Shabbat Bo Jan 11-12, 2008 / Shevat 5, 5768
This week we welcomed the New Month of Shevat; Tuesday, January 22nd we observe Tu B'shvat, the festival of the trees. Kiddush Levana, the Blessing of the visible waxing of the new moon is recited Saturday eve, after Shabbat.
KAY's Torah Study Opportunities
Talmud Class: Talmud class begins this Tuesday eve, Jan 15th at 730pm. Meeting on the Academy campus. Open to all. 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
The Blessing of a Broken Heart January 4-20 2008
See live theatre in San Diego with Jewish and Israeli content. This world-premiere drama is the stunning true story of a young American mother who moves her family from Maryland to the wilderness of Israel in search of meaning and adventure only to be immersed in the storm of a 3,000 year-old struggle. Purchase Tickets Online at www.sandiegorep.com or Call (619) 544-1000.
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
Happy birthday to Claire Ellman (Jan 14), Barbara Berkovich (Jan 16), Gabriela Kramer (Jan 16), Noa Zingerevich (Jan 16) and Mark Rabinowitz (Jan 17).
Yahrzeits - we wish a long life to Neville Stanger (for his father), to Gil Berkovich (for his grandmother), to Jeff Max (for his father), to Geoff Patz (for his father) and to Israel Zingerevich (for his father).
Kiddush
Kiddush this Shabbat is sponsored by Jacob & Ann Burland to wish all congregants a peaceful and healthy Shabbat.
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 11: Candle lighting 4.43 PM
- Sat Jan 12: Shabbat ends 5.44 PM
Thought for the week
The First of All the Mitzvot
At the start of the Torah, the Rabbis asked the important question: Why did the Torah begin with the story of creation; the Torah should have started with the first mitzvah, G-d's first command to the people of Israel? (Yalkut Shimoni, Bo, 187) This Shabbat, we finally arrive at that point where the Torah could have begun with the mitzvah: "This month shall be for you the first of all months." (Exodus, 12:2)
As firsts are often models for everything that follows, this mitzvah, establishing a calendar, carries messages that influence our relationship to all of G-d's commandments. Though rabbinic tradition offers many scores of insightful comments, we will focus on two in particular.
The first concerns partnership. G-d delivers this command to sanctify the new month to Moses and Aaron. The Talmud views this as essential: even the greatest scholar can not offer witness to the new month alone, but must do so with another. (TB Rosh Hashana 25b) Beyond the testimony, declaring the month anew must be done by a Jewish court, consisting of three members. Here, G-d delivers the command to Moses and Aaron, while G-d Himself presides, as it were, as the third judge. The Midrash makes an astonishing comment: To what man decrees, G-d agrees. (Shemot Rabba 15:20) The first mitzvah in the Torah teaches us that the fullest fulfillment will be when brothers and sisters partner with each other and when humanity partners with G-d.
The second rabbinic teaching derived from the first mitzvah is of timing. This first commandment was delivered just weeks before the Jew's exodus from servitude in Egypt. The Midrash relates a parable: A king stores his most precious jewels for his child, waiting until the child grows up. When the child matures, the king relates: ‘All this time, I've watched the treasures on your behalf, now that you've grown, I present them to you.' (ibid, 15:30)
For many years of exile and oppression, the people were not ready for the gift of mitzvoth, but now on the eve of redemption, Israel has matured. G-d can share the mitzvot with Israel. In this sense, when we are ready to receive them, the mitzvot will enrich and adorn 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
KAY's Torah Study Opportunities
Talmud Class: Talmud class begins this Tuesday eve, Jan 15th at 730pm. Meeting on the Academy campus. Open to all. 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
The Blessing of a Broken Heart January 4-20 2008
See live theatre in San Diego with Jewish and Israeli content. This world-premiere drama is the stunning true story of a young American mother who moves her family from Maryland to the wilderness of Israel in search of meaning and adventure only to be immersed in the storm of a 3,000 year-old struggle. Purchase Tickets Online at www.sandiegorep.com or Call (619) 544-1000.
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
Happy birthday to Claire Ellman (Jan 14), Barbara Berkovich (Jan 16), Gabriela Kramer (Jan 16), Noa Zingerevich (Jan 16) and Mark Rabinowitz (Jan 17).
Yahrzeits - we wish a long life to Neville Stanger (for his father), to Gil Berkovich (for his grandmother), to Jeff Max (for his father), to Geoff Patz (for his father) and to Israel Zingerevich (for his father).
Kiddush
Kiddush this Shabbat is sponsored by Jacob & Ann Burland to wish all congregants a peaceful and healthy Shabbat.
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 11: Candle lighting 4.43 PM
- Sat Jan 12: Shabbat ends 5.44 PM
Thought for the week
The First of All the Mitzvot
At the start of the Torah, the Rabbis asked the important question: Why did the Torah begin with the story of creation; the Torah should have started with the first mitzvah, G-d's first command to the people of Israel? (Yalkut Shimoni, Bo, 187) This Shabbat, we finally arrive at that point where the Torah could have begun with the mitzvah: "This month shall be for you the first of all months." (Exodus, 12:2)
As firsts are often models for everything that follows, this mitzvah, establishing a calendar, carries messages that influence our relationship to all of G-d's commandments. Though rabbinic tradition offers many scores of insightful comments, we will focus on two in particular.
The first concerns partnership. G-d delivers this command to sanctify the new month to Moses and Aaron. The Talmud views this as essential: even the greatest scholar can not offer witness to the new month alone, but must do so with another. (TB Rosh Hashana 25b) Beyond the testimony, declaring the month anew must be done by a Jewish court, consisting of three members. Here, G-d delivers the command to Moses and Aaron, while G-d Himself presides, as it were, as the third judge. The Midrash makes an astonishing comment: To what man decrees, G-d agrees. (Shemot Rabba 15:20) The first mitzvah in the Torah teaches us that the fullest fulfillment will be when brothers and sisters partner with each other and when humanity partners with G-d.
The second rabbinic teaching derived from the first mitzvah is of timing. This first commandment was delivered just weeks before the Jew's exodus from servitude in Egypt. The Midrash relates a parable: A king stores his most precious jewels for his child, waiting until the child grows up. When the child matures, the king relates: ‘All this time, I've watched the treasures on your behalf, now that you've grown, I present them to you.' (ibid, 15:30)
For many years of exile and oppression, the people were not ready for the gift of mitzvoth, but now on the eve of redemption, Israel has matured. G-d can share the mitzvot with Israel. In this sense, when we are ready to receive them, the mitzvot will enrich and adorn 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