Shabbat Toldot Nov 9 - 10, 2007 / Cheshvan 29, 5768
Join us this Shabbat as we read Parshat Toldot from the Torah, we read a special Haftorah and bless the New Moon.
Rosh Chodesh Kislev is this Sunday. Channukah is less than a month away.
KAY Annual Thanksgiving Football game
We meet at the park next to Carmel Creek Elementary school at 10am for a friendly, but fierce game of football. No charge, lots of fun!
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.
KAY's Torah Study Opportunities
Advanced Talmud Class: Men and Women are invited to study high level Talmud. We will be starting this Class after the High Holiday Season. Please speak to Rav Menashe to inquire further and to vote on what will be this year's Talmud tractate for the Kehilla.
KAY Chavurot: Join an informal, social Chavurah study group this year. We are looking for 4 families to volunteer, to make a guest list and to form a rotation of hosts for once a month social Torah meetings about whatever area of Jewish life you are interested in. Please contact Rav Menashe to volunteer.
Work Person's Shiur: Join us every third week for a lunchtime Torah class at Aubrey Meyerowitz's office. 9863 Pacifc Heights Blvd. Suite E SD 92121
Virtual Beit Midrash
Join Jewish communities from all over America for a
monthly study seminar in conjunction with The Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. Please contact Rav Menashe for this very special learning opportunity.
Community events
Fire Relief
The JFS asks that KAY help with two projects: Gift Cards for any store for fire victim families. And Embrace-a-Family for the Holidays program. For more info, log on to http://jfssd.org/page.html?ArticleID=105511
Plugged in Parenting
An exciting new program for Parents to learn how to more effectively parent. There is still time to sign up. Register online at www.lfjcc.org or contact Glenda Jaffe at Glenda@ajesd.org
JCC Jewish Book Fair November 1-10 and the 27th
The Museum of Man – Copper Age Exhibit, featuring Archeology in Israel, runs through February.
Museum of Natural History- Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibit- runs through December.
AIPAC brunch fundraiser - Mar 30
Tickets $50 till December, thereafter $65. Please contact Daniella Lewis 858/603-7553.
Refuah Sheleima
Please contact Rav Menashe to let him know of any family or friends who are ill.
Member news
Happy birthday to Mitchell Shiner (Nov 9), Daniel Murray (Nov 12), Michael Krelstein (Nov 15) and Brett Matus (Nov 15)!
Wedding anniversary - mazal tov to Grant & Dana Katzenellenbogen (Nov 12)!
Yahrzeits - we wish a long life to Ernest Slome (for his mother) and to Freda Swersky (for her son).
Kiddush
Please contact Daniella Lewis at 858/603-7553 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 Nov 9: Candle lighting 4.33 PM
- Sat Nov 10: Shabbat ends 5.33 PM
Thought for the week
A Mother's Love
The Genesis family drama rages on in this week's Torah portion, Toldot. Jacob and Esau are born, fighting from the womb on out and, of course, their personalities develop in stark contrast. Esau, as the Torah describes him, "is a cunning hunter, a man of the field;" while Jacob was a "content man, dwelling in tents." (Genesis 25:27)
In birth and into adolescence and adulthood, the twin brothers could not be more different. How do those differences influence the relationship of the brothers within their own family? Interestingly, Isaac, the father of the twins, prefers Esau "because of his affinity for hunting." (ibid, 28) Isaac and Esau share a unique connection because of a particular quality of Esau's character. It can be suggested that the love of father to son is conditional.
Rebecca, the mother of the twins, simply "loves Jacob." (ibid) There is no modifying clause; Rebecca does not love Jacob because of his wholesome contentment or his honesty. For all we know, when the verse says that Jacob would dwell in tents, maybe Jacob was a loafer, unmotivated and uninspired to live fully. Yet, Rebecca loves Jacob. We would describe this love as unconditional.
The Mishna in Avot suggests a similar notion: "Love which is dependant on a thing, when the thing vanishes, the love vanishes; but love which is dependant on no thing…that love lasts forever." (5:19) How can love which depends on no thing last forever?! When Rebecca dies, the love that she had for her son, Jacob, will die with her?
Herein is the message that, as the children of Rebecca and Jacob, we must carry with us: Unconditional love lasts forever because we bear the torch of unconditional love eternally. In all our interactions, be it with spouse, sibling or stranger, we have a responsibility to find and appreciate the shining essence of that person that we cannot help but love. In Martin Buber's "I-Thou" language, we are called to view each person as an end, rather than a means to suit our ends.
May this Shabbat bring an appreciation of the basic goodness of everyone around us.
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