Friday, July 31, 2015

TO REMEMBER OR OBSERVE?

Parashat Va’etchanan – Shabbat Nachamu
16 Av 5775 / 31 July – 1 August 2015
Torah: Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11
Haftarah: Isaiah 40:1-26

Dedications and Calendar or Events follow. For more information about our community, see: www.bethmeier.org

Don’t forget the important members’ meeting this Sunday, August 2 at 2:00 pm. See my letter for details.

Please feel free to pass this on to a friend, and please cite the source
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TO REMEMBER OR OBSERVE?

"Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you." Deuteronomy 5:12

Rashi (quoting Mekhilta): At the first (i.e., Exodus 20:8), it says, "remember" (the Sabbath). Both were said in one statement and in one word, and they were heard simultaneously.

According to the Midrash, Moses does not have a faulty memory. Since Moses can not say two words at one time, the Torah uses "remember" in one place, and "observe" in the other. I have been taught that they are actually two separate commandments. One can perform one of these commandments without performing the other.

How is it possible to observe Shabbat without remembering it? Performance of mitzvot requires kavannah, the proper intent. If one carries out all of the rituals of Shabbat, does no work, and so forth, without reflecting on why one does so, without actually intending to do so, one has observed without remembering, and the observance is, in a way, incomplete. How is it possible to remember without observing? One might say to oneself, "It is Shabbat, and I will light the candles." But for some reason or other, one does not perform other Shabbat rituals, or one performs work, and so forth. One has surely remembered, but has not fully observed Shabbat.

I would suggest that remembering is more important than observing. This is because remembering can lead to observing (as it has in my own life), and one may thereby perform both of these commandments. But mechanical observance tends to turn into empty ritual – which is meaningless - and leads to forgetfulness, and thus the non-performance of both commandments. Perhaps in this context, we would do well to refer to the teaching of the Baal Shem Tov - "Memory is the source of redemption; forgetting leads to exile."

Even if you are not yet prepared to fully observe Shabbat, for your own sake, for the sake of your children, for the sake of the Jewish people, remember Shabbat.

Shabbat Shalom.

Rabbi Richard Flom
Congregation Beth Meier
Studio City, CA
Visit me on Facebook
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Candlelighting: 7:37 pm

Friday: Shabbat Evening Service – 8:00 pm. Oneg Shabbat follows
Saturday: Shabbat Morning Service – 10:00 am. Kiddush lunch follows.
Sunday: Congregation Beth Meier Members’ Meeting – 2:00 pm. Please make every effort to attend. Refreshments served.
Tuesday: Lunch and Learn – 12:00 noon.
Friday, 7 August: Shabbat Evening Service – 8:00 pm. Oneg Shabbat follows
Saturday, 8 August: Shabbat Morning Service – 10:00 am. Kiddush lunch follows.
Sunday, 9 August: Informational meeting on Israel trip with Rabbi Mark Hyman – 4:00 pm. Please come if you are interested in learning more – no commitment. Itinerary, brochure and other information are at my blog, http://rav-rich.blogspot.com/2015/07/trip-to-israel.html or I can send you a PDF version via e-mail.

This d’var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for Avi Shmuel Yosef Hakohen ben Bella, Naomi bat Yorma, Miriam Minya bat Alisa Batya, Sarah bat Devorah, Sarah Mindel bat Toby, Ken Bitticks, Elsbet Brosky, Jerry Daniels, Howard Ehrlich, Maya Fersht (Maya bat Esther), Dr. Samuel Fersht (Shmuel Natan ben Gittel), Leonard Foint, Annabelle Flom (Chanah Bella bat Kreina), Gig Flom (Gittel Tobi bat Blanca), Jerry Forman, Pamela Huddleston, Philip Kovac, and Annie Rivera.

My divrei torah are also available via email subscription to the Cyber Torah List. No salesman will call. 
Cyber Torah list management:
To subscribe to Cyber Torah, send an e-mail from the receiving address to:ravflom@sbcglobal.net with the heading “Subscribe Cyber Torah”.
To unsubscribe from Cyber Torah, send an e-mail from the receiving address to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net  with the heading “Unsubscribe Cyber Torah”.
To dedicate a Cyber Torah in honor of a simchah, in memory of a loved one or for a refuah shleimah, send an e-mail to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net with the heading “Dedicate Cyber Torah” and provide details in the message body.

Friday, July 24, 2015

I CAN’T SAY IT ENOUGH!

Parashat Devarim (Shabbat Chazon)
9 Av 5775 / 24-25 July 2015
Torah: Deuteronomy 1:1 - 3:22
Haftarah: Isaiah 1:1-27

This Shabbat is “Shabbat Chazon”, the Shabbat of Vision, so-called because we read on Saturday night the horrifying vision of the Book of Lamentations. Sundown Saturday is the commencement of the fast day of Tisha B'Av, the Ninth of Av, commemorating the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem, and numerous other calamities which have befallen the Jewish people on the same date. The fast is delayed one day this year because of Shabbat. See calendar below for service times/location. Have a meaningful fast.

We’re planning a trip to Israel! Itinerary, brochure and other information are at my blog, http://rav-rich.blogspot.com/2015/07/trip-to-israel.html  or I can send you a PDF version via e-mail.

Calendar follows below. See our web site at www.bethmeier.org for complete listings and other info on our community.

Please feel free to pass this on to a friend, and please cite the source.
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I CAN’T SAY IT ENOUGH!

"These are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel ..." Deuteronomy 1:1

Moses here begins his farewell speech to the Israelites, as they prepare to enter the land of Canaan. The title "Deuteronomy" means "repetition of the law", and comes directly from the Hebrew phrase "mishneh torah" (same meaning), which appears at Deuteronomy 17:18. The great rabbi and philosopher Rambam (Maimonides) gave his most important halakhic work the same name. As a lawyer, I knew similar treatises concerning American law called "The Restatements of the Law".

The works of Rambam and the American Law Institute are "black-letter law", basic and essential elements upon which all agree. They are dry and generally uninspired and uninspiring, albeit useful.

On the other hand, one must wonder how Moses' last words got the same name. For one thing, Deuteronomy is a spiritual and philosophical work, the model of what have come to be known as "ethical wills". Equally interesting is that 70 of the 100 or so laws that appear in Deuteronomy are not found elsewhere in the Torah. A curious "restatement" indeed. Perhaps the "extra" laws would have been found or heard had the prior books of the Torah been re-read!

Some books are meant to be read only once, or to be used strictly as reference works. But Torah is only understood if it is studied, mulled over, delved into, discussed and constantly re-examined. Regular Torah study leads us to new insights about God, ourselves, the world around us, relationships and more. This is what is meant by Ben Bag Bag's teaching - "Turn the Torah over and over again, for everything is in it." Avot 5:22

Learn it again for the first time.

Shabbat Shalom. Have a meaningful fast.

Rabbi Richard A. Flom
Congregation Beth Meier
Studio City, CA
Visit me on Facebook
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Candle lighting: 7:42 pm

Friday:  Shabbat Evening Service – 8:00 pm. Oneg Shabbat follows.
Saturday: Shabbat Morning Service – 10:00 am. Kiddush lunch follows. Tisha B’Av (delayed by Shabbat) Study and Services beginning 7:00 pm at Adat Ari El, featuring Rabbis Jonathan Bernhard, John Carrier, Joshua Hoffman and Richard Flom.
Sunday: Tisha B’Av service at Adat Ari El – 9:00 am. Women’s Rosh Chodesh Group – Assemble Tallitot – contact Lynn Kronzek or Deb Sigel for details.
Tuesday: Lunch and Learn – 12:00 noon.
Sunday, August 2IMPORTANT Meeting of the members of Beth Meier – 2:00 pm. Please make every effort to come and make your voices heard!
Sunday, August 9: Meeting with Rabbi Mark Hyman of Shalom Travel at 4:00 pm to discuss our trip to Israel! Itinerary, brochure and other information are at my blog, http://rav-rich.blogspot.com/2015/07/trip-to-israel.html or I can send you a PDF version via e-mail.

This d’var torah is offered in memory of my grandmother, Sarah Flom, whose yahrzeit falls on Sunday, 10 Av. Y’hi zekherah liv’rakhah – May her memory be a blessing.

This d’var torah is offered in memory of Lynn’s grandmother, Martha Stern, whose yahrzeit falls on Tuesday, 12 Av. Y’hi zekherah liv’rakhah – May her memory be a blessing.

This d’var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for Avi Shmuel Yosef Hakohen ben Bella, Naomi bat Yorma, Miriam Minya bat Alisa Batya, Sarah bat Devorah, Sarah Mindel bat Toby, Jeannie Berger, Ken Bitticks, Elsbet Brosky, Jerry Daniels, Howard Ehrlich, Maya Fersht (Maya bat Esther), Dr. Samuel Fersht (Shmuel Natan ben Gittel), Leonard Foint, Annabelle Flom (Chanah Bella bat Kreina), Gig Flom (Gittel Tobi bat Blanca), Jerry Forman, Pamela Huddleston, Philip Kovac, and Annie Rivera.

My weekly divrei torah are also available via email subscription on the Cyber Torah list.
Cyber Torah list management:
To subscribe to Cyber Torah, send an e-mail from the receiving address to:ravflom@sbcglobal.net with the heading “Subscribe Cyber Torah”.
To unsubscribe from Cyber Torah, send an e-mail from the receiving address to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net  with the heading “Unsubscribe Cyber Torah”.
To dedicate a Cyber Torah in honor of a simchah, in memory of a loved one or for a refuah shleimah, send an e-mail to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net with the heading “Dedicate Cyber Torah” and provide details in the message body.

Thursday, July 16, 2015

GUILT-FREE RETURNS

Parashat Mattot-Mase’ei
2 Av 5775 / 17-18 July 2015
Torah: Numbers 30:2-36:13 (Chazak!)
Haftarah: Jeremiah 2:4-28, 3:4 (Ashkenazim); Jeremiah 2:4-28, 4:1-2 (Sephardim) (Second Haftarah of Admonition)

We’re planning a trip to Israel! Itinerary, brochure and other information are at my blog, http://rav-rich.blogspot.com/2015/07/trip-to-israel.html  and at the synagogue website, or I can send you a PDF version via e-mail.

Calendar follows below.  See our web site at www.bethmeier.org for complete listings and other info on our community.

Please feel free to pass this on to a friend, and please cite the source.
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GUILT-FREE RETURNS

"And the Land shall be conquered before the Lord, and then you shall return, and you shall be guiltless before the Lord and before Israel; and this Land shall be your inheritance before the Lord." Numbers 32:22

Because the verse says "before the Lord and before Israel", Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani teaches in the name of Rabbi Yochanan that, just as we must fulfill our obligations to God, we must fulfill our obligations to our fellow human beings (Jerusalem Talmud Shekalim).

Even though Yom Kippur is nearly ten weeks away, I think it is appropriate to consider whether the order in the verse is correct. The verse says "tashuvu", "you shall return", but it can also mean "you shall repent". According to Rambam (Maimonides), in Hilkhot Teshuvah (The Laws of Repentance), we do not truly return to God, guilt-free and forgiven, unless and until we have repented and been forgiven by our fellows. Otherwise, all of our breast beating on Yom Kippur is pointless. All of the promises we make to God are meaningless unless we have already made restitution to our victims for previous violations.

But why wait until Yom Kippur? Today is a perfect day to get straight with your fellows and with God. And you never know what the future will bring. Perhaps that is why Rabbi Eliezer teaches, "Repent one day before your death."  Avot 2:15

Shabbat Shalom!

Rabbi Richard A. Flom
Congregation Beth Meier - Studio City, CA
Visit me on Facebook
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Candle lighting: 7:46 pm

Friday: Shabbat Evening Service – 8:00 pm. Oneg Shabbat follows.
Saturday:  Shabbat Morning Service – 10:00 am. Kiddush lunch follows. Happy Birthday Irwin Silon and Leonard Foint!
Sunday: Rosh Chodesh Group’s Tallit Making Caravan to Little India. Meet at Beth Meier at 10:00 am to carpool to Artesia. Contact Lynn Kronzek or Deb Sigel for details.
Tuesday: Lunch and Learn – 12:00 noon.
Friday, July 24:  Shabbat Evening Service – 8:00 pm. Oneg Shabbat follows.
Saturday, July 25: Shabbat Morning Service – 10:00 am. Kiddush lunch follows. Tisha B’Av (delayed by Shabbat) Study and Services at beginning 7:00 pm at Adat Ari El, featuring Rabbis Jonathan Bernhard, John Carrier, Joshua Hoffman and Richard Flom.
Sunday, July 26: Tisha B’Av service at Adat Ari El – 9:00 am. Women’s Rosh Chodesh Group – Assemble Tallitot – contact Lynn Kronzek or Deb Sigel for details.
Sunday, August 2IMPORTANT Meeting of the members of Beth Meier – 2:00 pm. Please make every effort to come and make your voices heard!
Sunday, August 9: Meeting with Rabbi Mark Hyman of Shalom Travel at 4:00 pm to discuss our trip to Israel! Itinerary, brochure and other information are at my blog, http://rav-rich.blogspot.com/2015/07/trip-to-israel.html or I can send you a PDF version via e-mail.

Don’t forget to submit your Membership Forms and/or High Holy Day Ticket orders ASAP!

This d’var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for Avi Shmuel Yosef Hakohen ben Bella, Naomi bat Yorma, Miriam Minya bat Alisa Batya, Sarah bat Devorah, Sarah Mindel bat Toby, Jeannie Berger, Ken Bitticks, Elsbet Brosky, Jerry Daniels, Howard Ehrlich, Maya Fersht (Maya bat Esther), Dr. Samuel Fersht (Shmuel Natan ben Gittel), Leonard Foint, Annabelle Flom (Chanah Bella bat Kreina), Gig Flom (Gittel Tobi bat Blanca), Jerry Forman, Pamela Huddleston, Philip Kovac, Rabbi Sheldon Pennes, and Annie Rivera.

My weekly divrei torah are also available via email subscription on the Cyber Torah list. 
Cyber Torah list management:
To subscribe to Cyber Torah, send an e-mail from the receiving address to:ravflom@sbcglobal.net with the heading “Subscribe Cyber Torah”.
To unsubscribe from Cyber Torah, send an e-mail from the receiving address to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net  with the heading “Unsubscribe Cyber Torah”.
To dedicate a Cyber Torah in honor of a simchah, in memory of a loved one or for a refuah shleimah, send an e-mail to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net with the heading “Dedicate Cyber Torah” and provide details in the message body.

Friday, July 10, 2015

FOLLOW THE LEADER

Parashat Pinchas
24 Tammuz 5775 / 10-11 July 2015
Torah: Numbers 25:10 - 30:1
Haftarah: Jeremiah 1:1-2:3 (First Haftarah of Rebuke)

Dedications and Calendar of Events follow below. Full calendar and other information about our community may be found at: http://www.bethmeier.org

We’re planning a trip to Israel! Itinerary, brochure and other information are at my blog, http://rav-rich.blogspot.com/2015/07/trip-to-israel or I can send you a PDF version via e-mail.

Please feel free to pass this on to a friend, and please cite the source.
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FOLLOW THE LEADER

"Of Yetzer, the Yetzerite family; of Shilem, the Shilemite family." Numbers 26:49

Rabbi Yechiel Michel of Zlochov offers the following comment on this verse: "This is a hint of what our Sages say, that a person is led along the path he wishes to follow (citing the Talmud at Makkot 10). 'Of Yetzer' (which means "inclination") - if a person wishes to follow his yetzer hara, his Evil Inclination, 'the Yetzerite family' - whole families will join him in this type of behavior. On the other hand, 'of Shilem' (the root of which means "perfection" - the same root as "shalom" - "peace") - if a person seeks to find perfection, 'the Shilemite family' - many friends will join him in this course."

This is an interesting insight. Each and every one of us has not only the freedom to choose good or evil, but the power to persuade others through our choices.  Each and every one of us leads by example. This means that, in a sense, none of us ever has any "down time" - time when we are not being observed by others - whether by our partners or by our children or by our friends or by our co-workers. But it also means that every minute of every waking day is an opportunity to influence others in a positive and constructive way - merely by being "shilem".

You never know who's watching!

Shabbat Shalom!

Rabbi Richard A. Flom
Congregation Beth Meier - Studio City, CA
Visit me on Facebook
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Candle lighting: 7:48 pm

Friday: Family Shabbat Evening Service – 7:30 pm. Oneg Shabbat follows.
Saturday:  Shabbat Morning Service – 10:00 am. Kiddush lunch follows. Happy Birthday Leonard Foint!
Sunday: English Tea Party at Beth Meier – SORRY – NO WALK-INS – Reservations closed.
Tuesday: Lunch and Learn – 12:00 noon.
Friday, July 17:  Shabbat Evening Service – 8:00 pm. Oneg Shabbat follows.
Sunday, July 12: English Tea Party at Beth Meier - Enjoy a three course meal, meet new people, have fun and plan other events. Limited seating, $25 per person, RSVP by July 7th!
Sunday, July 19: Rosh Chodesh Group’s Tallit Making Caravan to Little India. Contact Lynn Kronzek or Deb Sigel for details.
Sunday, August 2: IMPORTANT Meeting of the members of Beth Meier – 2:00 pm. Please make every effort to come and make your voices heard!
Sunday, August 9: Meeting with Rabbi Mark Hyman of Shalom Travel at 4:00 pm to discuss our trip to Israel! Itinerary, brochure and other information are at my blog, http://rav-rich.blogspot.com/2015/07/trip-to-israel or I can send you a PDF version via e-mail.

This d’var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for Avi Shmuel Yosef Hakohen ben Bella, Naomi bat Yorma, Miriam Minya bat Alisa Batya, Sarah Mindel bat Toby, Jeannie Berger, Ken Bitticks, Elsbet Brosky, Jacob William Cohen, Jerry Daniels, Howard Ehrlich, Maya Fersht (Maya bat Esther), Dr. Samuel Fersht (Shmuel Natan ben Gittel), Leonard Foint, Annabelle Flom (Chanah Bella bat Kreina), Gig Flom (Gittel Tobi bat Blanca), Jerry Forman, Pamela Huddleston, Philip Kovac, Rabbi Sheldon Pennes, and Annie Rivera. 

My weekly divrei torah are also available via free subscription to the Cyber Torah list.
Cyber Torah list management:
To subscribe to Cyber Torah, send an e-mail from the receiving address to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net with the heading “Subscribe Cyber Torah”.
To unsubscribe from Cyber Torah, send an e-mail from the receiving address to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net  with the heading “Unsubscribe Cyber Torah”.
To dedicate a Cyber Torah in honor of a simchah, in memory of a loved one or for a refuah shleimah, send an e-mail to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net with the heading “Dedicate Cyber Torah” and provide details in the message body.

Thursday, July 2, 2015

NO PROFIT FROM “PROPHETS”

Parashat Balak
17 Tammuz 5775 / 3-4 July 2015
Torah: Numbers 22:2 - 25:9
Haftarah: Micah 5:6 - 6:8

Dedications and Calendar of Events follow below. Full calendar and other information about our community may be found at: http://www.bethmeier.org 

We’re planning a trip to Israel! Itinerary, brochure and other information are at my blog, http://rav-rich.blogspot.com/2015/07/trip-to-israel.html  or I can send you a PDF version via e-mail.

Please feel free to pass this on to a friend, and please cite the source.
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NO PROFIT FROM “PROPHETS”

“How goodly are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel. Like palm groves that stretch out; like gardens beside a river; like aloes planted by the Lord; like cedars beside the water.” Numbers 24:5-6.

The first verse here is the opening of “Ma Tovu”, recited upon entering the synagogue. Together, the verses are a beautiful blessing, or perhaps an observation, offered by the sorcerer-prophet Bil’am, who had been hired to curse the people of Israel.

The early Hasidic master Yakov Yosef of Polnoye asks, “What is the difference between a true prophet and a false one?” The true prophet, he says, scolds people, telling them of their failings and how they may correct them. Think of Jeremiah or Isaiah. 

The false prophet, on the other hand, sweet-talks the people. “You’re wonderful!  Everything is great!  Don’t change a thing.” He covers you in honey and cream while preparing to slice you to pieces.

It is precisely because true prophets love the people that they criticize them and demand improvement. Even though Bil’am and others of his ilk praise the people Israel, they do not sing out of love. They say what they say in order to entice Israel, and prevent the people from reaching the loftiest possible spiritual and moral levels. 

Don’t be fooled by false prophets - they'll love you to death.

Shabbat Shalom! Happy Independence Day!

Rabbi Richard A. Flom
Congregation Beth Meier - Studio City, CA
Visit me on Facebook
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Candle lighting: 7:50 pm

Friday: Beth Meier office CLOSED – Federal Holiday. NO Shabbat Evening Service.
Saturday:  Shabbat Morning Service – 10:00 am. Kiddush lunch follows. Happy Fourth of July!
Tuesday: Lunch and Learn – 12:00 noon.
Friday, July 10: Family Shabbat Evening Service – 7:30 pm. Oneg Shabbat follows.
Sunday, July 12: English Tea Party at Beth Meier - Enjoy a three course meal, meet new people, have fun and plan other events. Limited seating, $25 per person, RSVP by July 7th!
Sunday, July 19: Rosh Chodesh Group’s Tallit Making Caravan to Little India. Contact Lynn Kronzek or Deb Sigel for details.
Sunday, August 2: IMPORTANT Meeting of the members of Beth Meier – 2:00 pm. Please make every effort to come and make your voices heard!

We’re planning a trip to Israel! Itinerary, brochure and other information are at my blog, http://rav-rich.blogspot.com/2015/07/trip-to-israel.html  or I can send you a PDF version via e-mail.

This d’var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for Avi Shmuel Yosef Hakohen ben Bella, Naomi bat Yorma, Miriam Minya bat Alisa Batya, Sarah Mindel bat Toby, Jeannie Berger, Ken Bitticks, Elsbet Brosky, Jacob William Cohen, Jerry Daniels, Howard Ehrlich, Maya Fersht (Maya bat Esther), Dr. Samuel Fersht (Shmuel Natan ben Gittel), Leonard Foint, Annabelle Flom (Chanah Bella bat Kreina), Gig Flom (Gittel Tobi bat Blanca), Jerry Forman, Pamela Huddleston, Philip Kovac, Rabbi Sheldon Pennes, and Annie Rivera.

My weekly divrei torah are also available via free subscription to the Cyber Torah email list.
Cyber Torah list management:
To subscribe to Cyber Torah, send an e-mail from the receiving address to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net with the heading “Subscribe Cyber Torah”.
To unsubscribe from Cyber Torah, send an e-mail from the receiving address to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net  with the heading “Unsubscribe Cyber Torah”.
To dedicate a Cyber Torah in honor of a simchah, in memory of a loved one or for a refuah shleimah, send an e-mail to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net with the heading “Dedicate Cyber Torah” and provide details in the message body.

TRIP TO ISRAEL

Chaverim:

This is the itinerary and brochure for our upcoming trip to Israel! 

Rabbi Mark Hyman, our travel agent who assisted us in designing the trip, will meet with all those interested in the trip at Beth Meier on Sunday, August 9 at 4:00 pm, and at Mishkon Tephilo at a date and time to be determined. 

Contact me at ravflom@sbcglobal.net or the synagogue office (818-769-0515) for a trip application/reservation form, including flight, insurance and further information. If you are unable to properly view/print the brochure, contact me and I will send you a PDF or hard copy. 

This is an exciting opportunity for us, and we are looking forward to having as many people as possible join in. Important note: this trip is open to anyone - not only members of the two congregations - so invite your friends and relatives to come along!




HOLY AFIKOMAN!

Parashat Tzav (Shabbat Parah) Adar II 20, 5784 / March 29-30, 2024 Torah: Leviticus 6:1 - 8:36 Maftir (Parah): Numbers 19:1-22 Haftarah (Par...