A Shabbat of Awareness in Support of Reproductive Rights with Special Guest Speaker, Dana Sandweiss
Dana Sandweiss is a licensed attorney, she served on the Board of Planned Parenthood St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri and is a founding member of the Planned Parenthood St. Louis Leadership Circle. She serves on the Advisory Board of It Starts Today Missouri, a crowd-funded initiative to support State legislative nominees and Progress Women, which is a collection of community leaders formed to help empower women for equality, justice, civil rights. Dana is a founding member of Access MO, a Missouri state-wide action committee that supports candidates who publicly embrace and advocate for reproductive healthcare and freedom. Dana is a graduate of FOCUS Leadership St. Louis and Washington University’s Women’s Leadership Forum.
Dana will speak from the Bimah in the Main Sanctuary at 9:30 am, please arrive or tune in early.
This Week's Torah Portion is
Mishpatim
D'var Torah From Rabbi Jeffrey Abraham
Our Parshah this week, Mishpatim, embraces law after law right on the heels of the Ten Commandments. Our foremost commentator, Rashi, points out that Mishpatim should be viewed as a continuation of the previous Parshah, Yitro. Why? How?
The very first word of our parshah is V’eileh. Rashi notes that when the word eileh “these are” begins with a “vav” denoting that it is a continuation or, moseif al horeshonim, an extension of that which preceded it. Here, it is the law we were given at Sinai. The Ten Commandments are the foundational ideals that guide us. How do the seemingly random laws of Mishpatim relate to the monumental principles articulated at Sinai? For this limited purpose, the answer is Mishpatim elucidates the Ten Commandments.
Judaism never intended for its major principles to remain merely conceptual or in the realm of lofty ideals. Our tradition has always taught that our ideals must be put into practice. Without transforming our principles into defined action we can never hope to attain the ultimate vision enunciated in last week’s Parshah that we become “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Exodus 19:6)
We are called upon to heal the sick, welcome the stranger, and extend our reach in all areas of knowledge and wisdom for the betterment of the world. The words that were heard by the Israelites at Sinai are placed into a practical format in Mishapatim. The Parshityot of Yitro and Mishpatim are placed back-to-back because they are really two sides of the same coin: our mission as a people begins with ideals, but it is absolutely critical that these principles be annotated and incorporated into a system that guides our daily life. The paradigms only have meaning when they are translated into engagement. After the recent hostage incident at Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas and the ongoing stresses of the pandemic, we need to be reminded to reach out to one another and be there for each other. Take time to engage with one another, not only checking on our physical health, but mental health as well.
Judaism is more than a religion; it's a way of life. As Herman Wouk (of the Cain Mutiny, Marjorie Morningstar, and the Winds of War) noted in “This is My God” (1959, p. 137): “It is a daily commitment in action to one's faith, a formal choice, a quiet self-discipline.” Each of us in his or her own way is on the same quest.
February is Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month and we will honor JDAIM Shabbat on February 5, 2022 during morning services. Our guest speaker is Dena Tranen, LCSW. Dena is the Founder of The Care Collective as well as the owner and clinical director of The Middle Way Counseling and Consulting.
The women of Kolot are also invited to a special JDAIM & Rosh Chodesh event with Joyce Opinsky and Erin Pernikoff. Joyce and Erin will facilitate a discussion and share their stories of raising children with various support needs. We will also complete a Mitzvah project together. This program will stream live on Zoom February 2, 2022 at 7:00 pm and online registration is required. Click HERE to register.
In Our Community
MAZEL TOV TO... Leslie Rickard and Gary Goldberg on the wedding of their son, Ben Goldberg to Elana Rivkin-Haas, the daughter of Rosalyn Rivkin and Michael Haas of Berkeley, California. Ben is the grandson Eady and Joseph Rickard (Z”L) and Maxine and Herbert Goldberg (Z”L). Elana is the granddaughter of Emilie and Charles Haas (Z”L) and Zelda and Ellis Rivkin (Z”L).
WE MOURN THE LOSS OF...
Jerome (Jerry) Raskas, beloved husband of Nancy (Saks) Raskas; dear father and father-in-law to David (fiance Carol Ann Goodman) Raskas; Evan (Avi) Goldfarb; and Lisa (Josh) Hofheimer; loving grandfather to Jessica and Jaclyn Raskas, Edan and Leor Goldfarb and Jake and Tommy Hofheimer; devoted son of Abraham (Z”L) and Ethel (Z”L) Raskas; brother of Herbert (Z”L) (Cecile) (Z”L), (Betty Lou) Raskas, Shirley (Ray) (Z”L) (Norton) (Z”L) Lieber Kronemer, Sara (Z”L) (Marshall) Myers, and Nancy (Paul) (Z”L) (Howard Blonsky) Agronin. Dear husband, father, father-in-law, grandfather, son, brother, advisor and friend to many.
Weekday Minyan Information Join us In-Person or on Zoom, BA Livestream or Facebook Live
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
