Israel Update: December

November 29th was the 70th anniversary of the U.N. Vote on Resolution 181. This allowed the British Mandate in Palestine to be partitioned into a Jewish and Arab state! This represented the hope of the Jewish people for 2000 years and it was finally becoming a reality! The Israeli delegation to the U.N. had a celebration at the exact hall of where the vote took place in New York City. Vice President Pence was the main speaker. Vice President Pence also touched on the issue of moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem by saying the Trump Administration is actively considering when and how to move the embassy.

http://www.jpost.com/…/WATCH-LIVE-UN-celebrates-70-years-si…

https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5049217,00.html

D'var for Toldot!

This week's d'var is written by Michael Berelowitz.

This week’s parshah, Toldot, recounts the classic Jacob and Esau story. Isaac and Rebecca go twenty years without having any kids, until they finally manage to conceive. They have twins, Jacob and Esau. Isaac favors Esau while Rebecca favors Jacob. One day, Esau is very tired and hungry after a hunt, so he sells his birthright to Jacob for a pot of stew. This already creates some tension because Esau was very resentful that Jacob now had his birthright. Eventually, as Isaac gets older, he goes blind. Jacob takes advantage of this when Isaac wants to bless Esau before he dies. Isaac tells Esau to go out and hunt and prepare Isaac’s favorite meal so he can bless him. While Esau is out hunting, Rebecca dresses Jacob up in Esau’s clothes and prepares the meal Isaac wanted. Jacob brings this food to Isaac and pretends to be Esau, and Isaac blesses him. When Esau comes back and realizes that Jacob has stolen his blessing, he gets very angry, and he even threatens to kill Jacob. To avoid Esau’s wrath and save himself, Jacob flees to Charan.

D'var for Chayei Sarah!

This week's d'var was written by Sarah Winn.

The name if this week’s torah portion “Chayei Sarah” is translated to the life of Sarah. The torah portion begins with the death of Sarah after she lived a long and fruitful life of 127 years. Sarah is buried in the Cave of Machpelah in Hebron by Abraham. Abraham then sends his servant to Chanan baring gifts to find a wife for his son Yitzhack. When Abraham’s servant, Eliezer,  arrives in Chanan he asks god for a sign; when the maidens come to the well, he will ask for some water to drink; the woman who will offer to give his camels to drink as well shall be the one destined for his master’s son. Rebekah appears at the well and passes Eliezer’s test and he is then invited into her home. She then returns with Eliezer to the land of Canaan where they find Yitzhack praying in the field. Yitzhack loves Rebekah so much that he marries her and she comforts him in his time of mourning. Abraham soon marries a new woman named Keturah and has 6 more sons, although Yitzhak is his only true heir. Abraham dies at the age of 175  is buried beside Sarah by his two eldest sons, Yitzhak and Ishmael.

This torah portion teaches us about boundless chessed or loving kindness.

When Abraham sent Eliezer to find a suitable wife for his son he found it of utmost importance that the woman he finds must be loving and kind, that she must not only offer Eliezer water when asked but she must offer to provide water for his camels as well. Because Rebekah’s chessed showed right away and Eliezer knew that she was the one for Yitzhack.

Chessed, in relationship to Abraham, was unique because not only did he welcome guests in the most generous manner, but he searched for the opportunity to do such deeds. Rebekah did not question or consider whether she was really needed; instead, she energetically continued filling multiple troughs with water, until the job of satisfying a whole herd of thirsty camels was completed. She had one motivation: to give to someone else with kindness. The immense desire to jump at the opportunity to help others aided the prospect of being of service matched the profile of Abraham’s family. Rebekah teaches us that we must commit ourselves to partake in acts of boundless loving kindness, or chessed, and challenge ourselves with real selfless commitment. She teaches us to be initiators, to be proactive and useful in times of need, to look for times, and places, where we can be of service to others.

Now this torah portion is near and dear to my heart because it is the only torah portion where both Sarah and Rebekah are mentioned. Now this might not be of importance to many people, though since my sister and I are named after these important female figures in Torah, it is meaningful to me to see them together, especially this week when it falls on my sister Rebekah’s Birthday, and my half birthday.

D'var for Lech Lecha!

This week's parshah is Lech Lecha.

G‑d speaks to Abram, commanding him, “Go from your land, from your birthplace and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you.” There, G‑d says, he will be made into a great nation. Abram and his wife, Sarai, accompanied by his nephew Lot, journey to the land of Canaan, where Abram builds an altar and continues to spread the message of a one G‑d.

A famine forces the first Jew to depart for Egypt, where beautiful Sarai is taken to Pharaoh’s palace; Abram escapes death because they present themselves as brother and sister. A plague prevents the Egyptian king from touching her, and convinces him to return her to Abram and to compensate the brother-revealed-as-husband with gold, silver and cattle.

Back in the land of Canaan, Lot separates from Abram and settles in the evil city of Sodom, where he falls captive when the mighty armies of Chedorlaomer and his three allies conquer the five cities of the Sodom Valley. Abram sets out with a small band to rescue his nephew, defeats the four kings, and is blessed by Malki-Zedek the king of Salem (Jerusalem).

G‑d seals the Covenant Between the Parts with Abram, in which the exile and persecution (galut) of the people of Israel is foretold, and the Holy Land is bequeathed to them as their eternal heritage.
Still childless ten years after their arrival in the Land, Sarai tells Abram to marry her maidservant Hagar. Hagar conceives, becomes insolent toward her mistress, and then flees when Sarai treats her harshly; an angel convinces her to return, and tells her that her son will father a populous nation. Ishmael is born in Abram’s eighty-sixth year.

Thirteen years later, G‑d changes Abram’s name to Abraham (“father of multitudes”), and Sarai’s to Sarah (“princess”), and promises that a son will be born to them; from this child, whom they should call Isaac (“will laugh”), will stem the great nation with which G‑d will establish His special bond. Abraham is commanded to circumcise himself and his descendants as a “sign of the covenant between Me and you.” Abraham immediately complies, circumcising himself and all the males of his household.

The content in this page is produced by Chabad.org, and is copyrighted by the author and/or Chabad.org. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further, provided that you do not revise any part of it, and you include this note, credit the author, and link to www.chabad.org. If you wish to republish this article in a periodical, book, or website, please email permissions@chabad.org.

D'var for Noach!

This week's d'var is written by Noah Abraham.

This week’s parsha is the classic tale of Noah. In a society where every person is evil, God chooses Noah and his family to be the lone survivor on Earth. God will soon destroy the evil by causing a worldwide flood. He tells Noah to build an ark, which will carry two of every kind of animal on earth along with his family. They spend 40 days and 40 nights floating among and endless ocean. Finally, the water dries up and Noah and all the animals are free to go!

Israel Update

Today in Jerusalem there was a march celebrating the 50th year of Jerusalem's reunification . The city was reunified after the Six Day War. Over 80 countries participated in the festivities.

https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5027168,00.html

D'var for Vayakhel-Pekudei!

This week's d'var is written by Noah Abraham.

During the parsha this week, Vayakhel-Pekudei, Moses tells his people the commandement of observing Shabbat. Moses also informs that people of God’s instructions to build the Mishkan. The majority of the parsha is talking about the building of the Mishkan and all of the pieces needed to build it. In the end, the Mishkan is built and brought to Moses. Moses appoints Aaron and his sons into priesthood. God sends a cloud over the Mishkan, showing that He approves it and showing that His holiness is present within.

D'var for Tetzaveh!

This week's d'var is written by Micah Rothkopf.

This week’s parsha is Tetzaveh. In Tetzaveh, the Torah explains the specific

rituals in which a priest must abide to as well as the various garments which must be

worn. What is most interesting about this parsha is the fact the Moshe’s name is not

stated. The only other portions which do not contain his name are before he was born.

Rabbi Jacob ben Asher is the one who first observed this absence. He brings forth two

separate interpretations:

1. In next week’s parsha, when the Israelites worship the golden calf, its says that God

got so angry that He wanted to destroy them. Sequentially, Moshe comes to their

rescue and pleads with God to forgive the Israelites’ sins. Moshe says, “then erase me,

please, from this book which You’ve written.” (Ex. 32:32) Although God does not literally

erase Moshe, it seems as though He removes him from one parsha: Tetzaveh.

2. Because this parsha concerns the high priest’s garments and since Moshe had

wanted to be the high priest, God simply didn't want to embarrass Moshe.

Both of these interpretations can give insight to the absence of our main

character. However, what I feel is most interesting about Rabbi Jacob ben Asher’s

commentary, is that it address Moshe, and the absence of. Although there happen to be

many other commentaries on this parsha, this specific one concerns the “absent”

Moshe as opposed to the “present” Aaron. How come Aaron and his garments weren't

interpreted in as great a depth as Moshe? Why do many commentators such as Rabbi

Jacob ben Asher avert their attention from what is there and instead towards what isn’t?

Although Rabbi Jacob ben Asher’s commentary is but one, it still stands for other unjust

examinations that should be focused towards others.

For the sake of this parsha, try this week to look at what is there, and not what

isn’t.

Sign up to volunteer at the Purim carnival!!

There is still time to sign up to volunteer for Temple Israel of Natick's Purim carnival!! It's gonna be tons of fun!(plus you can get Community service hours for your school!) Sign up at https://goo.gl/forms/eA0UCHnp2Cqk2IfI3

D'var for Terumah!

This week's parshah is Terumah.

The people of Israel are called upon to contribute thirteen materials—gold, silver and copper; blue-, purple- and red-dyed wool; flax, goat hair, animal skins, wood, olive oil, spices and gems—out of which, G‑d says to Moses, “They shall make for Me a Sanctuary, and I shall dwell amidst them.”
On the summit of Mount Sinai, Moses is given detailed instructions on how to construct this dwelling for G‑d so that it could be readily dismantled, transported and reassembled as the people journeyed in the desert.
In the Sanctuary’s inner chamber, behind an artistically woven curtain, was the ark containing the tablets of testimony engraved with the Ten Commandments; on the ark’s cover stood two winged cherubim hammered out of pure gold. In the outer chamber stood the seven-branched menorah, and the table upon which the “showbread” was arranged.
The Sanctuary’s three walls were fitted together from 48 upright wooden boards, each of which was overlaid with gold and held up by a pair of silver foundation sockets. The roof was formed of three layers of coverings: (a) tapestries of multicolored wool and linen; (b) a covering made of goat hair; (c) a covering of ram and tachash skins. Across the front of the Sanctuary was an embroidered screen held up by five posts.
Surrounding the Sanctuary and the copper-plated altar which fronted it was an enclosure of linen hangings, supported by 60 wooden posts with silver hooks and trimmings, and reinforced by copper stakes.

"Terumah in a Nutshell." Chabad.org. Chabad, n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2017. <http://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/1311/jewish/Terumah-in-a-Nutshell.htm>.

The content in this page is produced by Chabad.org, and is copyrighted by the author and/or Chabad.org. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further, provided that you do not revise any part of it, and you include this note, credit the author, and link to www.chabad.org. If you wish to republish this article in a periodical, book, or website, please email permissions@chabad.org. 

D'var for Mishpatim!

This week's d'var is written by Emma Freedlander.

This weeks torah portion is Mishpatim. This portion is after the receiving of the Ten Commandments at Sinai. G-d gives various laws for the people of Israel. Some laws were regarding how they would govern and how their justice system would work.
Other laws regarded the treatment of foreigners and seasonal festivals. Also, the Israelites were told not to cook meat with milk.
This parsha contains 53 mitzvot.
G-d tells the Israelites that they will make it to the holy land, but they must follow their new rules and laws.
The people of Israel agree to do what they are told. Moshe goes up Mount Sinai to get the Torah while leaving Aaron and Hur in charge.

Natick USY at TO semi!!

Natick USY had an abundance of fun at NERUSY's TO Semi!!!

D'var for Beshalach!

This week's parshah is Beshalach.

Soon after allowing the children of Israel to depart from Egypt, Pharaoh chases after them to force their return, and the Israelites find themselves trapped between Pharaoh’s armies and the sea. G‑d tells Moses to raise his staff over the water; the sea splits to allow the Israelites to pass through, and then closes over the pursuing Egyptians. Moses and the children of Israel sing a song of praise and gratitude to G‑d.
In the desert the people suffer thirst and hunger, and repeatedly complain to Moses and Aaron. G‑d miraculously sweetens the bitter waters of Marah, and later has Moses bring forth water from a rock by striking it with his staff. He causes manna to rain down from the heavens before dawn each morning, and quails to appear in the Israelite camp each evening.
The children of Israel are instructed to gather a double portion of manna on Friday, as none will descend on Shabbat, the divinely decreed day of rest. Some disobey and go to gather manna on the seventh day, but find nothing. Aaron preserves a small quantity of manna in a jar, as a testimony for future generations.
In Rephidim, the people are attacked by the Amalekites, who are defeated by Moses’ prayers and an army raised by Joshua.

"Beshalach in a Nutshell." Chabad.org. Chabad, n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2017.

Feb 7 SA/TO Snap

Hey everyone! On an average day a person usually uses up 80-100 gallons of water. Taking a bath has an average amount of 36 gallons. Old shower heads used to take up about 5 gallons of water a minute but now there are shower heads where it only uses 2.1 gallons a minute. An average shower is 8.2 minutes long. In total 17.2 gallons of water is used for one shower. There is a saying that you should drink 8-8ounce glasses of water a day (half a gallon of water). The amount of water that people drink is extremely smaller than the amount used for a shower or bath. This shows how people are using way too much water for something that does not need that much water used. So, with this information it shows that taking showers instead of baths and taking shorter showers will help with keeping the amount of water used to a smaller rate.

D'var for Bo!

This week's d'var is written by Noah Abraham.

The parsha this week, “Bo”, meaning go [to Pharaoh], describes the last three plagues and the beginning of the exodus. Locusts, darkness, and death of the firstborn strike Egypt by God’s hand. In between the ninth and tenth plague, God commands Moses to create the first Jewish calendar and to have a passover sacrifice every year. Once the final plague is complete, Pharaoh collapses and forces the Jewish people out of Egypt. Thus begins the story of the great Exodus.

USY Shabbat D'Var

Shabbat Shalom,

My name is Amy Azaria and my name is Ohad Klopman and we are honored to be the co-Presidents of Natick USY.  USY is a youth group for kids from 4th to 12th grade. It consists of 3 groups: Kids in 4th grade to 5th grade are part of a sub-group called Kadima, kids from 6th grade to 8th grade are part of Junior USY, and those in high school are part of Senior USY. The goal for all three groups is to have fun, participate in Jewish activities and connect with other Jewish kids, both in our community and beyond.  This Shabbat is particularly special because USY has the opportunity to run the service ourselves. We’ve used this time to put our own spin on it: a fun board game theme!

This week’s portion, Shemot, tells part of the story we hear every Passover: how Moses came into his own after leading the Hebrews out of Egypt. He was raised apart from his family; Pharaoh’s edict required that all male Hebrew babies be cast into the Nile. Moses, however, was lucky. Pharaoh’s daughter saw him floating in the Nile and rescued him. She raised him in the palace, where he grew up as a royal. Years passed, and Moses grew up to be outspoken and brave. He addressed conflicts between Egyptians and Hebrews, as well as between Hebrews. Moses assumed a leadership role in his court and he helped to resolve issues that appeared among his subjects.

God saw potential in this royal river baby and chose him to lead the Hebrews. Moses had proven his mettle once before, so God trusted Moses to do what was right. Moses was aware that he had flaws, but he reconciled them by working with his brother, Aaron. Together, the two took on the task of leading the Hebrews. Without a strong leader like Moses, the Hebrews would have continued to struggle in Egypt.

The haftarah tells us of a time when the people Israel drifted away from their responsibilities to each other and to God. Isaiah is the one to bring Israel’s shortcomings to their attention. He calls the Ten Tribes of Jacob out for reckless behavior, and he says that as long as it continues, “they shall fall backward, and be injured and snared and captured" (28:13). Unfortunately for Isaiah, Israel does not heed his warnings. The role of a leader can be hard at times, especially when one’s peers refuse to listen. But the Rabbis have chosen to end the haftarah with two verses of another section of Isaiah, ones that remind us of the eventual redemption and forgiveness by God.

In both these portions, we see a common theme: that of coming into your own, finding your role in the community, and discovering what it really means to be a leader in the Jewish community. Moses may have been appointed by God to the task, but he would never have been considered if had he not spoken out and taken action for what was right. In the haftorah, we see the Israelites struggle with amending their shameful ways. Isaiah has the hard task of calling it out, but no change could have occurred without his leadership. This is one of our goals in USY: we strive to change for the better, to gather our friends and families to do good for others and embrace our Jewish identities.

In my eight years in Natick USY, I’ve changed a lot.  When I first started USY, I remember going to Friday night and Saturday morning services and hearing Senior USY’ers leading Ruach sessions, wishing I could join in.  Of course I could have, but I was too shy to do anything more than just sit with the Senior USY’ers while they sang.  I am no longer too shy to join in on the Ruach sessions; I’ve even led sessions before!  I love USY for more than just the Ruach sessions and other fun events, though.  It gives me an opportunity to volunteer with friends and have fun learning about Israel.  Through USY, I have met some of my best friends who I know I will keep in touch with, even after high school.

When I first joined USY, I was thrilled to get to go snow tubing and dancing and skating, all while hanging out with my friends from Hebrew school. Now that it’s my 4th year in the chapter, I know that it’s so much more than that—although that is pretty awesome in itself! At its core, USY is a place to find a place in something greater than yourself. It’s where I found my love for helping others through various Social Action and Tikkun Olam events. It’s what caused me to start paying attention to Israeli news, because what goes on there affects me even though I live in the U.S. USY is my outlet to participate in the greater Jewish community, and if I’m lucky enough, to lead it.

On behalf of the entire USY board, I would like to thank the Temple Israel Youth Committee and Michelle Nelson for helping to ensure all events are successful, and of course, for helping us to become the regional Chapter of the Year!   In addition, I would like to thank the Temple Israel Community for your support throughout the year.

Thank you, and Shabbat Shalom!

3 days till USY Shabbat!!!

‪3 days till USY Shabbat! It's gonna be amazing! Sign up at http://tinyurl.com/2017USYParticipationGuide‬

4 days till USY Shabbat!!!

‪4 days till USY Shabbat! It's gonna be splendid! Sign up at http://tinyurl.com/2017USYParticipationGuide‬

5 days till USY Shabbat!!!

5 days till USY Shabbat! Don't miss out! Sign up at http://tinyurl.com/2017USYParticipationGuide

9 days till USY Shabbat!!!

9 days till USY Shabbat! It will be a blast! Sign up at http://tinyurl.com/2017USYParticipationGuide

January 16 SA/TO snap

Hi everyone! A quick and easy way to help the environment is to stop using plastic bags. Start bringing your own reusable bags to stores. Plastic bags have three times the greenhouse gas impact of reusable bags. This way plastic bags will not be hurting the earth.

6 days till USY Shabbat!!!

‪6 days till USY Shabbat! It's gonna be dandy! Sign up at http://tinyurl.com/2017USYParticipationGuide‬

7 days till USY Shabbat!!!

7 days till USY Shabbat! It's gonna be awesome! Sign up at http://tinyurl.com/2017USYParticipationGuide

D'var for Vayechi

This week's d'var is written by Ben Katzman.

In Vayechi, Jacob is about to die, so he gives instructions on how to bury him. He then blesses his sons and he gives a special blessing to Joseph's kids. He blesses each child with something that will be imported to the tribe. When he dies, the people of Egypt mourn his death and his body gets a military escort to his burial site in Israel. At the end, Joseph dies but his body get buried in Egypt, even though he wanted to be buried in Israel too.  

In this parsha, we also learn that the brothers still feel guilty for what they did to Joseph. They tell him that they will be his slaves. Joseph tells them that he forgives them. This is a lesson to all, about forgiveness because Joseph’s brothers had been evil to him, yet he was still able to forgive.

8 days till USY Shabbat!!!

8 days till USY Shabbat! It will be so much fun! Sign up athttps://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfog0m8A7HCQQexaXxsNxLBTg6Mc3MsdYh-YTxRbszR4gKGxQ/viewform

10 day till USY Shabbat!

10 days till USY Shabbat!!! Don't forget to sign up at http://tinyurl.com/2017USYParticipationGuide

D'var for Vayigash!

This week's parshah is Vayigash.

Judah approaches Joseph to plead for the release of Benjamin, offering himself as a slave to the Egyptian ruler in Benjamin’s stead. Upon witnessing his brothers’ loyalty to one another, Joseph reveals his identity to them. “I am Joseph,” he declares. “Is my father still alive?”
The brothers are overcome by shame and remorse, but Joseph comforts them. “It was not you who sent me here,” he says to them, “but G‑d. It has all been ordained from Above to save us, and the entire region, from famine.”
The brothers rush back to Canaan with the news. Jacob comes to Egypt with his sons and their families—seventy souls in all—and is reunited with his beloved son after 22 years. On his way to Egypt he receives the divine promise: “Fear not to go down to Egypt; for I will there make of you a great nation. I will go down with you into Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again.”
Joseph gathers the wealth of Egypt by selling food and seed during the famine. Pharaoh gives Jacob’s family the fertile county of Goshen to settle, and the children of Israel prosper in their Egyptian exile.

 

 

"Vayigash in a Nutshell." Chabad.org. Chabad, n.d. Web. 06 Jan. 2017.

January 4th SA/TO snap

Happy New Year everyone! Hope everyone is having a great time back at school! Now that we are back to school you may want to take some homework breaks during the day. If you planned on going shopping, try shopping online! By shopping online it can save energy and there will be fewer carbon dioxide emissions than shopping in the store. Hope everyone has a great rest of the week and tries shopping online rather than going to the store!

Snow tubing!!!

Don't forget to sign up for snow tubing this Saturday the 7th at 5:30 - 9:15 am. There will be a bus to take us there. We will have a 2- hour pass for tubing and pizza!! This event is for grades 3-12! Sign up at http://tinyurl.com/2017Tubing 

Sam, Micah, and Michael at IC!!!

Sam, Micah, and Michael all had an incredible IC experience. Micah and Michael would love to see you next year at IC CHICAGO!!! Come up to any of them if you have questions about their #icexperience