D'var Torah From Rabbi Neal Rose
Parshat Behar-Bechukotai & Shabbat Mevarchim
This week we finish reading the Book of Leviticus, the third book of the Chumash.
This book provides us with a vision of how our Biblical ancestors wished to organize their lives in the land of Israel. They, like us, realized that a full and meaningful life required a lifestyle that would overcome the chaos inherent in human existence.
Let’s assume that the introduction to Leviticus is found in the first chapter of the Bible, in the book of Genesis. As you'll will remember, the opening verses tell us that before God created the world, things were chaotic and without form, a kind of watery “mess”. Then God spoke the world into existence.
Day by day the primordial chaos transformed into an organized reality. God’s blueprint is relflected in the details found in the Book of Leviticus… a way of life that is in search of Holiness and goodness.
The pandemic has shown me that to live well we need a plan; a plan to help us face and overcome the very real chaos that is our world. Metaphorically, we are facing the same dilemma that God experienced at the moment before creation.
We can either create a solid life plan or we become part of that original watery mess that God faced before creating the world.
While many of the details in Leviticus reflect a world very different from our own, one thing is clear… the intent was to create a life path that engendered Holiness and goodness.
When our descendants recall the world that we helped form out of chaos, will they be able to say that we intentionally shaped our world based on Holiness and goodness?
maybe it happened like this
*Shekinah sighed
a serpentine sound
a plaintive moan that wrapped
the firmament
like a chrysalis
(in shimmering shades
of cinnamon & gold
like a maple leaf
from an earlier season
dying)
maybe that sound
is echoing still
through galaxies
through clusters of stars
shaping our future
*Shekinah - Hebrew for the Feminine face of the Divine
Shabbat Spotlight
Shabbat Candlelighting:
Friday, May 7 at 7:41 pm
Havdallah, Saturday, May 8 at 8:30 pm
Please click the links below for this week's Torah and Haftarah commentary
Jonah Stolker is the son of Sarah and Joshua Stolker, and the younger brother of Jacob and Julia. Grandparents are Richard & Helen Stolker, Nancy & Rob Matheny, and Joseph & Karen Webster.
When we have Congregants participating in Services from their homes via Zoom on Friday and Saturday Evenings, we recognize that the audio may be difficult to hear on our Livestream or Facebook Live. To insure you hear all of our wonderful participants, we highly encourage you to join our services via Zoom. The links to join in on Zoom are provided in the schedule below.
If you need help connecting to our services or classes via Zoom, please contact Liessa Alperin atliessa@bnaiamoona.com. Todah Rabbah!
Friday, May 7
Friday Evening Services & Confirmation Ceremony with Cantor Sharon Nathanson in the Guller Chapel: 6:00 pm
Our B’nai Amoona’s Minyan Program consists of our amazing, dedicated Minyannaires who assure warm and welcoming ongoing daily Minyanim, morning and evening. These services support those in our community who have lost loved ones and may be feeling lonely and isolated. Our BA virtual Minyanim are a constant source of strength and comfort for those who wish to recite the Kaddish. Moreover, our Minyanim are a wonderful opportunity for spiritual uplift, social connection, community building, and the ability to fulfill one's daily Chiyuv, duty, to thank God for all that we have. This combination of Kehillah and Kibbitzing allows up to remain spiritually connected despite being socially distant. All are warmly welcomed! Please join us!
Virtual Morning Services and Minyanim
Sunday - Morning Minyan will take place virtually at 9:00 am
Monday - Friday Morning Minyan will take place virtually at 7:00 am
via Zoom, Livestream and FB Live
Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/97189645201
Meeting ID: 971 8964 5201 This Zoom link is for all morning Minyan Services
Please mark your calendars: We will honor our Minyanaires during Shavuot Day 1 Services taking place on Monday, May 17, 2021 at 9:00 am. Please see below for more information.
We invite you to join in the celebration of Shavuot with your B'nai Amoona family. We have virtual and in-person opportunities the whole family will enjoy.
Please click HEREto visit our Shavuot Webpage for information about our Services and events.
We Will Honor Our Minyanaires During Shavuot
Shalom,
We want to honor all of you! You have all been so flexible and loyal in helping support our Minyanaire Community this past year during the pandemic. We could not have done it without you. Minyanaires will be honored on the first day of Shavuot, Monday, May 17, 2021. We would like everyone to register and consider coming in person Monday morning.
You can register by clickingHERE, if you need assistance is signing up, please just ask.
Shalom! Registration for in-person Shabbat Morning Services is now open to the congregation when there is NO Bar or Bat Mitzvah taking place. We are, at the recommendation of our physicians, currently permitting to 100 people in our Sanctuary and those spots are reserved initially for the family and friends of the Bar or Bat Mitzvah. If we should have space available on a particular Shabbat morning and after confirming with the Bat/Bar family, we will post that information via our website and registration will be available for members of the B’nai Amoona family.
In addition, we are now permitting up to 50 participants in-person for our Friday Night and Saturday afternoon services in the Guller Chapel. Because of Bar and Pre Bar and Bat Mitzvah Participations, we will be following the same process as Shabbat Morning Services; the family will be given the option of inviting 50 guests to attend and then will let us know how many openings they have. We will then post that information for registration on our website.
Currently, we have B’nai Mitzvah scheduled each Shabbat morning through June, but we are taking reservations for upcoming Friday Night and Saturday Afternoon/Evening Services as well as Shavuot Services (please see below for dates). We anticipate more services being open and available for registration. Please watch for your emails as various Services open up. As always, we encourage everyone to join our Services virtually, on Facebook Live and Livestream, if you are not able to join us live in Shul!
Todah Rabbah for your understanding and support as we inch ever closer to our new normal!
You may now register for in-person Services on the following dates:
Friday Night, May 7, 2021 at 6:00 pm
Saturday Afternoon/Evening, May 8, 2021 at 7:30 pm
Friday Night, May 14, 2021 at 6:00 pm
Saturday Afternoon/Evening, May 15, 2021 at 7:30 pm
Special Edition of Fresh Eyes on Ancient Teachings with Guest Speaker, Rabbi Dr. Alfredo Borodowski, MSW this Monday, May 10
Rabbi Dr. Alfredo Borodowski, MSW, was raised in Argentina, where he earned his law degree at the University of Buenos Aires, receiving ordination at the Seminario Latinoamericano. He received a doctorate in Philosophy from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, where he taught for over a decade. He is a graduate of the Melton Senior Educators Program at Hebrew University. He participated at the Kellog School of management for Jewish leaders. He is a graduate of Rabbis Without Borders. Rabbi Alfredo graduated from Adelphi Social Work School and was awarded the 2016 Inspired Award. He served as the Executive Director of the Shalom Hartman Institute. His book Isaac Abravanel on Miracles, Creation, Prophecy, and Evil was positively received in academic circles.
Rabbi Borodowski is the founding Rabbi of Congregation Sulam Yaakov in Larchmont, NY.
Congregation B'nai Amoona's
"Lehrhaus" - Adult Education Institute
Please click the button below for a list of our Adult Education Opportunities including class schedules, descriptions, registration information, and Zoom links. Please note our newest classes.
Our New 2021-2022 BAUSY Board:
Co-Presidents: Ilana Boyer and Alyssa Smith
Executive VP: Aydan Bricker
Israel Affairs VP: Nadav Snir
Religious Education VP: Alyssa Weisenberg
Social Action/Tikkun Olam VP: Sarah Hirsch
Membership Kadima VP: Mitchell Smith
Communications VP: Lily Rosenzweig
WE MOURN THE LOSS OF...
Jay A. Shucart; husband of Sheila Ellen Shucart; father of Heather (Brant) Miederhoff and Matthew (Jennee) Shucart; grandfather of Madison and Brayden Miederhoff, Lorelei, Eli and Andrew Shucart; brother of Mickey (Howard) Reiss and Bruce (Carolyn) Shucart. Beloved uncle, great-uncle, friend and cousin.
Terry Kassoff; mother of Andy Kassoff and Brooke (Barak) Krengel and grandmother of two granddaughters. Terry was a former teacher in the Linda Rotskoff Early Childhood Center and loved by her students and their families.
Jewish tradition teaches “Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh Bazeh,” meaning that we are all
responsible for each other (B.Talmud Shevuot 39a).
Our B'nai Amoona Klei Kodesh is proud to join other local Jewish spiritual leaders in issuingTHIS STATEMENTin favor of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, continuing to wear a mask and practice social distancing as recommended by the CDC and other medical and other public health authorities.
As more people receive the Covid-19 vaccine, we encourage you to download and print the prayers below. We recommend you say them when you receive your vaccination.
