We are still looking forward to another wonderful Shabbat, however, we would like to make you aware of a few updates to this Shabbat's morning schedule.
All of our children's Shabbat programming - including Mini Minyan, MKLC Shabbat and our Consecration Ceremony - will take a hiatus until January 2022.
This decision was made in response to the increasing number of Covid-19 cases in the area and our commitment to keeping our congregation safe.
As always, please feel free to reach out to Anita Kraus or Liessa Alperin with any questions.
Anita Kraus,
Interim Director of Operations and Director of Early Childhood Education anita@bnaiamoona.com 314-576-9990 x127
Liessa Alperin, Director of Innovative Learning, Engagement and Youthliessa@bnaiamoona.com 314-576-9990 x116
This Week's Torah Portion is
Vayechi
D'var Torah From Rabbi Carnie Shalom Rose
Each year, as we prepare to read the final Torah portion in the book of Genesis, Parashat Vayechi, I am struck again by the opening verse of the portion:
“And Jacob lived seventeen years in the land of Egypt, so that the total span of Jacob’s lifetime came to one hundred and forty-seven years.”
The question which always gnaws at me is, why would a Torah portion describing the death of a Patriarch be dubbed “Vayechi - and he lived '' as opposed to “Vayamot - and he died?”
As always, there is no shortage of Rabbinic clarifications for this apparent anomaly. Many years ago when I was studying in Jerusalem with my late teacher Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz (of blessed memory), he mentioned how these kinds of verses remind us that the authors and editors of sacred texts are not a bunch of “stuffed shirt old fuddy-duddies”, but rather brilliant minds with equally brilliant senses of humor. Anybody who ignores Rabbinic wit, will undoubtedly miss out on another facet of the genius of our great sages and venerated teachers.
This year as I was reviewing the Torah portion in preparation for Shabbat, I came upon one such exquisite interpretation attributed to Rabbi Yaakov Ben Asher (c. 1269 - c. 1343), also known as Ba'al HaTurim who was an influential Medieval Rabbinic authority:
“Why does the Parshah, which discusses the death of Yaakov, start with the word “Vayechi - And Yaakov lived”? Because the word “Vayechi - And he lived” has the Hebrew Letter numerical value of 34. Yaakov was in the land of the living for a total of 147 years. Of these, “he lived” and he enjoyed almost 34 of these years; the 17 years from the birth of his beloved son Yosef until the point when he was sold as a slave into Egypt, and then another 17 years when he lived in Egypt and was reunited with his cherished son, Yosef”.
Having grown up in the Great White North, and being the son of a feminist poet, I was fortunately exposed to the powerful musings of Canadian poet, Jane Vance Rule (of blessed memory), a somewhat controversial figure in her era, as a writer of lesbian-themed works. Rule once noted:
“It's not the length but the quality of life that matters to me. It has always been important to me to write one sentence at a time, to live every day as if it were my last and judge it in those terms, often badly, not because it lacked grand gesture or grand passion but because it failed in the daily virtues of self-discipline, kindness, and laughter. It is love, very ordinary, human love, and not fear, which is the good teacher and the wisest judge”.
Both the Ba’al HaTurim’s insight and Rule’s writings underscore a similar point. The best moments in our lives – the ones that feel full and teeming with positive energy - are those when we feel we are experiencing a sense of quality. Length of days – Arichat Yamim in Hebrew - can often be a great blessing, but only if those days are filled with meaning, consequence and love. And, as one who has now served my Kehillah for 17 glorious and existentially meaningful years, I look forward to at least 17 more uplifting and inspiring years of service to the people of our Kehilah Kedoshah, our holy community.
As we turn to the final chapters of the Book of Bereshit, the Sefer that initiates all life, I pray that we each will experience many moments when we feel truly alive teeming with Gezunt - vitality and vigor!
May this be God’s Blessings for us as we enter this Holy Day of rest and respite - Amen!
Rabbi Carnie Shalom Rose ravroseba@bnaiamoona.com
314-576-9990 x105
Shabbat Service Schedule & Candle Lighting Times
Shabbat Candlelighting:
Friday, December 17 at 4:24 pm
Havdallah, Saturday, December 18 at 5:12 pm
Friday, December 17 Friday Evening Services with Cantor Sharon Nathanson in the Main Sanctuary: 6:00 pm In-Person, Livestream, FB Live,Kosher Zoom (Password: Shabbat)
Saturday, December 18 Tefillah with Rabbi Carnie Shalom Rose, Cantor Sharon Nathanson and Rabbi Jeffrey Abraham in the Main Sanctuary: 9:00 am
Theatre Ariel's Live Virtal Performance of The Sabbath Girl on Zoom 7:00 pm B'nai Amoona is thrilled to offer our congregation the opportunity to see another fantastic show presented by Theatre Ariel. This special production will be held live on Zoom at 7:00 pm. The show is complimentary, but reservations are required to receive the Zoom link.
The Sabbath Girl, written by Cary Gitter, tells the story of Angie Mastrantoni who has everything going for her—a job at a hip art gallery and a new apartment on the Upper West Side—but doesn't have the time or hope for relationships. Then her neighbor Seth, a divorced Orthodox Jew with a knish store on the Lower East Side, knocks on her door. The Sabbath Girl is a contemporary romantic comedy about the loneliness of big-city life and the possibility of finding love next door.
B’nai Amoona is committed to doing acts to repair the world (Tikkun Olam) and giving back to our community (Tzedakah). We know that many people today are facing unprecedented challenges and are in need of support.
Be part of the positive impact by choosing to support the efforts listed HERE.
Our BA Artist in Residence, Eitan Kantor, continues to host inspirational music-infused events. For a list of Eitan's musical offerings, please clickHERE.
We also ask that you Save The Date for Shabbat Shirah taking place on Shabbat Morning, January 15 at 9:00 am
In Our Community
WE MOURN THE LOSS OF...
Salomón Milgron; uncle of Debbie (Zamir) Eidelman, great-uncle of Alan and Jeffrey Eidelman.
Gertrude Hulbert; beloved wife of Dr. Bernard Hulbert (Z"L); dear mother and mother-in-law of Dr. Laura Goldmeier (Dr. David), Don M. Hulbert, Anita E. Hulbert (Z"L); dear grandmother of Jeremy Goldmeier (Kyle Kratky) and Rachel Goldmeier; dear sister of Nathan Kessler (Z"L) (Sara), Ruth Sandler (Sylvan) (Z"L), and Morris Kessler (Z"L) (Roberta) (Z"L). Dear wife, mother, mother in law, grandmother, sister and friend to many.
Weekday Minyan Information Join us In-Person or on Zoom, BA Livestream or Facebook Live
Special note about Minyan: Morning and Evening Minyan will take place in-person in the Main Sanctuary. Additionally, we will continue to offer virtual options on Zoom, Facebook Live and our BA Livestream Page.
Regular Morning Minyanim Sunday Morning Minyan: 9:00 am Monday - Friday Morning Minyan: 7:00 am In-Person, 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
Regular Evening Minyanim
Sunday - Thursday Evening Minyan: 6:15 pm via Zoom, Livestream, and FB Live Zoom Link:https://zoom.us/j/97924715014 Meeting ID: 979 2471 5014 This Zoom link is for all evening Minyan Services
