuel, as reserves.

May we keep finding that we have offerings to give.

May we keep making offerings.

Being a Jew in the Diaspora is waking up and falling asleep to the thought of our brothers and sisters. It is bated breath, an ache, fear, shame, righteous anger, grief branded on skin, a burning, a reckoning, hope, love, a prayer, open hands, clasped ones.

Being a Jew in the Diaspora is knowing only geography — only 5000 miles — a coincidence of her birthplace — separates my daughter from the threat of violence called “justice.”

Being a Jew in the Diaspora.

Over there they fight with guns and tanks, with feet and hands that do not stop moving. We watch on our phones and on our

Being a Jew.

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I hurt all over,

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and I thank

God.

A Moment in Time

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by Riva Alper

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I was 17 when I went off to my gap year in Israel and fell in love.

With Israel. Spending a gap year in Israel was a relatively new phenomenon back then, and I had no expectations other than I would be spending the year delving into limudei kodesh and traveling the length and breadth of the country. Which I did.

The program had many fine teachers including Prof. Nechama Leibowitz, who intimidated many of us with her brilliance and impatience when good questions from us were not forthcoming.

Rabbi Aaron Rakeffet-Rothkoff was another memorable teacher. I loved how he had Hebraicized his name. He was an ardent Zionist, dedicated to grooming future generations to take their place in Jewish life when they returned to their hometowns. He served in the IDF until he reached the maximum allowable age. We were his banot yikarot, inspired by his love of Torah. It was easy to see how much he loved being a teacher.

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For me, though, the highlight of the program was a class called Yediat ha-Aretz and the tiyulim we went on as part of the curriculum. We criss-crossed the country with Rabbi Dov Begun, an incredible teacher and madrich. He grew up on a totally secular kibbutz and did not start learning Torah until he was in his twenties.

He would go on to found his own yeshiva, Machon Meir, after the Yom Kippur War. But back in the day he was our teacher, showing up on his toos-toos (motor scooter), armed with a Tanach, and proceeded to teach us about the deep connection the Torah had to Eretz Yisrael everywhere we went. One tiyul was better than the next.

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Of all the places we went, the tiyul that stands out in my mind was the one we took to Masada. The story of the siege of Masada, the palaces, the storehouses, the wells, the pools and mikva’ot all converged in my imagination, but the moment that stood out was when six Israeli fighter jets in formation flew overhead.

The juxtaposition of walking the ground where hundreds died al kiddush hashem, while flying above us were Israeli pilots also ready to die al kiddush hashem was not lost on me. Everything every teacher tried to make me understand came together in that moment. Our history. Our future. That feeling of Never Again. Yet, here we are, facing another existential crisis.

Many soldiers of the Armored Corps end their basic training with a swearing-in ceremony on top of Masada, which ends with the declaration

“Masada shall not fall again.”

With God’s help, and the determination of the Jewish people, it will not.

A Message from Cantor Berson In these challenging, painful, and worrisome times, we are searching for ways to make a positive impact and bring healing. Amidst the darkness, there are moments of light, like sparks of hope, where the Jewish community unites as a strong, unified force.

Amidst the chaos and uncertainty, we find solace in coming together as a community, engaging in acts of Chesed (kindness), activism, and prayer. Our prayers in the synagogue have taken on a deeper meaning, with increased attendance, making each gathering even more significant.

Singing together has provided us with an opportunity to heal, connect, and find some comfort during times of confusion. While we may not have all the answers, we are certain that things will improve, and we will persevere.

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I'd like to share this playlist of songs that have personally helped me during this time, and I hope they can bring comfort to you as well.

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Spotify Link: https://tinyurl.com/AmYisraelChaiSpotify

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lani gao year

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hatzola and Magen David Adom Partnership

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Recalling how 20 years ago Hatzolah and Magen David Adom formed a partnership to assist each other and to do cross training in Israel and the United States, Upper East Side Hatzolah coordinator David Shipper informed us that on October 7, Hatzolah was put on standby and prepared to step in to fill the shortage of paramedics and EMTs throughout Israel, due to the massive number of reserves called up throughout the country. In the past 3 weeks, four teams of Hatzolah Volunteers have been deployed by Magen David Adom to respond to calls all over the country. The volunteers work long, busy days, and the sense of appreciation is heartfelt by the patients they are treating as well as the skeleton MDA crews that remain in the MDA stations where they are deployed.

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Pictured here is the 4th contingent at the airport, where they were privileged to meet Shoshana Schachter, the rebbetzin of Rabbi Hershel Schachter, Yeshiva University’s Rosh Yeshiva, who took the time to speak with the volunteers and posed for a group photo to show her husband.

Unveiling the Tapestry: Exploring the Rich Threads of History and Significance Woven into the Israeli Flag

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by Rabbi Daniel Kraus

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s Jews and fervent Zionists there is now a gaping hole in our hearts. The world is now demarcated by a profound divide: The relatively peaceful era preceding October 7th , 2023, and the horrors that followed. The ongoing trauma is eternally imprinted on the collective identity of the Jewish people and the very fabric of the State of Israel. Pro-Israel demonstrations echo worldwide, a resounding testament to the unyielding solidarity emerging from the crucible of adversity.

Synagogues and homes proudly display oversized Israeli flags, while children passionately wield crayons, coloring and clutching the emblem that transcends national boundaries. The Israeli flag, more than a mere symbol of a nation, has metamorphosed into the unequivocal banner of the Jewish people. Yet, concealed beneath its vibrant hues lies a history often overlooked—an intricate tale of creation, authorship, and the moment it first graced the stage. Beyond its association with the first Zionist Congress of 1897, the origins of the Israeli flag delve deeper, involving ideological bonds, and intriguing connections to the United States.

Boston: A Crucible of Zionism: Our exploration begins in Boston in 1890, where a small but robust Jewish community had already embraced Zionism. Professor Jonathan Sarna's research illuminates the significant, yet lesser-known, connections between the Israeli flag and Boston.

The city's unique blend of Jewish immigrants from Lithuania and a supportive Irish population created an environment where pro-Zionist sentiments flourished. At the heart of this narrative is the B’nai Zion organization, founded in 1891, and led by Rabbi Jacob Baruch Askowith, a pivotal figure in Boston's Jewish community.

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B’nai Zion flag, Created by Rabbi Jacob B. Askowith “Maccabee” in center

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The Birth of the B’nai Zion Flag:

Boston's Flag Unveiling:

In 1891, Rabbi Askowith designed the B’nai Zion flag, a precursor to the Israeli flag, embodying three crucial design elements: The national colors of blue and white, two horizontal stripes reminiscent of the Jewish prayer shawl, and a central hexagram, the Star of David. This flag carried profound symbolism, with the word "Maccabee" inscribed within the Star of David, connecting to the heroic legacy of Jewish resistance against foreign rule. This early flag contained crucial design elements that would later become synonymous with the Israeli flag.

The flag made its debut in 1892 during a grand parade celebrating the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's voyage to the New World. The Boston Globe captured the historic moment, marking the first appearance of what was then known as the "Flag of Judah which according to Charles Askowith, was painted by him according to his fathers specifications.

The “flag of Judah” had become known as the Zionist flag captured wide public attention, especially in the United States.

In the 1890s, the Star of David had gained international recognition as a symbol synonymous with Judaism, akin to the ubiquitous Christian cross. Rabbi Askowith infused profound symbolism into this emblem.

The cultural and historical depth embedded in this symbolism was further emphasized by Charles Askowith, who, following his father's specifications, painted the flag. At that time, this emblem bore the name "Flag of Judah," serving as a tangible representation of the rich tapestry of Jewish history and resilience.

“My father…had charge of decorating the hall for the public opening,” his son, Charles, recalled in a memoir.

“Bunting and flags of all nations with Biblical mottoes under the flags were part of the decorations. There being no Jewish flag available, he proceeded to design one.” {Charles Askowith, Jewish Advocate (June 26, 1952), D9.} Rabbi Askowith's initiative in designing the B’nai Zion flag in 1891 was not an isolated endeavor. His commitment to the Jewish community extended beyond this creative venture, encompassing the establishment of various pivotal Jewish communal institutions in Boston.

These included a synagogue, a Hebrew School, and a society dedicated to the study of Talmudic learning.

Upon his passing, The Jewish Advocate eulogized Rabbi Askowith as one of Boston's "sanest and most widely learned men." This accolade reflected the depth of his contributions and the esteem in which he was held within the local Jewish community.

This parade unfolded five years before the First Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland, highlighting the early influence of Boston on the global perception of Zionist symbols.

The Boston Globe reports on “Flag of Judah” October 22, 1892 Mysteries and Controversies: The subsequent journey of the flag to Basel remains a mystery, with numerous conflicting theories.

The saga of the Israeli flag's origins is entwined with intriguing yet historically problematic narratives involving two individuals both bearing the surname Harris. One account attributes the credit to Isaac Harris (1875-1927), a prominent Boston Zionist and attorney associated with B’nai Zion. According to this story, Isaac Harris purportedly traveled to Basel in 1897, passionately advocating for the adoption of the Askowith flag. However, historical records indicate that Isaac Harris was not present in Basel during the pivotal year of 1897; instead, he arrived in 1903, attending the Sixth Zionist Congress.

On the other hand, another tale credits Morris Harris (1874-1952), a New York-based awning- and flagmaker. According to this version, Morris spontaneously designed the flag after the first Zionist Congress in 1897, with his mother, Lena, sewing the final creation.

The flag featured two blue stripes and a prominent blue Star of David in the center, drawing inspiration from the design of the tallit. Intriguingly, this flag mirrored the proportions of the United States flag, measuring ten

feet by six feet.

However, both narratives face historical challenges.

Isaac Harris's absence in Basel during 1897 and Morris Harris's apparent failure to reach Basel altogether cast a shadow over the authenticity of these stories. Despite these historical discrepancies, the fascinating aspect remains that both accounts attribute the birth of the Israeli flag to America—a country with a minimal role in Zionist history at the time. This highlights the enduring connection between the United States and the early narrative of the Israeli flag's genesis.

Postcard of the Stadtcasino at the time of the Second Zionist Congress, Basel, Switzerland, circa 1898

white. The talith (prayer shawl) with which we wrap ourselves when we pray: that is our symbol.

Alec Mishory, “The Israeli Flag,” Jewish Virtual Library, www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/isflag. html Legacy and Evolution: The Askowith flag served as a prototype for Zionist flags across the United States for the next 50 years. The Zionist Congresses witnessed variations, including Herzl's design featuring the "Lion of Judah" and additional stars symbolizing a proposed working day of "seven golden hours."

In 1899, a quite different “Zionist flag” flew in Basel at the Third Zionist Congress, remaining in use through 1904. Theodor Herzl himself designed it. While it displayed the traditional stripes and the familiar Star of David, it also featured a “Lion of Judah” in the middle of the star, as well as seven additional stars — one in each of the six triangles of the big star and one more on top — to symbolize the proposed working day of “seven golden hours” that Herzl advocated for the future Jewish State.

Theodor Herzl’s design for the Zionist flag:

The Herzl-Wolffsohn Dynamics: The role of Theodor Herzl, the visionary behind the modern Zionist movement, and his associate David Wolffsohn in flag design discussions is crucial. While Herzl proposed a design in 1896, it failed to ignite enthusiasm. Wolffsohn, during the First Zionist Congress in Basel in 1897, famously declared:

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“At the behest of our leader, Herzl, I came to Basel to make preparations for the Zionist Congress. Among many other problems that occupied me then was… what flag would we hang in the Congress Hall? Then an idea struck me. We have a flag — and it is blue and

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When Israel declared statehood in 1948, discussions surrounding a new flag unfolded, reflecting the complexities of a nation in turmoil. When Israel’s founders proclaimed the new state in May 1948, some of them called for a flag distinctly different from the Zionist flag, in order to distinguish the new State of Israel from the worldwide Zionist movement that had worked so hard to achieve it.

Sensitive leaders like Moshe Sharett aimed in this way to protect diaspora Zionists from charges of dual loyalty. However, designing a flag that all sectors of Israeli society would accept proved no easy task, especially with the country at war. It was therefore decided to ask the Israeli people themselves for suggestions. Some 164 flag designs poured in! That, of course, did not make the choice any easier, so before making any decision, Sharett decided to seek the views of diaspora Jewish leaders.Fascinatingly American Zionists opposed every one of the proposed new flags. They argued that the world had come to respect the original Zionist flag, that it had become hallowed by tradition, and that it should be preserved as the new State of Israel’s flag as well.

Israel’s Flag: In November 1948, a flag closely resembling the one created by the Askowiths in Boston became the official flag of the State of Israel. This continuity in design serves as a poignant link between the early days of the Zionist movement and the establishment of the modern State of Israel.

For many, there is also deep religious significance of the Israeli flag. Rabbi Avraham Yizchak HaKohen Kook perceived profound religious meaning in the flag. This perspective was evident during the rededication of the Churva Synagogue in Jerusalem on Chanukah of 1926. Chief Rabbi Kook not only permitted the entry of the flag of the Jewish Legion into the sacred space but went further in his invocation, describing the flag as "holy" and a potent symbol of Redemption.

Rav Kook’s actions and words reflects a perspective that elevates the Israeli flag beyond a mere national symbol, viewing it through the lens of religious significance and redemption.

The convergence of the flag's historical evolution and its religious symbolism weaves a rich tapestry, offering a nuanced understanding of its significance within the broader context of Jewish identity and the establishment of the State of Israel.

The flag’s history underscores the profound connection between the diaspora Jewish community and the flag of Israel, serving as a powerful symbol of solidarity and unwavering support for the nation.

As it adorns synagogues and public spaces, the flag becomes more than a mere emblem—it transforms into a unifying force during gatherings and rallies, fostering a sense of shared purpose and commitment.

We continue to pray for a future day, when the flag can be displayed proudly and without fear, soaring at full mast in the nation's capital, encapsulating a deep yearning for a fully functioning and peaceful country. This hope extends beyond the symbolic representation of history and origins, aspiring for the flag to become a enduring symbol of peace and security for the nation it proudly signifies.

Bnei Mitzvah Alex Resnick

Bnei Mitzvah

Mazal Tov to Elena and Jed Resnick upon the Bar Mitzvah of their son, Alex, at the Kotel HaDromi in the Jerusalem Archaeological Park on October 5, where Alex led Chol HaMoed Sukkot Shacharit and Torah reading. Alex also read Parashat Vayera at Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun on Shabbat morning, November 4. Alex is a seventh-grade Alex Resnickstudent at the Ramaz Middle School.

Mazal Tov to Elena and Jed Resnick upon the Bar Mitzvah of their son, Alex, at the Kotel HaDromi in the Jerusalem Archaeological ParkOliver on October 5, where Alex led Chol HaMoed Sukkot Shacharit Charles Friedman and Torah reading. Alex also read Parashat Vayera at Congregation MazalJeshurun Tov to Danielle and Jason Friedman upon the Bar Mitzvah Kehilath on Shabbat morning, November 4. Alex is a of their son, Oliver Charles (Ilan Chaim), at Congregation Kehilath seventh-grade student at the Ramaz Middle School. e r Jeshurun on Shabbat morning, November 18, at which time he will yedHoff futu Jake

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la Tov to Rachel and Eliot Hoff upon the Bar Mitzvah of their r a dispMazal o f ingJake, ay n be oason, r r Kehilath Jeshurun on Shabbat morning, p l, at Congregation o g ca ar, sOliver aCharles t t i Friedman December 2, at which time will read Parashat Vayishlach and e p a foarD’var Torah. Jake he nu he fla ut fe n's cdeliver i t is a seventh-grade at SAR n g School. to Danielle and Jason Friedman upon the student Bar Mitzvah co en t witho natio aMazal inTov n Middle e r l of their son, Oliver Charles (Ilan Chaim), at Congregation Kehilath W , wh nd e ye acefuon oShabbat nd morning, November 18, at which time he will y e day udly a st in tha deep d pJeshurun e b and deliver a D’var Torah. Oliver is a seventhdsParashat f Toldot pro ull malating ing an teread n o grade student at the Ramaz Middle School. n at f apsu nction ope ex ntatio for encully fu This h prese spiringring r a f ntry. olic re ins, a endu rity fo u s. cou symbnd origome aJake ecHoff s e d a c iftoieRachel and Eliot Hoff upon the Bar Mitzvah of their th tory o be e anMazal n Tov g i ly sJake, at Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun on Shabbat morning, his flag t f peacoudson, the bol o n it pr December 2, at which time he will read Parashat Vayishlach and deliver a D’var Torah. Jake is a seventh-grade student at SAR sym natio Middle School. the

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Welcome!

Welcome!

Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun warmly welcomes the following new members who joined the Congregation between the printing of the last Bulletin, September, and this Bulletin, which went to press on Nov 11: Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun warmly welcomes the following new members who joined the and Congregation between the Dina Joshua Androphy printing of the last Bulletin, September, and Brigitte Eisenkeit and Matthew Horowitz this Bulletin, which went to press on Nov 11: Dina and Joshua Androphy Brigitte Eisenkeit and Matthew Horowitz Zachary Helprin Evelyn Intrator Lana and Benjamin Kantowitz Adina and Philip Wagman Tal and Eliyahu Ziskind

gap year experiences

GAP YEAR experiences

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Jewish Zionist, Student, and Volunteer

by Lani Kahn & Rebecca Silber

We chose to spend our year learning in seminary because we believe in the value of taking the time to devote all of our focus on religious, Zionistic and holistic personal growth. Of course we didn’t think seminary would teach us these lessons by testing our commitment to stay in school during wartime, but ironically, what we didn’t know was that the war would actually catalyze these growth processes. Therefore, not only have we not fallen short of pursuing our initial gap year goals despite the war, but we have increased our pursuit of them because of it.

gap year experiences

Physically being in Israel during the war has shown us what it truly means to be part of Am Yisroel, or more accurately, the large family unit that is the Jewish people. Our resilience as a nation, along with our strong sense of communal responsibility, is what keeps us alive and strong during these horrific times. By simply walking on the streets of Jerusalem, knowing that each person we pass knows somebody fighting in the army, murdered, or taken hostage

by Hamas, instills in each and every one of us a feeling of utmost responsibility for our Jewish brothers and sisters.

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Our seminary has provided us with opportunities to babysit and tutor Israeli children, help army bases deliver IDF uniforms, stock grocery store shelves while workers are missing, organize carnivals for kids that were evacuated from the south, cook meals for families from the south, and even learn more about halakhot pertaining to war. We came to Israel in order to reaffirm our understanding of, and appreciation for, what it means to be a Jewish zionist, student, and volunteer, and we are staying here because that journey has just begun.

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gap year experiences

Simchat Torah - October 7 - Gush By - Ben Yazdi & Alex Massel

Every Simchat Torah all of Gush gathers together to celebrate; it's normally very festive and filled with lots of energy. Rav Yakov Medan, the elderly-most Roshei Yeshiva, constantly increases the conga line's pace, making fools of the students – who seemingly have less stamina. And this year was no exception.

That was, until Simchat Torah morning. It was as we were turning our siddurim to ‫ אתה הראת‬that one of the rebbeim went up to the front of the beit midrash and announced that there were missile sirens, and that we had to move to a missile-proof shelter.

While there, we danced as if it was a regular Simchat Torah, but by the look on everyone's faces, one could see our anxious concerns. Sometime into the dancing, Rav Moshe Lichtenstein, one of the Roshei Yeshiva, validated our concerns by announcing that due to limited reports we should change the tone of the dancing to a less overtly happy one.

gap year experiences

As the dancing and then Torah reading continued, most of the Israelis slowly left. Some were seen in their army uniforms, others on their phones – checking where the army had told them to report to.

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Rav Yakov Medan lamented that the last time Gush students changed from Shabbat clothing to army uniforms was for the Yom Kippur war (while he himself was a student here). But more, stronger comparisons to the Yom Kippur war (as well as the Holocaust) became apparent in the days following.

The remaining students were unaware of the actual situation – all we had were a few semi-contradictory statements. And as the sun started waning, increasingly worse rumors spread. It was only at night we confirmed far worse than what we had heard.

That night, the head of the non-Israeli program and Rav Moshe Lichtenstein spoke to us. Although we forget much of what they said, we remember the mournful looks on their faces as they told us to be strong.

gap year experiences 39

he t te ho i c e r iva w g e w Yesh rayin h sre from rder, p e neh riends aza boe." o hemf our f the G battl s "In es o g by fall in nam waitin not to are them for

It was only a few weeks ago that we were learning Torah with them or eating a meal at their houses. (Now they tell us how they are gaining a lot of weight from the surplus of delicious food being sent to them!)

To be clear, our day-to-day lives haven't changed much; We do more chesed, listen to our parents' rules about leaving the settlement, and say tehillim – but everything else is the same.

There is a sense of unity. Call it nationalism or the fact that our chavrutot are fighting in Gaza, we not only feel like it would be disrespectful to the people who sit across from us in the Beit Midrash as well as giving into Hamas' desires to go back to America, we want to be here.

gap year experiences

Through thick and thin, Israel is our homeland; a place to stand by and support – no matter the situation.

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chatanim gap year experiences

Abe Kohl & Ezra Kohl

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Abe Kohl As the conflict between Israel and Hamas unfolded and the prospect of leaving Israel became a topic of discussion, I found myself reflecting on the profound legacy left by my grandparents. Their dream of living in Israel was not just a distant hope; it was a source of strength and a driving force that kept them alive through the darkest hours of the Holocaust. It was a reminder that the dream of Israel was worth every sacrifice and struggle.

gap year experiences

My grandfather's participation in Israel's War of Independence, alongside luminaries like Menachem Begin, stands as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by those who fought to establish and defend the State of Israel. It could have been easy for him to question why he should be the one to fight for a homeland when he had already endured so much. But his actions, like those of countless others, demonstrate a deep commitment to ensuring that the dream of Israel becomes a reality. My grandparents sacrificed so much for me to have merited the privilege of learning Torah in Israel; how could I, in good conscience, abandon their legacy in the face of adversity?

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During my time in Israel, as I witnessed the unity of its people and felt the warmth of being part of the Jewish people (such as the countless chessed opportunities and immense support from friends), my resolve to stay only grew stronger. I came to understand, on a deeper level, how my grandparents and so many others were able to endure the atrocities of the Holocaust with the dream of Israel burning brightly in their hearts. The reminder of my grandparents’ legacy has given me a profound sense of purpose and an enduring connection to Israel and the Torah. It is a testament to the enduring spirit of the Jewish family, our collective resilience, and the power of a dream that transcends generations.

Ezra Kohl I was brushing my teeth, getting ready to go to Shacharit, when I heard a siren.

I instinctively thought it was a firetruck, but I quickly remembered that I was not in New York. The subsequent explosion of news coverage of the pogrom marked the onset of a transformation in my gap year experience.

Since the war's outset, I've found myself engaged in a continuous, introspective comparison between my own life and that of the 18-year-old Israeli soldiers who are standing on the frontlines. It makes me uneasy that I enjoy the comforts of a warm meal and a sense of safety while my Israeli counterparts are risking their lives to ensure my safety.

gap year experiences

However, I cannot escape the belief that there must be a reason why I am in Israel at such a pivotal moment of our history. I feel a newfound passion to help the war efforts in any way I can. At Yeshiva, we are constantly looking for ways to help: donating blood, collecting toiletries, making bulletproof vests—the list goes on.

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One Friday, we decided to go to a nursing home to sing Kabbalat Shabbat. As we sang the melodies of Kabbalat Shabbat, our voices resonated through the hallways, touching the hearts of the elderly residents. Their faces lit up with a blend of nostalgia, gratitude, and hope. It was a powerful reminder that even in the midst of turmoil, there was room for beauty, unity, and compassion. Our small gesture provided a glimmer of solace in a time of uncertainty and fear.

This experience has reaffirmed my identity as a Jew and has enlivened my prayer and learning. While we might not be on the battlefield, we can still play a vital role in supporting the Jewish people.

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articles

GIVE: CHESED CORNER LEARN: FOR THE PARENTS ASK: FOR THE KIDS LAUGH: CLAY COMICS JOIN: EPIC EVENTS

ZINE

‫לתת ללמוד לשאול לצחוק לבוא‬

HEART, HEAD, HAND: RESPONDING TO ISRAEL WITH OUR KIDS

‫ללמוד‬

M ES SAG E FRO M R UTH I E H O LL AN D E R FO R TH E PAR E NTS

Since those moments on Simchat Torah when we began to hear whispers of bad news, something dark and paralytic has trickled into our lives.

It’s hard to know how to respond. Pack boxes? Call relatives? Doomscroll? Go to work? Get off the internet altogether and pretend, for a moment, that everything is fine?

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‫לתת‬

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LAST CHANCE TO SUBMIT! We are collecting submissions of recipes for a multimedia project that utilizes the talents and experiences of our KJ families. All proceeds will go towards organizations in Israel. Do you have a family recipe that reminds you of Israel, the Jewish People, peace, family or love? Please submit your recipes to Ruthie@ckj.org!

The questions become bigger with our children. It’s one thing to avoid — or overdo — the bad news on our end, but it is punctuated by even more fear when we have young loved ones whose stilldeveloping minds could be permanently impacted by inappropriate communications or reactions. Parents face a significant challenge at this time.

One paradigm that can help to clear this confusion, as suggested by educator Jonathan Golden, is to explore the war in Israel according to three modes: “Heart (emotional/personal), Head (knowledge/understanding), Hand (doing, acting).”

Here are some practical ways to explore each mode with your children:

EMAIL RUTHIE@CKJ.ORG FOR A CHANCE TO BE FEATURED IN THE NEXT KJYD ZINE. GET INVOLVED BY:

• Scheduling a one on one Dvar Torah writing session with Ruthie. Torah comes with candy!

• Sharing an idea for the next Simon Clay comic

HEART There are a lot of feelings we might have in response to the stories, information, and images we are absorbing right now. It can be good to name those feelings together and share openly what they are in response to. Ask about positive feelings too: hopes, dreams, beliefs. When your child tells you they are afraid or anxious, ask what are they afraid or anxious might happen.

Validate these emotions — just as you feel overwhelmed by yours, and rightfully, we all deserve to process our feelings in safe spaces. And support them in finding ways to cope, whether through prayer, song, art, meditation, therapy, or speaking with a loved one.

HEAD The dilemma of information-sharing right now is two-fold: we have access to a copious amount of information, and a good amount of that information is disingenuous, misinformed, or entirely incorrect. This is hard for many children, especially those who are old enough to explore apps such as TikTok and Instagram. Introduce the skills to identify propaganda, as well as the vocabulary to respond to common pieces of misinformation. It is also a great time to learn some of the history of Israel from verified, informed resources.

Noa Tishby’s “Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth” can be an excellent start for older kids who are interested in a more comprehensive read.

HAND

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One of the most impactful ways to respond to the war is to get busy and find ways to help others. Invite your children to join you in varying chesed efforts on a consistent basis, and share the efforts for which they are unfortunately not able to join you. Challenge them to look around at their immediate community and ask whose needs are not being met, and what might meet those needs. Give them the physical and emotional support to pursue their own giving initiatives. Most importantly, reward their actions — express your pride and faith in them, and demonstrate through your own actions that you are invested in their efforts.

None of this is easy, and we will perpetually have the fear that we are doing this wrong with our children. Acknowledge the places you have misstepped, and give yourself grace. You, too, are learning how you best process this barrage of grief, trauma, fear, and pain. Chazak ve’ematz; strengthen yourself and find courage.

May we find ourselves explaining peace to our children one day soon.

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FOR THE CHILDREN

‫לשאול‬

Dear KJYD friends, Right now, with the war happening in Israel, it’s normal to feel sad or scared.

If that’s what you’re feeling, it’s ok.

It might be hard to focus on school sometimes. Or you might feel strange when you go to a party or have fun with friends. And you might also find yourself uncomfortable because you’re not really sure what you’re supposed to be feeling.

All of those things are ok.

Some of the best ways to cope right now are taking walks, creative activities like building or drawing, journaling, talking with friends and family, and thinking about optimistic and encouraging things. If you are looking for some positive ideas to reflect on, I am excited to share a few that I’ve been collecting these past few weeks. On a day when I’m struggling to remain hopeful, repeating these ideas can really help: - The Jewish people are strong. We’ve survived thousands of years, and our history and stories celebrate that survival. In many generations, we have lived through hardships and mistreatment. This war will not break our spirit, because we are tough.

- The Jewish people care about one another. In the last few weeks, we’ve seen how the Jewish community steps up in every way to take care of our family in Israel. It’s really special to see love, concern, empathy, and unity from our Jewish brothers and sisters.

- The Jewish people deserve safety and security. We are entitled to feel safe in our schools, shuls, and neighborhoods. And we are fortunate to have people who are high up in the government in America (such as President Joe Biden, Mayor Eric Adams, and Governor Kathy Hochul) who are taking steps to make sure we feel secure.

- The Jewish people have a historical and spiritual connection to Israel. Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks says it best: “In Israel, and only there, Jews can walk where the prophets walked, climb the mountains Abraham climbed, lift their eyes to the hills that David saw, and continue the story their ancestors began.” We are allowed to feel that Israel is our spiritual home, even if it’s not our physical one.

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- The Jewish people are loved by Hashem. In Yeshaya, Hashem says, “Fear not, for I will redeem you; I have singled you out by name: You are Mine.” Hashem will save us because He loves us.

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I’m always here if you want to talk about what’s going on.

Love, Ruthie

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SIMON SUPPORTS ISRAEL

All KJYD flyers & Simon Clay comics created by Ruthie Hollander for KJYD

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‫לצחוק‬

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Weekly Shabbat Schedule Cocoa Club @ 9-10 & Groups @ 10 - 11:30 AM ‫לתת ללמוד לשאול לצחוק לבוא‬

K JYD PROGRAMMING

‫לבוא‬

GIVE: CHESED CORNER LEARN: TORAH TALK ASK: QUIRKY QUESTIONS LAUGH: CLAY COMICS JOIN: EPIC EVENTS

vents

THINGS YOU CAN DO:

During the trip we will have opportunities to meet with soldiers, wounded and displaced Israelis, to visit and volunteer at multiple facilities, and to stand in solidarity with our Israeli sisters and brothers. The mission is appropriate for adults, as well as students in 9th grade and up. For questions about the tour, please email Sora Steiger. More Details and registration at www.ckj. org/thanksgivingmission. For other inquiries, please email dina@ckj.org.

JOIN THE KJ ISRAEL ACTION COMMITTEE We are galvanized to action by the war in Israel and our responsibility to be proactive in supporting our fellow Jews under attack. Join the WhatsApp group in formation by visiting bit. ly/498r5Ja, and look for regular email bulletins containing action items. Contact KJIsraelAction@ gmail.com to share worthy initiatives and information about becoming effective advocates for the Jewish Homeland, Israel.

CONTACT - ckj.org/appevents.

Donate to KJ's Benevolent Fund Israel Campaign We are not putting ourselves physically on the line; the best we can do is give aid that will help our brothers and sisters in Israel get what they need. There are families that have lost everything and have been displaced, those who have lost their primary breadwinner, children who have been orphaned, and so many more financial needs.

Click Benevolent Fund-Israel Emergency at www.ckj.org/pay.

NOTES OF HOPE SATURDAY NIGHT DEC 02 • 7:00 PM Join Cantor Chaim Dovid Berson and the KJ Clergy for an evening of reflection, uplift and healing in the Kaufman auditorium, 60 East 78 Street. Featuring songs, tales of heroism and brotherhood, plus special guests adding collective inspiration.

Light refreshments will be served.

RSVP - ckj.org/form/notesofhope

Ramaz Upper School

Community Unity Friday Night Shabbat Dinner in Support of Israel FRI DEC 15 • 5:30 PM Join your KJ family for an attractively priced catered buffet Shabbat Dinner in the Heyman Auditorium, 125 East 85th Street. Let's unite together, young families and empty nesters alike, to express our unwavering support and love for the State of Israel. Special youth programming with KJYD, kids menu favorites, and separate seating for kids age 2-6 ! Dinner immediately followed by an optional Oneg with words of Torah from visiting KJ Scholar-in-Residence Rabbi Jeremy Wieder, panel discussion with Israeli guests, songs from the Jewish homeland, and delicious desserts.

Cost: $35 adult/ $15 kids Time: 4:20 pm Evening Services / 5:30 pm Dinner 51

RSVP - ckj.org/form/unityforisrael

FALL BLOOD DRIVE SUNDAY • DEC 03 8:30 AM - 2:30 PM We are asking ALL members of the KJ/ Ramaz community to consider performing the ultimate mitzvah of saving a life.

For guidelines on who can donate, visit nybc.org and if you are eligible, please bring photo ID and register, donate.nybc.org/donor/schedules/ zip. If you would like to volunteer, email - kjramaz.blooddrive@gmail.com 114 East 85th Street

SCHOLAR IN RESIDENCE classes & events

RABBI DR. JEREMY WIEDER

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PARSHAT MIKETZ DEC 16 Following 9:00 am Services 3:15 pm Afternoon Class 4:00 pm Evening Services Followed by Seudah Shlishit

Chanukah in SUNDAY the Park DEC 10

Fifth Annual Pre-Thanksgiving

Firehouse visit

classes & events

TUESDAY NOV 21 • 4:30 PM

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Join KJ and Chabad of the UES for our 17th Annual Menorah Lighting on the Carl Schurz Boardwalk. Together let us add more light and celebrate with latkes, hot chocolate and donuts.

5:00 pm - Family Entertainment 5:30 pm - Candle Lighting Carl Schurz Promenade Entrance at 86 Street and East End Ave.

Join KJ Sephardic & R amaz Parents Council in delivering Thanksgiving meals & handmade cards to the 85th Street Firehouse to express our gratitude to the firefighters.

Event High Lights

Washington Rally The American Jewish community organized a historic nationwide rally for Israel on the Washington Mall, where KJ sent a faction of 11 busses filled with community members!

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Weekly Classes

ckj.org/weeklyclasses

Wednesdays @ 12 PM Lunch & Learn for Seniors

CLASS DESCRIPTIONS Dr. William Major Memorial Advanced Shiur in Talmud Continuing our study of Masekhet Brachot with its classical commentaries.

Exploring Jewish Thought What is the foundation of ethics? How did Orthodox Jews understand the Holocaust? Dive deeply into questions of Jewish philosophy and wrestle with challenging ideas. Appropriate for intellectually curious students of any background. Translated texts provided.

classes & events

Reading the Prophets: The Book of Samuel

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Read Sefer Shmuel closely and explore the literary and philosophical aspects of this book.

Back to Basics Understand Prayer Take a deep dive into the amida.

Kitzur Shulchan Aruch A classic, concise work of halacha that covers the complete spectrum of Jewish law. The class is a text based class and open to all.

The Weekly Parsha Class A textual analysis of the parasha with the help of classical commentaries and modern Biblical exegesis.

Beginners Hebrew For those who want to start building a foundation in Hebrew to help them read Jewish Prayer.

Intermediate Hebrew This popular class enables those with no previous background in Hebrew to learn to read Hebrew in just a short time.

Advanced Hebrew Designed for those with some ability to read Hebrew, students practice reading skills using the siddur and other Jewish texts.

Meaningful Jewish Living A comprehensive yearlong course covering major themes in Jewish law, practice and thought. Explore how a 5,000 year old religion is more relevant today than ever before.

Alex Resnick

Leo Kassel

Mazal Tov to Elena and Jed Resnick upon the Bar Mitzvah of their son, Alex, at the Kotel HaDromi in the Jerusalem Archaeological Park on October 5, where Alex led Chol HaMoed Sukkot Shacharit and Torah reading. Alex also read Parashat Vayera at Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun on Shabbat morning, November 4. Alex is a seventh-grade student at the Ramaz Middle School.

Mazal Tov to Elise and Daniel Kasell, upon the Bar Mitzvah of their son, Leo, at Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun on Shabbat morning, November 11, at which time he will read Parashat Chayei Sarah and deliver a D'var Torah. Leo is a seventh-grade student at the Ramaz Middle School.

Oliver Charles Friedman

community

Mazal Tov to Danielle and Jason Friedman upon the Bar Mitzvah of their son, Oliver Charles (Ilan Chaim), at Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun on Shabbat morning, November 18, at which time he will read Parashat Toldot and deliver a D’var Torah.

Oliver is a seventh-grade student at the Ramaz Middle School.

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Ava Bensusan Mazal Tov to Tsion Bensusan & Elyse Bensusan upon the Bat Mitzvah of their daughter, Ava, at Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun on November 18, at which time she will deliver a D’var Torah related to Parashat Toldot. Ava is a six-grade student at the Ramaz Middle School. Mazal Tov as well to the proud KJ grandparents Lillie and Danny Bensusan.

Jake Hoff

Ava Lily Mann

Mazal Tov to Rachel and Eliot Hoff upon the Bar Mitzvah of their son, Jake, at Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun on Shabbat morning, December 2, at which time he will read Parashat Vayishlach and deliver a D’var Torah. Jake is a seventh-grade student at SAR Middle School.

Mazal Tov to Eric and Talia Mann upon the Bat Mitzvah of their daughter, Ava Lily. She will celebrate with family and friends on December 3 at the Empire Penthouse at 230 Fifth Avenue.

Ava will deliver a Dvar Torah on Chanukah and the applicable lessons that need to be remembered during this critical time. Ava is a seventh-grade student at the Ramaz Middle School and a group leader at KJ youth groups. For her chesed project Ava raised funds for Israel including purchasing needed gear for Israeli soldiers.

Within Our Family Mazal Tov to – BIRTHS Marilyn and Greg Adler upon the birth of a granddaughter, Lily Dorothy (Devorah Rivka), born to their children, Samantha and Daniel Schub (both Ramaz ‘14).

Jennifer and Scott Bachrach upon the birth of a son, James Levi (Yonah David).

Aliza and Alvin Broome upon the birth of a grandson, Eitan Michael, born to Miriam and Ariel Broome.

Laurie & Dr. Eli Bryk and Daniel & Joyce Straus upon the birth of a grandson, George David (Yaacov Dovid), born to their children Diana & Joseph Straus.

Roza and Norman Chideckel upon the birth of a granddaughter, Adriella Yehudit.

Debbie and Mark Cooper upon the birth of a grandson, Dino William (Zvi Moshe), born to their children, Sasha and Adam Cooper.

community

Helen and Ruby Davis and Renee and Harry Erreich on the birth of a granddaughter Sarah Raizel (Sophie Rae) born to Mindie and Jonathan Davis of Riverdale.

Katie and Shane Safer on the birth of a daughter.

Ruth Shapiro and the late Irwin Shapiro on the birth of a great granddaughter, Arielle Olivia (Ariella Nechama), born to Rachel and Natan Bienstock.

May these children grow up in the finest tradition of Torah, chupah, & maasim tovim.

Zachary Helprin

ENGAGEMENTS Lillie and Danny Bensusan upon the engagement of their daughter, Amie, to Matt Slutsky, son of Susan and Richard Slutsky of Westchester.

Orrin and Dr. Carolyn Feingold upon the engagement of their daughter, Talia (Ramaz ’16), to Yehuda Taragin, son of Rabbanit Shani and Rabbi Reuven Taragin of Alon Shvut. Mazal Tov also to the overjoyed grandfather, KJ member Dr. Leonard Feingold.

Sasha Laren upon her engagement to Bob Lewis of the Upper West Side and Miami.

Shoshana and Warren Graham upon the birth of a grandson, born to their children Donna and Eric Smith.

May their weddings take place in happiness and blessing.

Karen and Michael Hershkowitz upon the birth of a granddaughter, Rina Rae (Rina Raizel), born to their children Olivia and Benni Tuchman.

MARRIAGES Rose Gerszberg upon the marriage of her grandson, Yosef Amihai Gerszberg, to Rochel Lubin in Israel.

Anne and Sam Schwartz upon the birth of a daughter

Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun warmly welcomes the following new members who joined the Congregation between the printing of the last Bulletin on September 21, and this Bulletin, which went to press on November 17th:

Dina and Joshua Androphy

Diane & Russell Miller and Marc Schwartzberg upon the engagement of their son, Isaac, to Jessica Harounian, daughter of Fafa and Lee Harounian, of Great Neck.

Sara and Aaron Moskowitz upon the birth of a son, Sam Tzvi (Tzvi).

Welcome!

Pamela and George Rohr upon the birth of a granddaughter, Sophie Eden (Sara Eden), born to their children, Nina and Yoni Cooper. Mazal Tov as well to the overjoyed KJ great-grandmother, Helen Nash.

Rose Gerszberg upon the birth of a great granddaughter, Bella Ora (Baila Ora), born to her grandchildren Tai and Sheva Gerszberg of Ramat Eshkol.

Melissa and Benjamin Sberro upon the birth of their daughter, Mathilde Gabrielle Chaya (Chaya).

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Maya Charlotte (Maya Sarah), born to their children, Rebecca (Ramaz ‘16) and Zev Ben-Ami. Mazal Tov as well to delighted KJ great-grandparents Rae and Stanley Gurewitsch.

Dov Glick and Debra Glick upon the marriage of their son, Evan, to Gabriella Wolf, daughter of Becky and Daniel Wolf of Teaneck, NJ. May the newlywed couples be blessed to build homes faithful to the traditions of the Jewish people.

Brigitte Eisenkeit and Matthew Horowitz Evelyn Intrator Lana and Benjamin Kantowitz Adina and Philip Wagman

MILESTONES Arlene and Avrom Doft upon their 55th wedding anniversary.

COMMUNAL NEWS & HONORS David Chuback upon his appointment at Yeshiva University's Sy Syms School of Business as their Chair of the Board of Overseers.

Richard Born and Rita Born Distenfeld, upon being honored at the 30th Anniversary Northeast Tribute Dinner of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, in memory of their parents, Esther and Robert Born, who were Holocaust survivors with a longstanding commitment to the Jewish community and to Holocaust remembrances.

Dr. Ari Tuckman (Ramaz '93), son of Drs. Shera Aranoff and Alan Tuckman, upon the publication of his book, Principled Uncertainty - A Quantum Exploration of Maimonides Perfect and Infinite God. This work examines Maimonides’ theories of providence, prayer, miracles and the infinity of the Divine, by leveraging analogies from contemporary quantum thought.

In Memoriam

CONDOLENCES

Dr. Rochelle Levine

Sid Banon upon the passing of his mother, Charlotte Banon.

Dr. Rochelle Levine was a member of KJ for more than twenty-five years. A graduate of the Yeshiva of Flatbush, she was a practicing psychologist with a PhD in her field. She loved KJ and, although she lived on the West Side quite a distance from our shul, she used to walk every Shabbat and Yom Tov to KJ in order to enjoy our services and maintain a close relationship with our rabbis.

Erica Distenfeld upon the passing of her grandmother, Estelle Steinberg.

Bennett Epstein upon the passing of his mother, Lillian Epstein.

Dr. Marty Grumet upon the passing of his mother, Harriet Grumet.

Elizabeth Honig upon the passing of her grandfather, Erwin Pearl.

A person of modest means, she never failed to contribute to the Annual Synagogue Appeal of the congregation. This was part of her strong commitment to Torah, to menschlichkeit and to the Jewish people. Soft-spoken and private, she lived her life as a powerful statement of how a proud Jew ought to practice a firm loyalty to God, to Torah and to Israel.

Ashley Joffe upon the passing of his mother, Libby Joffe.

Dr. Howard Levite upon the passing of his mother, Edith Levite.

Mitchell Presser upon the passing of his father, Stanley Presser.

Abe Unger upon the passing of his father, Sherwood Unger.

May they be comforted among all those who mourn for Zion and Jerusalem.

community

Monica Meislin

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Monica Meislin and her beloved husband, the late Dr. Aaron G. Meislin, became members of KJ in 1968. A proud Canadian and an ardent Zionist who had the honor of hosting Golda Meir in her home, Monica was a hostess par excellence who had a keen interest in people. She was a devoted member of the KJ Sisterhood and together with her husband were an integral part of the KJ/ Ramaz community, as all three Meislin children, Barry, Robert, and Laura attended Ramaz. But the apples of her eye were her grandchildren whom she nurtured and loved dearly.

Chevra Kadisha Join a dedicated group of men and women performing the sacred mitzvah of preparing the recently deceased for proper, dignigied burial in accordance with Jewish Tradition and law. Contact Riva Alper for the women’s Chevra Kadisha at riva@ckj.org and contact Isaac Pollak for the men’s Chevra Kadisha at isaac@lgpltd.com.

Synagogue Memorial Plaques Visit ckj.org/plaques to order plaques for deceased loved ones (or to reserve for yourself after 120 years of health and blessing).

Community Resources Yoetzet Halakhah Ellin Cooper serves as the KJ Yoetzet Halakhah. This position of great responsibility falls to a woman with recognized expertise in the field of Taharat Hamishpacha and women's health issues who can advise women on topics such as niddah, fertility problems, and sex education for teens. Contact Ellin at 646-598-1080 or nycyoetzet@gmail.com.

Community Mikvehs The Jacques and Hanna Schwalbe Mikvah 419 East 77th Street (1st & York Ave); 212-359-2020 The Rennert Mikvah at 5th Ave Synagogue: 5 East 62nd Street (Fifth Avenue) 212-753-6058 The West Side Mikvah 234 West 74th Street (Broadway and West End Avenue) 212-579-2011

community

Bikur Cholim

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JYC - The Hebrew School with HEART

Mitzvah Toy Campaign

The Jewish Youth Connection (JYC) is the Sunday morning Hebrew school founded by KJ members Susan and Scott Shay with the goal of providing a meaningful Jewish education to unaffiliated families. A total reinvention of the Hebrew School experience, its focus is to help foster a quality connection to Judaism for students and families alike.

This heartfelt program encourages children from Nursery School through Grade 8 to donate one or more of their birthday presents to children in need.

For information contact volunteer coordinator Joanna Kleinhaus at JoannaKleinhaus@gmail.com.

No synagogue membership is required to attend JYC or participate in any of the school programming, and JYC families are invited to take advantage of congregational offerings. Visit jyc.info to learn more.

A grassroots organization created to meet the needs of widows. To learn more about the KJ/Ramaz chapter, contact 212-879-4783 or Gabriella Major at gabriellamaj@gmail.com.

KJ Caring Initiative

Career Network

At KJ you are not alone. Homebound? Isolated?

Ailing? Our helpful volunteers are available to visit, call, and give emotional support. All interactions are strictly confidential. If you know someone who might benefit from our attention, or if you would like to be called, please contact Leah Modlin at 212-7226575 or leahm23@gmail.com.

Hatzolah

For over 35 years, a dedicated group of KJ members have been visiting patients at Memorial SloanKettering Hospital. For more information, contact Volunteer Coordinator Karen Lerman at lerman. karenj@gmail.com.

The Upper East Side Division volunteers volunteer EMTs and provides immediate response and the highest quality emergency medical and life-saving services to our community, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call 212-410-9796 for information. For emergencies, dial 212-230-1000.

Judaica Shop

Shabbat Hospitality

Judaica Classics by Doina is at 1248 Lexington Avenue, between 84th and 85th Streets. The store has a great selection of Judaica for all gift and holiday needs, including exquisite silver, embroidery, ceramics and all manner of artistic expression.

Business hours: Sunday 10 am–5 pm, MondayThursday 10 am–6 pm, Friday 10 am–2 pm, and by appointment. Call Doina Bryskin at 212-722-4271 or email doina@judaicaclassics.com.

Let’s build a warm and welcoming KJ community!

Are you new to the community? Do you still feel like you’re new to the community or not sufficiently connected? If you’re interested in meeting new people, hosting members, or being hosted, please contact yael@ckj.org.

Manhattan Eruv The Manhattan Eruv includes an expanding number of neighborhoods in the city. Please call the hotline to check on the weekly status of the Eruv at 212-874-6100 x 452.

W Connection

Dorot Located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, Dorot has distinguished itself as a bastion of support for the frail elderly. We encourage our community to participate in their many volunteer initiatives–both holiday related and year-round–that forge bonds between the generations. See dorotusa.org for volunteer opportunities.

The KJ/Ramaz Career Network endeavors to help members find jobs, or fill a vacancy with a qualified shul member. Contact Larry Kassman at KasTrade@ aol.com.

UJA @ KJ UJA @ KJ is a partnership between KJ members and UJA-Federation of New York that facilitates KJ Members receiving unique opportunities to utilize the resources of UJA-Federation. With an assortment of causes and agencies in need of our support, UJA @ KJ enables KJ Members to become involved in and exposed to the important work of UJA-Federation in New York, Israel and around the world. For more information or to register, contact Atara Burian at 212-836-1267.

KJ Food Pantry One of the few kosher food pantries in Manhattan, it provides weekly (every Monday) staples as well as fresh fruit and vegetables to those in need in our community. For more information or to volunteer, contact Bernice Kahn at bernice.berman@gmail. com.

Cemetery Plots on Paramus, NJ KJ Grounds To purchase burial plots at Beth El cemetery in NJ, visit ckj.org/burialplots. If you would like to speak with someone about this opportunity, please contact Sy Yanofsky in the synagogue office at 212-774-5620 or sy@ckj.org.

DAtes to remember Thursday, November 23 – Friday, November 24 Thanksgiving Day 8:30 AM Morning Services Friday, December 8 Chanukah Services at 7:10 AM Monday, December 11 – Tuesday, December 12

December & January 2023 Date

Nov 24-25 Dec 1-2 Dec 8-9 Dec 15-16 Dec 22-23 Dec 29-30 Jan 5-6

Weekly Parasha

Candle Lighting

Vayetzei Vayishlach Shabbat Mevarchim/ Vayeshev Miketz Vayigash Vayechi Shabbat Mevarchim/ Shemot

4:13 pm 4:11 pm 4:10 pm 4::11 pm 4:13 pm 4:18 pm 4:24 pm

Friday Mincha 4:25 pm 4:20 pm 4:20 pm 4:20 pm 4:05 pm 4:30 pm 4:35 pm

Shabbat Mincha 4:05 pm 4:05 pm 4:05 pm 4:05 pm 4:05 pm 4:15 pm 4:20 pm

Chanukah Services 7:10 AM Wednesday, December 13 Rosh Chodesh Tevet Chanukah Services 7:00 AM

Shabbat Ends 5:11 pm 5:09 pm 5:09 pm 5:10 pm 5:13 pm 5:18 pm 5:24 pm

Thursday, December 14 – Friday, December 15 Chanukah Services 7:10 AM Friday, December 22 Fast of the 10th of Tevet Fast begins 6:05 AM Morning Services 6:50 AM Evening Services 4:05 PM Fast ends 5:06 PM Monday, December 25 Morning Services 8:30 AM Monday, January 1 New Year’s Day Morning Services 8:30 AM

DAILY EVENING SERVICES Nov 26 -30 Dec 3 - 7 Dec 10 - Dec 14

4:25 pm 4:25 pm 4:25 pm

Dec 17 - Dec 21

4:25 pm

Dec 24 - Dec 28

4:30 pm

Dec 31 - Jan 4

4:35 pm

Creative Direction

by Esther Feierman, Custom Art & Graphics

by Rebecca Silverman Read online at ckj.org/shalomkj.

Thursday, January 11 Rosh Chodesh Shevat Morning Services 7:00 AM