Shabbat Vayechi Dec 21-22, 2007 / Tevet 13, 5768
Winter Vacation
Blessings of safe travel and welcome guests during this winter break.
KAY's Torah Study Opportunities
Work Person's Shiur
Workperson's Class at Aubrey Meyerowitz's office will meet on Wednesday, Jan 9th, 1pm. Address: 9863 Pacific Heights Blvd 92121. This class meets once a month.
Advanced Talmud Class: Men and Women are invited to study high level Talmud. Please speak to Rav Menashe to inquire further.
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
JFS Embrace-a-Family for the Holidays
In our Embrace-a-Family Program, we match families in need with individuals, families, or groups in the community. We provide you with a description of your family, ages of children, and their holiday wish list. Embracers provide toys, clothes, staple food, and gift cards for the family, enabling them to have a more joyous holiday. To learn more about embracing a family contact Melinda Bell at (858) 637-3050 or by email melindab@jfssd.org.
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
Engagement - Heartiest mazal tov to Rav Menashe & Donna on the engagement of Rav's sister, Adinah East to Howie Davis.
Happy birthday to Hayley Saks (Dec 21), Alon Shkedy (Dec 21), Ella Novokolsky (Dec 25), Pam Pamensky (Dec 25) and Michal Pomeranetz (Dec 27)!
Wedding anniversaries - mazal tov to Jacob & Ann Burland (Dec 21), David & Claire Ellman (Dec 21), Ian & Dina Aires (Dec 22) and Alan & Inbar Braude (Dec 24)!
Nesiah Tova to the Aires family on their trip to Israel in
celebration of Justine's bat mitzvah.
Kiddush
Kiddush this Shabbat is sponsored by Selwyn & Barbara Lurie on their safe return from Israel.
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 Dec 21: Candle lighting 4.29 PM
- Sat Dec 22: Shabbat ends 5.29 PM
Making the Same Mistakes
We open this Torah portion, Vayichi, to find Jacob sick and nearing his death. Following the example set by his father, Isaac, Jacob blesses his children, preparing them for a future without him. The new architects of the Jewish community must feel equipped for their challenge.
The first blessings Jacob imparts are not for his children, but for his grandchildren, Menashe and Efraim. As we read the story of the blessings for Menashe and Efraim, we recall a similar scene: Isaac's blessings for his sons Jacob and Esau. Here too, Jacob is aged; his vision failing, groping for his grandchildren, perhaps for embrace, perhaps to be sure who stands before him.
And the similarities continue. With Menashe, the eldest, and Efraim sitting before him, Jacob places his right hand, the dominant hand for blessing, on Efraim's head and the left hand on Menashe's head. Similar to the conflict where Jacob, the youngest, wins his father's blessing, over Esau, his older brother, Jacob, here too, favors the youngest. This pattern of the youngest as the chosen child, while the older siblings are less favored, has been the consistent conflict in each generation of the first Jewish family. Now with the end of an era, Jacob seems to perpetuate this dysfunction by choosing Efraim over Menashe.
In fact, Joseph tries changing the pattern of favoritism: "Not so, father…for the other is first-born, place your right hand on his head." (Genesis 48:18) Joseph lived through a violent sibling rivalry; Joseph bore the brunt of his father's choice. Joseph knows the dangers that lie ahead for the family that feels threatened by its members. Joseph and his brothers righted the wrongs from their past, but Joseph sees his father laying the foundation for the reoccurrence of those wrongs.
Jacob responds: "I know my son, I know…And he blessed them saying ‘through you shall Israel invoke blessing"' (ibid v. 19-20) Jacob reassures Joseph; he understands the consequences of their past. But he stresses to Joseph that the family blessing is this very challenge. The difficulties of the past brought blessing too. Jacob, the sage grandfather, advises Joseph to remain aligned with how the family has always been.
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