News Posts

WORDS OF INSPIRATION FROM OUR SENIOR RABBI

Shalom BA Friends!

These days, as we find ourselves surrounded by so much loss of life, we cannot help but think about those who have come before us. As we all know, each death we experience reverberates deeply within us and reminds us of other moments when we found ourselves confronting the demise of beloved and respected parents, teachers, family members and friends.

This week, as we prepare to read the double Torah portion of Behar-Bechuchotai, I am reminded of the late Prof. Eliezer Slomovic, with whom I had the great fortune to study during my years at the American Jewish University in Los Angeles (now the AJU).

I once accompanied Professor Slomovic to the Shivah of a significant philanthropist and life-long supporter of the Jewish People. This memorial service took place just days before we were about to read the Torah portion which will be read this Shabbat in synagogues all over the world. Dr. Slomovic - an insightful and gentle teacher - was asked by the family of the deceased to share some words of Torah in his memory. And the beautiful teaching that he shared that day remains as fresh in my mind today, as on the day that I first heard it.

Our Torah portion opens with the words: "The Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai - Vayedaber Adonai El Moshe Behar Sinai". My teacher went on to explain that there are three distinct ways in which to apprehend the opening words of this Parashah. 1) Behar 2) Sinai and 3) Behar Sinai, and each term comes to teach us something important about the kinds of people we should aspire to become.

Behar, which literally means "on the mountain top", connotes the notion of elevation. Every human being should see themselves as an elevated and transcendent being created in the image of the Divine and possessing the power to do great and wondrous things.

Sinai is the name given to the mountain because it was the mountain upon which Moses encountered the lowly “Sneh”, the bush that burned but was not consumed and out of which the Almighty revealed Godself to Moses and commissioned him to serve as the liberator of our ancestors, the ancient Israelites, from Egyptian bondage. Each of us must see ourselves as a lowly shrub awaiting the moment when we might be called upon, despite our minuteness, to fulfill our destiny and do God’s work.

And finally, Behar Sinai, suggests a synthesis. Each of us is to be both humble, unassuming and unpretentious, and also confident, bold and audacious. If we are going to serve humanity to the fullest of our potential, we must have the ability to at once bring uplift to ourselves and those in our orbit and simultaneously be open to the possibility of inspiration and our truest calling emerging from unexpected and even “lowly and modest” places.

In these troubling times, we would be wise to heed the words of my much beloved and missed teacher. Let us be, in the right measure, both bold and self-effacing, audacious and restrained. For it is only when we bring together Behar, elevation, and Sinai, humility, that we will be able to help address the challenges that are currently set before us.

May our Parshiot inspire us to be Behar-Sinai, living lives committed to integration, synthesis, and eventually, wholeness and holiness!

With blessings for an inspired Shabbat,
​​​​​​​
Rabbi Carnie Shalom Rose,
RavRoseBA@bnaiamoona.com

314-578-4115

Keep an eye out for an important survey
coming to your inbox soon from our Treasurer, Alan Fine.

For safety and security reasons, please remember to use this "Members Only" page of our website to access Zoom links for our Services, classes and programs. You will be required you to use your ShulCloud account login for access. Click HERE for a refresher on how to reset your password. If you need help accessing your ShulCloud account, please contact Tanya Spivey at 314-576-9990 x142 or by emailing tanya@bnaiamoona.com.

Parshat Parshat Behar-Bechukotai
Candlelighting: Friday, May 15 at 7:49 pm
Shabbat Ends: Saturday, May 16 at 8:38 pm

Join Cantor Sharon this Friday night with your Shabbat candles, grape juice, and Challah.  We will chant the blessings and joyously bring in Shabbat together.​​​​​​​

Please click the links below for this week's Torah and Haftarah commentary

USCJ Torah and Haftarah Commentary, TORAH SPARKS

JTS Torah Commentary Podcast

AJU Ziegler School Rabbinic Studies Weekly Torah Portion Commentary

Friday, May 15

Morning Minyan with Rabbi Carnie Shalom Rose: 7:00 am

Meeting link: https://zoom.us/j/97189645201
Meeting ID: 971 8964 5201
also via Livestream and FB Live 

​​​​​​​Join Cantor Sharon with your Shabbat candles,
Kiddush Cup and grape juice, Washing Cup and Towel, your Challah and an open heart.  
Starting this week, we will chant the Shabbat blessings and joyously bring in the Shabbat together with Andrew Ryan participating: 6:00 pm

Meeting link: https://zoom.us/j/113973471
Meeting ID: 113 973 471
also via Livestream and FB Live 

Candle Lighting: 7:49 pm

Saturday, May 16
Shabbat Services with Cantor Sharon Nathanson: 9:00 am

via Livestream and FB Live 

Saturday Evening Services with Cantor Sharon Nathanson: 7:45 pm
via Livestream and FB Live 

Sunday, May 17

Morning Minyan with Cantor Sharon Nathanson: 9:00 am

Meeting link: https://zoom.us/j/97189645201
Meeting ID: 971 8964 5201
also via Livestream and FB Live 

Evening Minyan with Cantor Sharon Nathanson: 6:15 pm

Meeting link: https://zoom.us/j/97924715014
Meeting ID:  979 2471 5014

also via Livestream and FB Live 

Monday, May 18

Morning Minyan with Rabbi Josef Davidson

with Meir Armoza reading Torah: 7:00 am

Meeting link: https://zoom.us/j/97189645201
Meeting ID: 971 8964 5201
also via Livestream and FB Live

Evening Minyan with Rabbi Carnie Shalom Rose: 6:15 pm

Meeting link: https://zoom.us/j/97924715014
Meeting ID:  979 2471 5014

also via Livestream and FB Live 

Tuesday, May 19

Morning Minyan with Rabbi Carnie Shalom Rose: 7:00 am

Meeting link: https://zoom.us/j/97189645201
Meeting ID: 971 8964 5201
also via Livestream and FB Live

Evening Minyan with Rabbi Josef Davidson and
Alyssa Smith Davening: 6:15 pm

Meeting link: https://zoom.us/j/97924715014
Meeting ID:  979 2471 5014

also via Livestream and FB Live 

Wednesday, May 20

Morning Minyan with Rabbi Josef Davidson: 7:00 am

Meeting link: https://zoom.us/j/97189645201
Meeting ID: 971 8964 5201
also via Livestream and FB Live 

Evening Minyan with Rabbi Carnie Shalom Rose and
Mitchell Smith Davening: 6:15 pm

Meeting link: https://zoom.us/j/97924715014
Meeting ID:  979 2471 5014

also via Livestream and FB Live 

Thursday, May 21

Morning Minyan with Rabbi Josef Davidson
with Meir Armoza reading Torah: 7:00 am

Meeting link: https://zoom.us/j/97189645201
Meeting ID: 971 8964 5201
also via Livestream and FB Live 

Evening Minyan with Rabbi Carnie Shalom Rose and
Ellior Rose Davening: 6:15 pm

Meeting link: https://zoom.us/j/97924715014
Meeting ID:  979 2471 5014

also via Livestream and FB Live 

Friday, May 22

Morning Minyan with Rabbi Carnie Shalom Rose: 7:00 am

Meeting link: https://zoom.us/j/97189645201
Meeting ID: 971 8964 5201
also via Livestream and FB Live 

To join us on Zoom, click one of the meeting links above, or dial  +1 312 626 6799 and enter the meeting ID when prompted

Keep an eye on your inbox - the Zoom link for Sisterhood Shabbat will be sent out at a later date.

BA LEHRHAUS ADULT EDUCATION

Sunday, May 17
A Thinking Person's Judaism - 10:15 - 11:30 am
Facilitated by Rabbi Neal Rose via Zoom, Livestream and our BA Facebook Page 

Meeting Link:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83132373373

Introduction to Judaism - 2:00 – 3:30 pm;
Facilitated by Rabbi Neal Rose via Zoom, Livestream and our BA Facebook Page
Meeting Link: https://zoom.us/j/96231858144
Meeting ID: 962 3185 8144
or join by phone: 312-626-6799 and enter the meeting ID above

Monday, May 18
Ask the Rabbi - 5:00 pm
Facilitated by Rabbi Carnie Shalom Rose via Zoom, Livestream 
and our BA Facebook Page
Meeting Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83675949298

Tuesday, May 19
Encountering Mystery - 10:30 - 11:45 am
Facilitated by Carol Rose via Zoom (Pre-registration required)

Wednesday, May 20

Comparative Religions: An Exploration of Faiths 10:00 - 11:30 am
Facilitated by Rabbi Neal Rose via Zoom, Livestream and our BA Facebook Page
Meeting link: https://zoom.us/j/96450058878
Meeting ID: 964 5005 8878

or join by phone: 312-626-6799 and enter the meeting ID above

Thursday, May 21
Yiddish Class: A Class for Beginners and All Who Enjoy a Bissel of Yiddish!

10:00 - 11:00 am
Facilitated by Rabbi Neal Rose via Zoom, Livestream and our BA Facebook Page
Meeting link: https://zoom.us/j/93550205147​​​​​​​
Meeting ID: 935 5020 5147

or join by phone: 312-626-6799 and enter the meeting ID above

Midtown Midrash: 12:00 - 1:30 pm
Facilitated by Rabbi Neal Rose via Zoom, Livestream and our BA Facebook Page
Meeting link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84731905422
Meeting ID: 847 3190 5422

or join by phone: 312-626-6799 and enter the meeting ID above

Friday, May 22
Torah for Today: 12:00 - 1:00 pm
Facilitated by Rabbi Neal Rose via Zoom, Livestream and our BA Facebook Page
Meeting link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87876230450
Meeting ID: 878 7623 0450

or join by phone: 312-626-6799 and enter the meeting ID above

Questions? Please contact Liessa Alperin at 314-324-0936 or liessa@bnaiamoona.com

SCHOOL-AGE FAMILIES

LRECC

Our LRECC teachers are creating videos from our classroom and specialist teachers to be uploaded via Facebook, using Zoom to do virtual class activities with their students, and Face Timing students and/or parents as needed.  Anyone is welcome to join our  LRECC Facebook page. This page is where you can connect to other parents and view uploads, etc. If you are not a current LRECC family, but would like your child included in our virtual classes, please email Anita Kraus, anita@bnaiamoona.com, with your contact information. 

JEWISH FAMILY SERVICES

We are proud to be partnering with the Jewish Federation, Jewish Family Services and all area congregations in a coordinated effort to help those hit hardest by this pandemic. 
 
If you would like to volunteer with Jewish Family Services to help members of the community get needed groceries or medicine, please contact Jeremy Goldberg, JFS Volunteer Coordinator directly at 314-513-1679 or jgoldberg@jfcs-stl.org.

ELDERLINK

If you are 65 years of age or older and would like to reach out directly to Jewish Family Services for support, you can contact Lori Zimmerman with ElderLinks St. Louis at  lzimmerman@jfsstl.org  or 314-812-9300.

Be a Jewel & Pay it Forward! As an act of Chesed, BA Sisterhood invites you to participate in their annual Mitvah fundraiser. Your contribution will help Sisterhood in the  many ways they support our congregation and community. Please click the image for more information.

SISTERHOOD BOOK CLUB

B'nai Amoona's Sisterhood has a Book Group that we share with Kol Rinah's Sisterhood. Meetings are on the 4th Thursday of each month from 10:00 - 11:30 am. We are currently using a Zoom format. Reminders and Zoom information will be sent out prior to each meeting.  New members are always welcome!  You do not need to attend every month nor is it required that you have read (or finished reading) the book selection for the month. Just come when you can!

For more information on the Book Group and author events,

please call Enid Weisberg-Frank at 314-576-2864.

WE MOURN THE LOSS OF...
Doris Grossman; beloved wife of Leroy J. Grossman (Z"L); dear mother and mother-in-law of Karen (Jerry) Tabak, Ellen Grossman (Z"L) and Marcene (Doug) Menendez; treasured grandmother of Rachel Tabak (Marty Schoen), Michael Tabak (Liz Mandeville), Emily (Kyle) Fetick and Matthew (Caroline) Menendez; dear great-grandmother of Frances (Frankie) Tabak, Ana and Miriam Schoen, Fallon Menendez and Sadie Fetick; dear sister of Stanley (Jan) Boraz, and Betty (Anthony) Urban and the Harold (Celeste) Boraz (Z"L); dear sister-in-law of the late Marvin (Myra) Grossman. Our dear aunt, great-aunt, cousin, and friend.

To view and print our Misheberach List, please click HERE.

Please click HERE for our Yahrzeit list for the week of

May 16 - May 22

Happy Birthday to:

May 16 - May 22

Happy Anniversary to:
May 16 - May 22

Jeffrey & Laura Dardick
Robert & Elana Hacker
Mark & Elise Krug
Joseph & Amanda Leibu
Joel & Marcia Levy
Marvin & Marlene Rosengarten
Alan & Marilyn Sachs
Mark & Marci Thal