Wed 10 Mar 2010
LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
Dear Friends,
This is your final opportunity to pre-order from Toby Press (a division of Koren Publishing Company) a signed copy of Ambassador Yehuda Avner's fascinating new book " The Prime Ministers An Intimate Narrative of Israeli Leadership" which will be waiting for you on the Entrance Floor of The Jerusalem Great Synagogue this Saturday evening prior to the start of our concluding Motzaei Shabbat Social Evening and Lecture Program for 5770. The cost is 100 NIS per book (instead of the regular 129 NIS price). You may order your copy by calling the Koren office at (02) 633-0517, by e-mailing them at ayelet@korenpub.com or by faxing them at 02-633-0534. Ambassador Avner will speak on "Israel's Prime Ministers Past and Present" and will be available after the conclusion of the Program to sign copies of his book that were not pre-ordered. The Program begins at 8:30 P.M.Admission is free. We are delighted that our friend Mr. Fred S. Worms OBE will introduce Ambassador Avner. If you are in our area, this is one program you won't want to miss. We thank those organizations in cooperation with which The Jerusalem Great Synagogue sponsors this series: The Association of Americans and Canadians in Israel (AACI), The Orthodox Union-Israel (OU), Nefesh B'Nefesh, American Israeli Action Coalition (AIAC), Young Israel of Rehavia (Hanassi), Yeshurun Central Synagogue, International Young Israel Movement – Israel Region (IYIM), Council of Young Israel Rabbis in Israel and the Rabbinical Council of America-Israel.
This Friday Evening (March 12), we are once again proud to invite Lone Soldiers to a beautifully catered Shabbat Dinner following our Leil Shabbat services. These Dinners are sponsored by our Synagogue and The Leo V. Berger Fund – Harvey Schwartz, President and Sigmund Kassap, Vice President, our Benefactors. We thank our partners in these Shabbat programs: The Center for Lone Soldiers, Nefesh b'Nefesh, the Yeshurun Central Synagogue and The American Jewish War Veterans Post 180- Jerusalem. We also thank those who support these efforts by their donations, helping to show our appreciation to these young men and women who have become Olim and volunteered to serve in the IDF. Our cost per soldier is $30. We welcome your contributions to assist us in covering the expenses for this very special project. If you are a Lone Soldier and would like to attend the Dinner, please contact Daniel Charter at the Center for Lone Soldiers at 054-206-3321 by Thursday evening.
Have you already sent or brought in your contribution to our Maot Chittim Fund? If yes, please accept our thanks. If no, we would appreciate your taking care of this by the end of this week. We are distributing our assistance on Wednesday, March 17th and thus, time is of the essence. Your Israeli tax deductible contribution checks should be written to "The Jerusalem Great Synagogue" or, if you want to make a USA Tax Deductible contribution of $100 or above, to "The American Friends of The Jerusalem Great Synagogue". At the bottom of the check, please note that it is for Maot Chittim. All contributions should be mailed to The Jerusalem Great Synagogue, POB 7924, Jerusalem 91078, Israel. Thank you for enabling others to have a more joyous Pesach Holiday.
Each year, through the generosity of one of our Officers, a Seder is conducted on Pesach evening (Monday, March 29) in our Beit Midrash Be'er Miriam (Monday, March 29) for any Jewish man, woman or child who would like to participate. There is no charge, the meal is Mehadrin (no kitniyot) and the Haggadah is read in its entirety. The only requirement is that you come to our office during office hours (Sunday-Thursday 9AM to 1 PM) and get an admission ticket from Rabbi Finkelstein which you must have that evening. There is limited space available and we suggest that you make your reservations while space still permits.
Congratulations to The Association of Americans and Canadians in Israel (AACI) on their relocation this week to new quarters at 37 Pierre Koenig Street in Talpiot. In conjunction with their opening weeks' programs, there will be an evening of Chazzanut in their new quarters on Wednesday, March 17th at 7:30 PM with Chief Chazzan Chaim Adler and Maestro Elli Jaffe. Admission is free.
There are many wonderful educational programs in the Jerusalem area for English speakers. One such program, as we prepare for Pesach, will take place on Sunday Evening, March 14, at the neighboring OU Israel Center. Rabbi Dr. Nachum Amsel will speak about his new book "Making Seder of the Seder." For Hebrew speakers, the program will be held on Motzaei Shabbat, March 20 at 8:00 PM in the Neve Orot Synagogue of Ramot Aleph. The book will be available for purchase.
Mazal Tov to our Supporting Members Mechi and Sharon Apfeldorf on the birth of their granddaughter born to their children Sandi and Victor Sack of New York. May the newborn go to Torah, chupah l'ben Torah and maasim tovim and be a constant source of nachat to her family and to all Am Yisrael.
We continue to pray for the good health and immediate release of Gilad ben Aviva Schalit and the other members of the IDF still in captivity. Please add prayers for refua sheleima for those who were injured in terrorist attacks and in the War in Gaza and for Aryeh ben Sarah Leah (Chazzan Aryeh Goldberg), Amiram ben Reina (Amiram Benshimol), Zahava bat Rachel (Zahava Meczes), Channa bat Chaya Devorah (Anna Schlesinger), Bracha Miriam bat Rachel (Miriam Sheinberg), Chaim Ariel ben Vera Devora (Ariel Sharon), Shoshana bat Miriam (Susan Shapiro), Amit Yehuda ben Malka (Dr.Amit Schwartz), Shimon Elimelech ben Sima Rivka (Marc Weinberg), Avraham Yeshayahu ben Aviva (Avraham Yeshayahu Feiner), Shai ben Rachel (Shai Peltz), Miriam Rivkah bat Adina Leah (Miriam Strasberg), Yissachar Dov ben Peshe (Bud Silver), Moshe Avigdor ben Rivkah (Martin Herzog), Penina Rivka Yoela bat Mirel (Penny Bowman), Avichai Avraham ben Sarah Miriam, Gitel Rivka bat Chaya Risa and Chaya Aviva Sarah bat Adel Nechama (Alexandra Morgan Talbot). May they all be blessed with a speedy and complete recovery and enjoy good health for many more years.
Chief Chazzan Chaim Adler will officiate this Friday evening (5:30 PM) and Shabbat morning, Parshiot Vayakhel-Pikuday, Shabbat Parashat HaChodesh and Shabbat Mevorchim (7:55 AM) accompanied by The Jerusalem Great Synagogue Choir conducted by Elli Jaffe. There will be a Kiddush following the Shabbat morning service. If you are in our area, we look forward to greeting you on Shabbat for our Services and on Saturday evening for our Social Evening and Lecture Program.
Shabbat shalom and Chodesh tov.
Asher Schapiro
UPCOMING EVENTS
March 12-13 – Shabbat Parashat Vayakhayl-Pekudei – Shabbat Parashat HaChodesh – Shabbat Mevorchim – Chief Chazzan Chaim Adler will officiate on Friday evening (5:20 PM) and Shabbat morning (7:55 AM) accompanied by our Choir conducted by Elli Jaffe
March 12 – Leil Shabbat Lone Soldiers Dinner following Friday Evening service.
March 13 – 8:30 PM - Motzaei Shabbat Social Evening and Lecture Program – Book Launch and Lecture by Yehuda Avner Topic: "Israel's Prime Ministers – Past and Present" Program in English. Admission Free.
March 15 – 1:00 PM – Tefilot Mincha and Yom Kippur Katan in Beit Midrash Be'er Miriam. Guest Chazzan: Yosef Schwartz
March 17 – 7:30 PM – At AACI – 37 Pierre Koenig Street (4th Floor) – An Evening of Chazzanut with Chief Chazzan Chaim Adler and Maestro Elli Jaffe. Admission is free.
March 19-20 – Shabbat Parashat Vayikra – Chief Chazzan Chaim Adler will officiate on Friday evening (5:35 PM) and Shabbat morning (7:55 AM) accompanied by guest Zimrat Yah Choir conducted by Uri Aharon.
March 27 – 11:00 AM Shabbat Hagadol Drasha in English by Rabbi Ari Berman sponsored by The Jerusalem Great Synagogue and Yeshurun Central Synagogue. The Drasha will take place at the Yeshurun Central Synagogue, 44 King George Street.