Author: Matilda Cohen

THE BULLETIN

Jan, -Feb., 2019 Shevat/Adar I, 5779
Vol.17. No. 3 Rabbi Gerald M. Solomon
Cantor Aaron Katz

Coming Events

Wednesday, January 2, 2019
Rabbi Solomon’s classes will begin.
TOPIC: God, the Jews and History.
A six week study.
Wednesdays: January 2, 9, 16, 23. 30 &
February 6, followed by a light collation.
Monday, January 7, 2019
Rabbi Solomon’s classes will begin.
TOPIC: Great Jewish Minds
A six week study.
Mondays: January 7, 14, 21, 28, February 4
& 11 followed by a light luncheon.

Saturday, January 12, 2019
The 9th Annual Rabbi Ephraim and Sarah Solomon Memorial Lecture.
Subject: “Active Shooter Incidents The fear of our times: What we can do.” The lecture will follow a special Shabbat Kiddush.
Saturday, January 19, 2019
TU’B’SHEVAT CELEBRATION
Shabbat Shirah - The Sabbath of Song..
Cantorial Masterpieces will be performed with a TU B’SHEVAT SING-ALONG in the sanctuary, followed by a special Shabbat Kiddush.

SCHEDULE OF SERVICES FOR JANUARY AND FEBRUARY 2019

Friday, Jan. 4
Mincha/Maariv…………………………..……….….....4:15PM
Candle Lighting Time…………………………….…....4:23PM
Saturday, Jan. 5
Parashat Vaeira
Shabbat Mevarchim Services……………………….…9:00AM
Shabbat Ends………………………………….……….5:31PM
Friday, Jan. 11
Mincha/Maariv………………………………………....4:15PM
Candle Lighting Time………………………………….4:29PM
Saturday, Jan. 12
Parashat Bo
Shabbat Services……………………..…………….…..9:00AM
Shabbat Ends………………………………….………..5:39PM
Friday, Jan. 18
Mincha/Maariv………………………………….…..….4:30PM
Candle Lighting Time……………………………….…4:37PM
Saturday, Jan, 19
Parashat B’shalach
Shabbat Shirah Services…………………………..…...9:00AM
Shabbat Ends…………………………………….……..5:46PM
Friday, Jan. 25
Mincha/Maariv………………………………………....4:45PM
Candle Lighting Time………………………………….4:46PM
Saturday, Jan. 26
Parashat Yitro
Shabbat Services……………………………………….9:00AM
Shabbat Ends…………………………………………...5:55PM

Friday, Feb. 1
Mincha/Maariv………………………….……….….4:45PM
Candle Lighting Time………………………………4:54PM
Saturday, Feb. 2
Parashat Mishpatim
Shabbat Mevarchim Services……………………....9:00AM
Shabbat Ends…………………………………….….6:03PM
Friday, Feb. 8
Mincha/Maariv………………………………...……5:00PM
Candle Lighting Time…………………………...….5:03PM
Saturday, Feb. 9
Parashat Terumah
Shabbat Services……………………………………9:00AM
Shabbat Ends………………………………………..6:12PM
Friday, Feb. 15
Mincha/Maariv……………………………………..5:00PM
Candle Lighting Time………………………………5:11PM
Saturday, Feb. 16
Parashat Tetzaveh
Shabbat Services………………………………...….9:00AM
Shabbat Ends………………………………………..6:21PM
Friday, Feb. 22
Mincha/Maariv……………………………………...5:15PM
Candle Lighting Time………………………………5:20PM
Saturday, Feb. 23
Parashat Ki Tissa
Shabbat Services…………………………………....9:00AM
Shabbat Ends……………………………………….6:29PM

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL
PLANT TREES WITH JNF FOR TU B’SHEVAT
CALL THE SYNAGOGUE OFFICE TODAY 718-357-5100

Mazel Tov
To: Robert Greenberg on the engagement of his
son Zachary to Jamie Gelfond.
Thank You
To: David Nagan for sponsoring a beautiful Kiddush in honor of his grandson Ezra. He also celebrated his 60th birthday and had a memorial for his father Ben-Zion Nagar.
To: The Leo Brown Foundation for sponsoring a Kiddush in memory of Leo Brown.
To: Zachary and Joan Levine for sponsoring a lovely Kiddush to celebrate their 65th Wedding Anniversary. We wish them many more years to come.
Condolences
To: Harvey Weinreb on the passing of his dear wife Francine Weinreb, daughter-in-law of Anita Bernstein.

To: The family of Beatrice Kahn who was a long time member of Queensboro Hill Jewish Center as well as a member of Flushing-Fresh Meadows Jewish Center
Get Well Soon-Refuah Shelayma
To: Zach Levine who underwent successful heart valve replacement surgery at St. Francis Hospital. He is resting comfortably in his home. We wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to welcoming him to our shul very soon.
To: We are happy to report that Rosalie Weiner continues to improve. She appreciates all the phone calls from her many friends.
Center News
On Saturday, November 3, a special Kiddush was observed to pray for the victims of the shooting at The Tree Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, PA. We stood up for a minute of silence.
On Saturday, November 10, we had special prayers for Kristalnacht.
On Saturday, December 8, we celebrated the 65th Wedding Anniversary of Zach and Joan Levine. We also celebrated Chanukah on December 8th, with delicious Italian cuisine, not forgetting the donuts and hash browns!

Wishing all our members a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous Secular New Year
PRAYER FOR THE SECULAR NEW YEAR
May this day be a time for reflection: where have we been this past year and where will we go in the new year?
May we be blessed with physical vitality as we earn our livelihood.
May we and our families suffer no misfortune - physical or emotional - as time unfolds.
May our attitudes be positive and our lives purposeful.
May we find the time to render the good deed and speak the kind word.
May we be granted the wisdom to pursue life, liberty and happiness, not only for ourselves but for all.
May our community be enriched by diversity, as neighbors, representing so many different walks of life, interact with each other.
May our community remain one, and indivisible, liberated and honest. And may our leaders be inspired, not only
by the acts of so many noble men and women who have preceded them, but by the G-d of the universe – Who wants all of us to live in peace. Amen.
With all good wishes to all our friends for the secular New Year
Rabbi Gerald Solomon

Sisterhood News

As we look forward to the new year of 2019, we look back at what Sisterhood has done during the past year,
The season started in April with a beautiful luncheon honoring Israel Independence Day with good food and good entertainment. We brought you a doctor speaking on stress management, the police department telling us what we can do to protect ourselves, a video starring Theodore Bikel “In the Shoes of Sholom Aleichem”. We had a get together at Ben’s deli in Bayside, a speaker from the Queens DA’s office telling us how to avoid being scammed. We arranged for two luncheons for Succoth featuring the Rabbi and the Cantor. The season culminated with a Hanukkah party featuring Chinese food with Latkes for dessert. Thank you to all our members and to the Sisterhood Board who made all this happen.
Looking ahead, the next Sisterhood Book Club meeting will take place on Thursday, March 28, 2019 at 10:30 AM. The book is “Beneath A Scarlett Sky” by Mark Sullivan.
Watch for further information on our coming events and plan to participate.
With wishes for a healthy and warm winter,
Joan Levine (in NY) and Marilyn Brown (in Florida)
A special thankyou to Bette Glasser who coordinated the Hanukkah party and to Shari Zuber who took care of all the details of the food, settings and serving.

TORAH FUND
Remember! Cards are available from the Center office to be sent for get well, condolence and other occasions. The cost is $5.00 per card. The proceeds from the sale of these cards benefit the Jewish Theological Seminary. Call Marcia at 718 357 5100 and give her the information and she will send them for you.
SIMCHA CAKE
Sisterhood has created a way of announcing special Simchas and other events to support the Torah Fund of the Jewish Theological Seminary. At each meeting, we will be able to announce our Simcha and have it published in the Bulletin with a minimum donation of $1.00. This is in lieu of putting Tzedakah boxes on the tables. Torah Fund contributions ensure our legacy to future generations of Conservative Jews by training Rabbis, Cantors, Educators, Scholars and Lay Leaders.
The following was announced at the November 8, 2018 Sisterhood Meeting
Marilyn Brown Farewell! Hope you have an easy winter
Inge Berger Good winter to everyone
Gerty Isaac Good health to everyone
Pearl Rosenthal Good health to Joan and Zach
Sandra Schwadron A good winter to all
Lynne Kirby For my Grandchildren
Anita Seelig Dear Irene, glad you are feeling better
Bette Glasser Rosalie Weiner, hope you are on the way to full recovery
Joan & Zach Levine For our 65th wedding anniversary

Rabbi’s Message

The Jews of Eastern Europe in the past were "reminded" of being Jewish through the force of violence. Our reminders are much more subtle, yet present nonetheless. And when Jews take the trouble to look for the Jewish alternative to Christmas and perhaps for the first time discover the beautiful messages of Chanukah and of Judaism, their encounter with the holiday of another faith may end up granting them the holiness of a Jewish holiday of their own and a faith as well.
To all those Jews who have been caught up in non Jewish holiday observances and celebrations, please come to our synagogue, your synagogue and experience your Jewish faith. As a Jew, your Jewish faith is a gift to you from God.

THE DECEMBER HOLIDAYS -A RETROSPECTIVE
Many of our people have related over the years that they dreaded the December holiday season.
Living in small towns in Eastern Europe, they knew what to expect. The local parish priest would deliver his sermon filled with invectives against the Jews who were pronounced guilty of the crime of deicide, responsible for the brutal crucifixion of their god and therefore richly deserving whatever punishment might be meted out to them.
No surprise then that the Christian time of joy meant just the opposite to the neighboring Jews. The days supposedly meant to be dedicated to “goodwill to all” were far too often filled with pogroms, beatings, and violent anti‑Semitic demonstrations.
Thankfully, those days are long gone, at least we hope they are. America is a land that preaches religious tolerance both by law and by culture. Christians and Jews are respectful of each other's religions, and while every so often an isolated incident may mar friendly relations between these faiths, we have in the main learned how to get along in a pluralistic society.
Due to the variables inherent in the Hebrew calendar, Christmas and Chanukah may coincide or appear in a variety of different ways, but almost always they find Christians and Jews both celebrating their respective traditions in December.
Yes, America was wise enough to posit the separation between church and state. We know the danger of governments favoring one religion over another. But the intent of the Founding Fathers was never to negate the importance of any religion. The United States identifies itself as “one nation under God.” Belief in a higher power has been the source of our divine blessing. And as Jews I think we ought to recognize that today the greatest challenge to our faith is not another faith, but faithlessness. Our greatest fear should not be those who worship in a different way but those who mockingly reject the very idea of worship to a higher power.
Living among Christians who demonstrate commitment to their religious beliefs to my mind is a far better example to our fellow Jews than a secular lifestyle determined solely by hedonistic choices which claim the satisfaction of human desires is the highest good and proper aim of human life.
Surrounded by Christmas celebrations, I have never had difficulty explaining that although we share with Christians a belief in God, we go our separate ways in observance. They are a religion of creed and we are a religion of deed. They believe God became man. We believe man must strive to become more and more like God.
Actually, the Christmas season in America has been responsible for some very positive Jewish results. This is the time when many Jews, by dint of their neighbors’ concern with their religion, are motivated to ask themselves what they know of their own. To begin to wonder why we don't celebrate Christmas is to take the first step on the road to Jewish self‑awareness.

January 2019
Tevet/Shevat 5779

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
		1 / 24 Tevet	2 / 25 / Rabbi’s / Classes / God, the Jews and History	3 / 26	4 / 27 / 4:23pm	5 / 28 / Parashat / Vaeira / Ends: 5:31pm
6 / 29	7 / Shevat / Rabbi’s / Classes / Great Jewish Minds	8 / 2	9 / 3 / Rabbi’s / Classes / God, the Jews / And History	10 / 4	11 / 5 / 4:29pm	12 / 6 / Parashat Bo / Memorial / Lecture / Ends: 5:39pm
13 / 7	14 / 8 / Rabbi’s / Classes / Great Jewish / Minds	15 / 9	16 / 10 / Rabbi’s / Classes / God, the Jews and History	17 / 11	18 / 12 / 4:37pm	19 / 13 / Parashat / B’shalach / Tu B’Shevat / Ends: 5:46pm
20 / 14	21 / 15 / Rabbi’s / Classes / Great Jewish Minds	22 / 16	23 / 17 / Rabbi’s / Classes / God, the Jews and History	24 / 18	25 / 19 / 4:46pm	26 / 20 / Parashat / Yitro / Ends: 5:55pm
27 / 21	28 / 22 / Rabbi’s / Classes / Great Jewish Minds	29 / 23	30 / 24 / Rabbi’s / Classes / God, the Jews and History	31 / 25

On-Going
Low-Impact
Chair Exercise Class
Tuesdays

February 2019
Shevat/Adar 1, 5779

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
					1 / Shevat / 4:54pm	2 / 27 / Parashat / Mishpatim / Ends: 6:03pm
3 / 28	4 / 29 / Rabbi’s / Classes / Great Jewish Minds	5 / 30	6 / Adar 1 / Rabbi’s / Classes / God, the Jews and History	7 / 2	8 / 3 / 5:03pm	9 / 4 / Parashat / Terumah / Ends: 6:12pm
10 / 5	11 / 6 / Rabbi’s / Classes / Great Jewish Minds	12 / 7	13 / 8	14 / 9	15 / 10 / 5:11pm	16 / 11 / Parashat / Tetzaveh / Ends: 6:21pm
17 / 12	18 / 13	19 / 14	20 / 15	21 / 16	22 / 17 / 5:20pm	23 / 18 / Parashat / Ki Tissa / Ends: 6:29pm
24 / 19	25 / 20	26 / 21	27 / 22	28 / 23

On-Going
Low-Impact
Chair Exercise
Class
Tuesdays

TU B’SHEVAT 5779
Tu B'Shevat, the "new year of trees," begins this year on Sunday night, January 20th and ends at the conclusion of Monday on January 21st. The name Tu B'Sh’vat corresponds to the holiday's date, Tu being an acronym of the Hebrew letters tet and vav, whose numeric values add up to fifteen, and occurs on the fifteenth day of the month of Sh’vat.
Tu B'Shevat is a post-biblical holiday, first mentioned in the Mishnah (the codification, completed around 200 CE). There, it is listed as one of four new years in the Hebrew calendar: (1) Rosh Hodesh Nisan in the spring, the first day of what the Bible specifies is the first month, and the date for counting the number of years a king has reigned; (2) Rosh Hodesh Elul in the late summer, the dividing date for determining which crops are subject to tithing (Maasrot in Hebrew); those harvested before that date belong to one year; those on or during the date to another; (3) Rosh Hodesh Tishrei, in the early fall, which subsequently came to be called Rosh Hashanah and was designated as the beginning of a new Hebrew year, but here was designated as the day on which God judged human beings; (4) Tu B'Sh’vat, on which God "judges" trees according to the Jews' behavior.
MORE ON TU B'SHEVAT
Tu B'Shevat seders first originated among followers of the Jewish mystical practice known as Kabbalah who settled in the Israeli city of Safed in the 16th century. Today, a growing number of Jews have reinstituted the custom. These seders, like the Passover one, sometimes involve four cups of wine (dark red, light red, pink and white), symbolizing the passing of the four seasons. Also included are the seven species of grain and produce mentioned in Deuteronomy, and other fruits and nuts from Israel, along with readings related to Eretz Yisrael, nature and ecology, and social justice.
Tu b'Shevat also is used as the "divider" in determining the age of a tree, and when people may eat its fruit. A tree planted any time (even one day) before Tu B'Shevat is considered one year old on that day. In terms of when one may eat its produce: according to the law of orlah (forbiddeness), as stated in Leviticus 19:23-25, only beginning in the fifth year of a tree's growth may its fruit be eaten. During the first three years, it is forbidden, while in the fourth, it is dedicated to G-d.
While Tu B'Shevat occurs in the middle of winter in North America, in Israel, it marks the very first signs of spring. The fall and winter rainy seasons, which generally begin around the holiday of Sukkot, generally end some time before Tu B'Shevat, and usually the first buds of the almond tree, the first tree to blossom, appear about the time of the holiday.
Tu B’Shevat is A minor holiday, on which working and cooking are allowed, and during which the Torah is not read and no special prayers are recited, Tu B'Shevat still is marked as a happy day. Traditionally, no eulogies are delivered on Tu B'Shevat. In addition, Jews everywhere drink wines and foods from Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel), particularly the seven types of grain and produce those for which the Land is praised in Deuteronomy 8:8: "a land of wheat and barley, and vines and fig-trees and pomegranates; a land of olive-trees and [date] honey." If, as is customary, a person eats such fruit for the first time that year, he or she says
the Shehecheyanu blessing, praising G-d for allowing one to live "until this season." Additionally, in Israel, schoolchildren and other people plant trees on Tu B'Shevat, symbolizing their commitment to the Land. In the Diaspora, Jews have used the holiday to learn more about the Land of Israel, and to make or renew a commitment to safeguarding the environment.
This emphasis flows from the metaphorical use of "tree" - for example, the Torah called "a tree of life" (aitz hayim). It also derives specifically from some of the instructive allusions to trees in traditional Jewish texts. An example is Adam and Eve's having been forbidden by G-d from eating from the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil" in the Garden of Eden, thus losing their child-like innocence, but gaining a knowledge of the human potential for moral and immoral behavior (Genesis, chapters 2 and 3).
Jewish laws that pertain to nature, and to trees in particular, include one prohibiting soldiers from cutting down fruit-bearing trees to build bulwarks when besieging a city. In a striking expression of concern, even empathy, for the integrity of nature, the Torah asks rhetorically, "For is the tree of the field like man, that it should be besieged of thee?" (Deuteronomy 20:19). At the beginning of the Zionist movement, Tu B'Shevat again took on new meaning as planting trees became a symbol for the Jewish re-attachment to the land of Israel. The most recent transformation has re-popularized Tu B'Shevat into a holiday of Jewish environmentalism as a sort of Jewish Earth Day because of its association with trees and, by extension, with nature.
TU B’SH’VAT, THIS YEAR FALLS ON THE 21ST OF JANUARY
TU B’SH’VAT, THIS YEAR FALLS ON THE 31ST OF JANUARY

MEMORIES FROM HANUKKAH IN INDIA
AN INDIAN JEW SHARES HER HANUKKAH TRADITIONS
EDDNA SAMUEL
I grew up in the Bene Israel Jewish community in Mumbai and still live there. During Hanukkah, we have a busy schedule, going to each other’s houses to light the Hanukkah candles. We gather to celebrate with family and friends and in our synagogues. I always celebrate my first night with the candle lighting in Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue at Kala Ghoda and the eighth and last day—the finale—is at the Shaare Rason Synagogue Khadak.
During Hanukkah, Indian Jews traditionally light an oil lamp instead of a candle.
The late Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg z”l, who lost his life during the 26/11 Mumbai attacks in 2008, started the tradition of lighting the spiritual and festive lights of Hanukkah in 2003 at the Gateway of India, close to the Taj Mahal Hotel. Over the past decade, Chabad Mumbai has continued the tradition of lighting the menorah at Gateway of India with a wish to spread light and love.
I’m always seeing miracles happening in my life on a daily basis. When Hanukkah time comes around my world truly starts lighting up with a special spiritual feeling of me actually living in a miracle.

Our ancestors, Bene Israel Jews, settled in Konkan after being shipwrecked off the coast. The Jews were welcomed warmly and have lived here for generations. India is the only country where anti‑Semitism never became a broad issue, where Jews have always prospered and lived as an integral part of society. Both my parents served in the government. I grew up with Hindus and Muslims. I have fond memories from my childhood. We all had a good time studying and playing together without any regard for caste or creed.
And so it is no surprise that Bene Israel cuisine has drawn much influence on Maharashtra and Konkan culinary styles. For Hanukkah, it is customary to have something fried like onion fritters, so‑called kanda bhaji or batata bhaji, but my mother would always make something more healthy like sweet halwa or sweet rice and then fry potatoes with black pepper in a little oil in order to remember the miracle of Hanukkah.
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When Jews Appear For Divine Judgement “When Jews appear For Divine judgment, the angels say to them: "Don't be afraid, the Judge… is your Father." (Midrash Tehillim)
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Dedicated to the baby who was to be named at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh,
PA on Shabbat morning, October 27, 2018.
Little boy, what’s your name – do you have one?
Sweet baby, just eight days, what should we call you?
I have heard the sacred circumcision postponed for jaundiced yellow,
but never before for bloodshed red.
Is your name Shalom? We long for peace in this troubled world. I hope you are Shalom.
Is your name Nachum? Oh, how we need to be comforted in our grief. I hope you are Nachum.
Is your name Raphael? Our broken hearts and bleeding souls need healing. I hope you are Raphael.
You should have been carried high into the congregation on Shabbat morning – past from loving hands to loving hands – on a cushioned pillow to receive your Jewish name.
Instead your elders fell and were carried out on stretchers in plastic bags. Their names on tags.
Is your name Moshe? Our unbearable anguish and rage demands justice. I hope you are Moshe.
Is your name Ariel? We need the ferocious strength of lions to protect our people. I hope you are Ariel.
Is your name Barak? We need courageous warriors to vanquish our enemies. I hope you are Barak.

The blood on Shabbat morning was supposed to be covenantal not sacrilegious, sacramental not sacrificial, sacred not unholy. The tears were supposed to be of boundless joy not bottomless sorrow.
The cries were supposed to be “mazel tov” not the mourner’s kaddish.
Is your name Simcha? We need an end to sadness by bringing joy into our world. I hope you are Simcha.
Is your name Yaron? We need an end to mourning by bringing song into our lives. I hope you are Yaron.
Is your name Matan? We need the gift of children who will bring a better tomorrow. I hope you are Matan.
So little boy, what’s your name? Take them all if you will. Take a thousand names. Be peace and Comfort and Healing. Be Justice and Strength and Courage. Be Joy and Song and a Gift to the world.
Be every good name and every good thing.
And, Sweet baby, take one more name if you will – because I hope you will be blessed with a long, blissful, beautiful and meaningful life.
I hope you are Chaim.
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1.“These cross‑border terror tunnels were built by Hezbollah with direct support and funding from Iran. They were built with one purpose in mind—to attack and murder innocent Israeli men, women and children¼This is a grave violation of Israel’s sovereignty and a gross violation of U.N. Security Council Resolution #1701. It is an unacceptable act of wanton aggression.” — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The IDF launched “Operation Northern Shield” to eliminate tunnels constructed by Hezbollah from Lebanon to Israel. “I have a message for the people of Lebanon: Hezbollah is putting your lives in danger¼They are sacrificing your well‑being to serve the aggressive purposes of Iran. Israel holds the Lebanese government accountable for all terror activity emanating from Lebanon against Israel. Like any other nation, Israel maintains the right to defend itself. We will continue to do all that is necessary to defend ourselves against Iran’s efforts to use Lebanon, Syria and Gaza as forward terror bases to attack Israel.” he added. (Breaking Israel News, Dec. 5, 2018)
2. “We strongly support Israel’s efforts to defend itself, and we call on Hizballah to halt all provocative behavior immediately and refrain from escalation and violence¼We also call upon Iran and its proxies to stop their provocative and dangerous actions. We stand with Israel.” — U.S. Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt. The United States has expressed its support for Israel’s efforts to defend itself against Iranian attempts to annihilate the Jewish State through its proxies — in particular, through Hezbollah’s cross‑border attack tunnels, which Netanyahu said were part of a broader operation to launch the conquest of the Galilee region. (Jewish Press, Dec. 4, 2018)
3.“The United States has repeatedly warned the world about Iran’s deliberate efforts to destabilize the Middle East and defy international norms¼The international community cannot keep turning a blind eye every time Iran blatantly ignores Security Council resolutions.” — Nikki Haley, US ambassador to the UN, in a statement published ahead of a Security Council debate on Iran’s latest ballistic missile test last Saturday. Paying tribute to the UK and France for raising the ballistic missile test at the UN’s highest body, Haley noted that the test was “dangerous and concerning, but not surprising¼If the Security Council is serious about holding Iran accountable and enforcing our resolutions, then at a minimum we should be able to deliver a unanimous condemnation of this provocative missile test,” Haley emphasized. (Algemeiner, Dec. 4, 2018)

5.“More than 2000 years ago, Jewish patriots (Maccabees) captured Jerusalem, purified the Holy Temple and rededicated it as a house of Jewish worship. The U.N. can’t vote away the facts: Jerusalem is the ancient and modern capital of Israel. Happy Chanukah from this blessed city!” — U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman. Prime Minister Netanyahu issued his own message, saying the holiday “celebrates the great victory of the Maccabees against the Seleucid Greeks over 2,000 years ago¼By this war of heroism, the few against the many, Judah Maccabee and his brothers secured the future of Judaism — the survival of the Jewish people¼So we in Israel, and around the world, celebrate this great victory, this great war of liberation.” (Algemeiner, Dec. 3, 2018)
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SPONSOR OR CO-SPONSOR
A KIDDUSH
Consider sponsoring or co-sponsoring a Shabbat Kiddush. This is a great opportunity to mark the observances of important events, for example, a yahrzeit or a simcha. It does not have to be only one person. It could be shared by two or three people.
The cost is very reasonable and we provide enough delicious food for everyone to enjoy! But most importantly, it is a time when we can get together after prayers to socialize with our friends, create new friendships and enjoy existing ones.
If you are interested, please call our synagogue office and speak to Marcia for more information. The number to call is 718 357 5100.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION - FROM THE RABBI

4.“(George H.W. Bush) was always a true friend to Israel and the Jewish people, taking a stand against PLO terrorism and proving instrumental in helping to save tens of thousands of Jews.” — Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon. Tributes to Bush, the 41st president of the United States who died on Friday, continued to pour in as Jewish groups and leaders issued statements. The Republican Jewish Coalition described Bush as an “American hero” and “a great friend of Israel, the Jewish people, and the RJC.” The group joined many others in noting the work Bush did to help bring Jews from the former Soviet Union and Ethiopia to Israel, as well as his actions to help ensure the safety of Israel. (Times of Israel, Dec. 2, 2018)

# THE BULLETIN JAN-FEB 2019