This Friday is the first day of the month of
Adar. There are two notable ideas associated with this day. First, an exhortation to joy: “When Adar enters, increase in joy.” By virtue of the upcoming holiday of Purim, the entire month is buoyed with an air of celebration.
A more curious instruction for the first day of Adar relates to
landowners in Israel. It is forbidden for a resident of Israel to plant seeds from two different species together. Adar is the month in which plants first begin to rise above the soil, so in ancient Israel the court would dispatch agents on the first of the month to remind the farmers to check their budding produce for any signs of a forbidden mixture, and to uproot it if necessary.
But
the prohibition against mixing species is not just for the horticulturists among us. We all are gardeners of our own souls, and that law cautions us against muddling our lives with someone else’s ideas or priorities. Each individual has a unique purpose. When we abandon our life for a version of someone else’s we profane our gardens. But more than that, we become torn and unhappy.
Perhaps
that is the message of the first of Adar. If we uproot our inner dissonance and uncertainty of purpose—our “forbidden mixtures”—we will be able to enter a life full of joy and contentment.
Wishing you a peaceful and joyous Adar,
Shabbat
Shalom!
Rabbi Shimon Kramer
Purim in the Stadium
This Purim, which team are you joining?
Come
join us Thursday, March 1 as we celebrate Purim 'in the Stadium' at the Clubhouse at the Merrick Park Golf Course
To volunteer and/or for business sponsorship, please contact Adina 516-833-3057 ext 104 or email [email protected].
Despite facing one of life's most difficult challenges, Rabbi Yitzi Hurwitz continues to inspire all those who come in contact with him to greater joy and faith. Diagnosed four years ago with bulbar onset, a dreaded form of
ALS, "Rabbi Yitzi", as he is affectionately known, is now 95% paralyzed and no longer able to speak or breathe on his own. Before his diagnosis, Rabbi Yitzi, his wife Dina and their seven children, were Chabad emissaries in Temecula, California for 14 years.
Circle
of Hope provides awareness, emotional support and hands-on help to individuals and their families coping with breast cancer and other illnesses.
Support groups are now available for those coping with illness as well as for caregivers.
Meetings: Tuesday, February 20th
Woman with cancer: 10:00 AM
Friends & Family Support: 6:40 PM
To join a support group led by Miriam Baruch, email us at [email protected] or
call 516-833-3057 ext. 104.
Cooking for Hope
On Thursday, February 15, Jewish teens had the opportunity to cook a variety of Kosher dishes, all the while bringing hope and happiness to those coping with illness.
We
are once again fully stocked and ready to give out meals to those who need. Please contact us if you or someone you know is not well. We would be happy to deliver a delicious home-cooked meal to individuals and/or their families, at home or to a local area hospital. Please email [email protected] or call Adina at 516-833-3057 ext. 104.
Hebrew School is in full swing and sound of happy children learning fills the classrooms! Students have been learning about our Jewish heritage &
working hard at their Hebrew Reading.
Hurray for this week's Alef Champions who've progressed a level in Hebrew reading!
Start each month in a holy way as we take the opportunity to fulfill the important Mitzvah of putting on Tefillin. Enjoy bagels, lox & cream cheese, with a cup of freshly brewed coffee & good shmooze.
No
previous experience necessary! Tefillin are available if you don’t own a pair.
Gan
Israel gives children a great summer experience, while at the same time, instilling a healthy dose of Jewish pride!
Early bird special! Register for camp by March 31st for $100 off the camp fees! Ages 18M-9 years old. Very limited space available!
Mikvah
Arrange a tour of the mikvah: Call 516-833-3057 ext 104 .
Click Here to book an appointment for use of the mikvah
Classes-Wondering what this mitzvah is all about? Contact Chanie
for a brief 'Mikvah 101' session at 516-833-3057 ext 101 or email [email protected].
In Our Community
Kosher Sandwiches in 7-11!
The
7-11 at 2540 Merrick Rd in Bellmore will be selling glatt Kosher meat and dairy ready-to-go sandwiches, wraps & desserts from Fresko Kosher!
Recent Photos
Latest Photos
Humor
A new manager spends a week at his new office with the manager he is replacing. On
the last day the departing manager tells him, "I have left three numbered envelopes in the desk drawer. Open an envelope if you encounter a crisis you can't solve."
Three months down the track there is major drama, everything goes wrong - the usual stuff - and the manager feels very threatened
by it all.
He remembers the parting words of his predecessor and opens the first envelope. The message inside says "Blame your predecessor!" He does this and gets off the hook.
About
half a year later, the company is experiencing a dip in sales, combined with serious product problems. The manager quickly opens the second envelope. The message read, "Reorganize!" This he does, and the company quickly rebounds.
Three months later, at his next crisis, he opens the third
envelope. The message inside says "Prepare three envelopes."
By the Numbers 5 Misconceptions About Keeping Kosher With a little education—and a lot of help, support and advice from friends and others in my life—I decided to take the kosher plunge.
Parshah Is G‑d Talking to Me? G‑d is everywhere, who could keep Him out? The more pertinent question is where does G‑d make Himself "at home"? More germane to us: Is it up to us where He dwells?
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 tachashskins. 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.
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Circle
of Hope provides awareness, emotional support and hands-on help to individuals and their families coping with breast cancer and other illnesses.
