www.yistamford.org Rabbi Naftali Wolfe (203) 274-7545 | | Weather for Stamford | | | Fri Sat 31°F | 27°F 29°F | 22°F
| | Minyan | | | | Shacharit Sunday 8:15 am
Monday - Friday 6:20 am * Maariv Only Monday - Thursday 8:15 pm Sunday 8:15 pm this week *Please note: the next 2 Thursdays are legal holidays Shacharis will begin at 8:15 am.
| | Our Sponsor |  | | | | Sponsor a Kiddush | Kiddush this week is currently unsponsored. To reserve a date for sponsorship, please first contact Karen Feder to reserve the date: kfed16@optonline.net or 329-2613 After securing a date with Karen, to place an order for a hot kiddush contact Seth Young seth.young@wfha.org | | Refuah Sheleima | | | | Lester Kosowsky "Eliezer Chayim Ben Shoshana" Nofie Rosovsky - "Nofia Miriam Bat Rivka Chana"
Richey Seligson -
"Rafael Ephraim Ben Sima" Miriam Silverman's mother -
Tzirel Bluma Bat Chaya David Spiegelman "David Ben Rivka" Nathan Warmflash - "Natan Eliyahu Ben Devorah Keyla"
| |  | | We pray for the safe return of
Gilat Shalit | | Young Israel Board of Directors | | | | | Stamford Kosher | | Order on-line every week from a variety of restaurants (all under the RCBC supervision) before Wednesday 10 pm at www.stamfordkosher.com Pick up your order Thursday after 5 pm at Young Israel or arrange for delivery.
Questions? | | Shalom Stamford | |  UJF Greater Stamford has published a new guide to the Jewish community. | | Contributing |  | | Yahrzeit and Eitz Chaim Plaques
Contact Stan Berger 322-8334 Yahrzeit Plaques - $250
Etz Chaim Leaves - $180
Etz Chaim Rocks - $360
Etz Chaim Flowers - $540 DONOR CARDS Send your best wishes or condolences to your friends or family with our cards illustrated with a drawing of the beautiful stained window of our sanctuary - $18 Contact Sharon Feldstein at 327-1672 or sharonfeld@aol.com
CHAIR CAMPAIGN
Consider dedicating a chair in honor or memory of a loved one - $250
| | Shul Rules |  We ask that everyone refrains from bringing any food in the sanctuary, whether during services or at any other time. Thank you for addressing this policy with your children.
Please lock all doors upon leaving the building. | | | |  | Dec 19-20, 2008 22-23 Kilslev 5769 Vayeshev Motzei Shabbat Chanukah Party | | Shabbat Schedule | | Candle Lighting 4:10PM Mincha 4:05PM Kaballat Shabbat: Leibel Shmotkin
Shabbat morning Shacharit 9:00 AM Latest Shema 9:33 AM Thanks to our Torah Reader: Gil Orbach, Ray Bloch, Gideon Pell Short Dvar Torah by Zack Smart Yeshaya Shiur 3:10 PM Mincha Shabbat 4:00 PM
Speaking at Seudah Shlishit - Rabbi Wolfe on Chanukah FAQ - Bring your questions!
Shabbat concludes 5:15 PM
| | | 
Annual YI Chanukah Party DATE: December 20th TIME: 7:30 to 10pm with raffle drawing at 9:30pm WHERE: the Israel's 50 Toilsome Brook Road $10/person - $18/couple MORE: Get your raffle tickets for a chance to win awesome prizes: -
HD flat screen tv - Wii console
- GPS
$18 per raffle ticket - $180 for a book of 12 tickets
Rsvps/questions to Shara or Danielle | | YOM KIBBUD HATORAH | | Thank you to all who participated in our Sefer Torah Campaign! With much appreciation to all committee members who worked hard at making it a memorable event. On the occasion of the Keravtanu Chaim Roitman Library dedication, Brian and Sonia shared beautiful and inspiring words. For those who heard these special words but would like to read them again, or for those who missed them - please see below the text graciously provided by Brian this morning. | | Weekly Classes - by Rabbi Wolfe | - No shiur this Sunday morning.
- Wednesday night - Mitzvah #12 - The Prohibition of Eating Chametz
- Thursday morning, special Chanukah shiur - "What's Hiding Behind the Light? Chanukah's Other Side"
| | Family Beit Midrash Program this Sunday 12/21 10:00 AM | | FBM Sunday morning schedule Regular schedule without an adult class.
One on one learning with chavrutas from the Stamford Kollel affiliated with Yeshivat Beis Binyamin
o Boys and Girls ages 10-12:
6:15-6:50 - Class with Rabbi Wolfe
6:50-7:30 - Shabbat Tefillot with Nat Samberg
o Boys and Girls ages 7-9
6:15-6:50 - Shabbat Tefillot with Nat Samberg
6:50-7:30 - Class with Rabbi Daniel Newman
o Boys and Girls ages 4-5
Parsha and Holiday themed games and projects
| | Youth Dvar Torah | | Boys and girls (age 8-12) are encouraged to come to the bimah after davening to give a short (2 minutes approx) dvar Torah. Thanks to Max Roitman as our pilot volunteer two weeks ago, and thank you to Zach Smart for this week.
It's an opportunity for the youngsters to increase their confidence and speaking skills, gives families an opportunity to learn together, and shows to everyone in the shul that we value our youth and their learning and sharing of Torah. The following dates are available. Please contact Ed Rosenfeld with the date you would like to reserve for your child and/or Rabbi Wolfe if you want to set up a learning session to prepare the Dvar.
Dec 27
Jan 3
Jan 17
Jan 24
Jan 31
Feb 7
Feb 14
Feb 21
Feb 28
March 7
March 21
March 28
April 4
| | Beis Binyomin Chanukah Celebrations | |
Women + Girls - 7.30pm on Tuesday Dec 23 at home of Adrienne and Craig Gordon, 28 Revonah Circle
Men + Boys - 7.30 at Beis Binyomin Dec 24 with Rabbi Pesach Krohn speaking
| | Fourth Annual Challenges in Jewish Education Panel | Save the date...
DATE: Shabbat weekend, January 9-10, 2009.
PANELISTS:
Rabbi Zev Meir Friedman, Rosh haYeshiva, Machon Hatorah
Amy Katz, Associate Director, Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education (PEJE)
Rabbi Jonathan Kroll, Assistant Principal, SAR High School
MODERATOR: Rabbi David Israel
Friday night, January 9 (at a community dinner following ma'ariv services) -"Teaching Through the Heart vs. Teaching Through the Mind." Details on how to make a reservation for the Shabbat dinner will be forthcoming.
Shabbat morning, January 10, 10:45AM (immediately following morning services, which will begin at 8:30AM) - "Coeducational Classes: Advantages and Disadvantages" | | Teen Book Club | | Our next meeting will be on January 10th at 4pm. The book "Chains" by Laurie Anderson is available at Borders under Sharon Shavrick's name. Navah also has 4 copies to lend out, she asks for people to contact her by email if interested in borrowing the book: navah.wolfe@gmail.comPlease call Sharon with any questions, 569-7588 | 'Slice of American Jewish Life - Fairfield County 1654-1986" exhibit, on display in the Library in the JCC
from Dec. 7, 2008- Jan. 30, 2009. | Jewish History In Stamford:
Do You Remember ? How long has your family been living in this area? Think you've got roots here? No matter, can you answer these questions: Who was Moses Levy? When did the first Jewish wedding take place in Stamford? Who were Stamford's biggest retail merchants downtown on Pacific Street? Was there a Kosher butcher? A deli? The names of those retailers? Test yourself ! Search your memories and old photos ! Challenge your parents! And then, confirm the answers to these and many other questions about early Jewish life in Stamford by visiting the JCC's Harry Rosenbaum JHS Judaica Library. An informative photo and text exhibit - - "A Slice of American Jewish Life - Fairfield County 1654-1986" - - is now on display, through Friday, January 30, at the Harry Rosenbaum Jewish Historical Society (JHS) Library, located at the Stamford JCC, 1035 Newfield Avenue (at Vine Road) in Stamford.
Come and visit this fascinating photo/narrative exhibit. And while you're in the building, browse our Judaica book collection. In the Library we have more than 3,000 volumes including adult, young adult and children's fiction, history, genealogy, holidays, Israel, "How-to" books, magazines and the Encyclopedia Judaica Library hours are as follows: Monday 9am to 6pm Tuesday 10am to 5pm Wednesday 10 am to 6pm Thursday 10:30am to 5pm Friday 12pm to 4pm Sunday 10am to 1pm Our Library is staffed by volunteers, our hours are odd, and of course the hours are subject to change due to, for example, Jewish holidays. So call us first for confirmation: (203) - 487-0957. | | Keravtanu Chaim Roitman Library Dedication | |  19 Kislev 5769 - December 15, 2008
It's hard to ever convey how we feel about you all, and this community, when reflecting on Kerav's life. Empathize with us then, when we are granted such an honor as this: when Chabad of Stamford, itself famously shaped like a book, is dedicating a children's library to Kerav's memory. Anatomically speaking, we must be standing in the heart of this building. That's probably all Brian, Rebecca, Max, Ben, and I need to say to convey what is in our hearts. We're so overwhelmed with this dedication.
A center for children's Jewish books, in a great big book. In other towns, people pay for tickets to things like this...
It's not so difficult to draw comparisons between Kerav's life in this world, and books.
· Starting from months before Kerav was born, his circumstances can be likened to a gripping drama. Breathing trouble, feeding trouble, renal trouble, prescriptions for palliative care, harrowing infections, pushing the frontiers of science, surgical error, four cancelled transplant operations, a disastrous post-transplant situation. Everything and everyone was always spinning.
· Given the terminology we'd been immersed in right from the beginning, our metaphorical book could also be a foreign language book. But we learned and eventually spoke the language, and changed the nature of the book again.
· With Hashem's help, we evolved our genre to that of an action book... much like the theme of this dedication. Chasing down doctors who know procedures, hospitals that have history with certain therapies, manufacturers who supply esoteric but life-sustaining products, negotiating with hospital risk committees, forging relationships with government agencies, and barreling down highways towards centers of excellence at high speeds across state lines.
· You know, there were also weeks and months when Kerav was a comic book- or at least a comedian's book. He developed such a sense of humor, a wry smile, and playfulness that he drew staff at every hospital to him. All of the staff. The usual fights over covering him would play out among senior nurses. Nephrology fellows would brag of Kerav time and smiles. For kicks in seeing our reaction, Kerav would do things like grab a dialysis blood line and start chewing, or grasp the external part of a large catheter and start yanking in all directions with a mischievous grin. Even parents of other patients would stop by the door for a cheer-up and a laugh.
· Then there's the aspect of Kerav's life that is most like a mystery book. Many times we'd have to address conditions that weren't easily understood or resolved. Too often we'd have to accept not knowing. Long successions of doctors, each of whom believed he or she could solve the puzzle, would valiantly try to make a big breakthrough.
· Sometimes these breakthroughs would happen thanks to the medical detectives involved. But other times, it was as if we switched categories again, to science fiction. Extremely concerning problems would resolve with no real scientific explanation. Amazing recoveries would take place despite doctors' expectations. Of course, we here know there's no fiction at all, but to many others, that's how the story read.
· But the kind of book I want to close our metaphor with will probably also be the most difficult one for many of us to see. It's a fairy tale. I admit it's not a metaphor that comes so easily... but really only for one reason: an integral part of the fairy tale is the evil character, and our story has none.
We have the far away lands, the beautiful princess (that's Rebecca), the handsome princes (you know Max and Ben), and the king's loyal servants- Brian and I. There are magicians, treasures, lots of armor, special tools, alchemy, and a cast of thousands. There are fair young maidens of incredible importance, sages, advisors, and of course an unprecedented castle staff- butlers, bakers, cooks, chariot drivers. So unequalled was the effort on the King's behalf in all the land that in many cases, inhabitants took on a great multitude of roles.
Rulers of other lands moved to the castle, or traveled far and wide, or served the princess and princes with love and valor. The plot has all the twists and turns of a dragon's serpentine spine. Notably, in our kingdom, it's the entire cast of characters that makes this tale. No one inhabitant has a lesser role. Even and especially some of the quietest, shyest fellow servants had impact of heroic proportions.
In our fairy tale... the King isn't Kerav. There's only ever one King. Kerav is the King's special book. A book He used every minute for years, turning the illuminated pages daily to show his subjects the capacities they have, all transformative. Magical sparks flew from deeds, from words, from prayers. And the book recorded everything with living letters. A real sefer chaim.
Certainly to this day, our King uses His special book. He cradles it close and turns it towards us for moments like this. Our King will continue to use his special book with love, happily ever after.
***
Some fairy tales are so good, kids don't want to get too close to the end. They wish tens or hundreds of pages would magically appear, prolonging and prolonging their precious time with the book. They just can't see how getting to the end could possibly be more satisfying than reading on indefinitely. It's the story that captivates them for sure, but we cannot underestimate the value they place on lap-time with the loyal servant of theirs who's reading the story.
The pleasure is reciprocal with us loyal servants. But actually it's even better. We get to read to our sleeping beauties and princes charming, and all the while we get to gaze at the glow from our King, reflected with such vibrancy, in the miniature royalty we serve. His books, and His peoples' time spent sharing them, are surely among the King's greatest treasures.
Why can't special chapters and books go on indefinitely?
They all do. Because each of you, and so many more who couldn't be with us tonight, picked up quills and became co-authors. You must always remember that we cherish our collaboration with you as much as we cherish the product of our collective handiwork. Really, in this kingdom, where's the distinction.
Thank you.
Sonia Roitman on the occasion of the Keravtanu Chaim Roitman Dedication - 19 Kislev 5769, December 15, 2008 | | | |
