Shabbat Yitro Jan 25-26, 2008 / Shevat 19, 5768 
KAY's Torah Study Opportunities
Talmud class
This coming week's Talmud Shiur will meet at 8pm on Tue 1/29. Next week, 2/5, there will be no class.
Workperson's Shiur at Aubrey Meyerowitz's office will be held next on Wednesday, February 13th at 12:45pm. 9863 Pacific Heights, 92121.
KAY Chavurot: Join an informal, social Chavurah study group this year. Meet once a month for social Torah meetings about whatever area of Jewish life you are interested in. Please contact Rav Menashe.
Community events
Men's Event
Sign up for the Men's Event with KAY's Table. January 24th, 5:30 pm. This year's guest lecturer, Alan Dershowitz. http://sandiego.ujcfedweb.org/page.html?ArticleID=157988.
Contact Ian Aires at 858/481-2706.
Limmud: Community Day of Learning
Hosted by the AJE. Sunday, January 27th, 7:30am-3:30pm at the LFJCC
2008 Options
Guest Speaker: Anita Diamant - February 5th, 10am-1pm. All women from the community are encouraged to attend this annual UJF fundraising event; for more info: contact jessicah@ujfsd.org
SD Jewish Film Festival
Hosted by the Center for Jewish Culture at the LFJCC. Begins February 7th thru February 17th. For more info, go to www.lfjcc.org/sdjff
AIPAC brunch fundraiser - Mar 30
Tickets $50 till December, thereafter $65. Please contact Daniella Lewis 858/603-7553.
JCC Maccabi Games
The JCC Maccabi Games are coming to San Diego next summer, August 3-8, 2008. This Olympic-style event provides a unique combination of sports, cultural and social activities and will be the largest Jewish event in San Diego's history. The JCC Maccabi Games offer a transforming and powerful experience to Jewish teens by integrating sports with Jewish identity and values. The Games will welcome over 1,500 Jewish teen athletes, their families and friends, more than 1,000 volunteers and 650 host families. To learn more and to get involved as an athlete, host family, coach or volunteer, visit www.sdmaccabi.org or contact Gill Hoffman at Gillianpt@hotmail.com.
Kef Li San Diego
Connect to Israel from San Diego. Check out this website for Israel-inspired programs for the whole family, year round. www.keflisandiego.org Contact Jennie Starr for more
info 858-245-9375 or jennie@keflisandiego.org.
Refuah Sheleima
Please contact Rav Menashe to let him know of any family or friends who are ill.
Member news
New members - we are delighted to welcome our new members James & Shannon Love & Family and Sam & Anna (Gillian) Sher!
Birth - a hearty mazal tov to Grant & Dana Katzenellenbogen and all their family on the birth of a little baby boy!
Happy birthday to Elan Hoffman (Jan 31) and Nadav Kempinski (Jan 31)!
Wedding anniversary - mazal tov to Yitschak & Avril Pomeranetz!
Yahrzeits - we wish a long life to Israel Zingerevich (for his mother) and to Brad Zlotnick (for his father).
Kiddush
Kiddush this Shabbat is sponsored by Selwyn & Barbara Lurie in memory of Selwyn's brother, Harold.
Please contact Barbara Lurie at 858/792-7942 if you would like to sponsor kiddush on Shabbat morning.
Membership registration
Your support is vital! Please complete and send in your membership form as soon as possible. To discuss your monthly contribution in strict confidence, please contact Geoff Patz at 858/733-3777. All donations are tax deductible and should be made payable to Kehillat Ahavat Yisrael and mailed to 13030 Brixton Place, San Diego CA 92130-1325. Thank you for your support!
Shabbat services
Friday night services: 6.15 pm. Shabbat morning: 9.30 am. Children's service 10.30 am. Services are held every week in the Bet Midrash of the San Diego Jewish Academy's Carmel Valley campus. Please see our web site for more information and directions.
Shabbat times
- Fri Jan 25: Candle lighting 4.55 PM
- Sat Jan 26: Shabbat ends 5.56 PM
Thought for the week
"I am the Lord, Your G-d"
Of the five books of Moses, this Shabbat we read the most significant of all the Torah portions, Parsaht Yitro. In this reading, G-d relates the Ten Commandments from atop Mount Sinai. As the moment of revelation by
G-d to the Jewish people, this event takes on enormous significance. And the first words which G-d utters to any group of people: "I am the Lord, your
G-d, who brought you out of Egypt, from bondage," become incredibly meaningful in defining our relationship to G-d. (Exodus 20:2) This command carries such weight that Midrash Rabba, usually exhaustive in its comments on the Torah portion, does not expound on any of the other nine commandments. (Shemot Rabba 29)
When examining this commandment, the challenge that arises is of performance. After all, the Jewish living centers on the observance of mitzvoth, commandments. Yet, the first of the Ten Commandments is a statement: ‘I am the Lord…' How do we observe such a command?
We will examine the application of this commandment through the lenses of the classic argument between two Sefardic, medieval rabbinic authorities, Rambam and Ramban. In his work, Sefer Hamitzvot, Rambam enumerates, in order of importance, the list of the 613 commandments. The first positive commandment that Rambam lists is this one: ‘I am the Lord.' And this commandment is fulfilled through our belief in G-d. When we believe that G-d is the cause and reason for existence, we fulfill the first commandment. (Positive Command #1)
In his comments on Rambam's book of commandments, Ramban challenges this interpretation. The mitzvoth, Ramban suggests, are active behaviors, fulfilled by performance or avoidance. By that definition, belief would not be classified as a commandment since it cannot be measured in action. Rather, Ramban expands belief beyond the limits of one command; it must be our overarching consciousness as we perform all mitzvoth. (Positive Command #1)
On the Shabbat of revelation, may this be a time to examine the importance of belief in our lives.
Shabbat Shalom Umevorach,
Rav Menashe
Kehillat Ahavat Yisrael (Love of Israel - the nation and the land) is a warm, caring Orthodox community welcoming Jews of all backgrounds to personal exploration and growth within Judaism. Our name symbolizes our passionate love for both fellow Jews and the State of Israel. Please feel free to forward this email to anyone who you think might be interested. Let us know at any time if you'd like to be removed from this email list.
Contact information:
Rabbi: Rav Menashe and Donna East 858/605-1111
Board:
- President: Michael Lurie 858/794-8278
- Marketing: Ian Aires 858/481-2706
- At large: Barbara Berkovich 858/353-1420
- Programs: Gary Lewis 858/538-2330
- Programs: Jeff Max 858/481-7627
- Finance: Selwyn Lurie 858/792-7942
- Ladies: Barbara Lurie 858/792-7942
- Membership: Geoff Patz 858/733-3777