WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

At the RCA convention this week in Stamford, Rabbi Menachem Penner had a fascinating perspective regarding the activities commonly happening in the Holy Temple on a daily basis - the main topic of this week's portion. Primarily there was cooking, eating and then cleaning...sound familiar? 

The difference was that the Kohanim always maintained an intense awareness of where they were, what they were doing and why they were doing what they did. For us, who are to emulate the kohanim, with the same sense of purpose we can elevate even the most mundane of activity!

Today is also the minor festival of Lag B'Omer, the 33rd day of the counting of the barley offering known as the Omer, which began the day after Passover.  This occasion is probably the hardest to really understand, but some ideas include the yahrtzeit of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, the author of the Zohar, or perhaps the day he emerged from hiding. Additionally we're told the plague that afflicted the students of Rabbi Akiva subsided.

In Israel there are thousands of bonfires lit and much singing and dancing, along with the shooting of bows and arrows.

Congratulations to our own Simon Malinowski, a product of our Hebrew School and a Bar Mitzvah here, for his upcoming wedding next week. He is the son of our long time members Henryk Malinowski and Arina Malukova and they will be sponsoring the kiddush for his aufruf this Saturday in our sanctuary.

Let's also take this opportunity to acknowledge two other Hebrew School products and Bar Mitzvah boys for their upcoming weddings: Zach Epstein-Peterson and Ben Daniels-what nachas!

And special congratulations to Beth and Paul Lieberman for the recent graduation of their son Dashiell Jonah Lieberman from the University of Michigan School of Engineering on the Dean's List, Class of 2018.

Congratulations to Alan Gerson for a spectacular event for Sophie Gerson Healthy Living

At Le Poisson in SoHo

Welcoming new friends Samuel and Sharita Lesman 

And their new daughter Lia Ana

At the RCA Convention in Stamford 

With the great Dayan Yona Reiss of the CRC.

Discussing difficult status issues dealt with at his Beit Din

The book of Leviticus has focused primarily on the holiness that is centered in Temple with its sacrifices and priests along with bodily purity regarding food and purity status. With the second portion of this week's Torah reading we introduce the concept of holiness in the realm of interpersonal relationships. And the keynote of this is the powerful verse "And you shall love your neighbor as yourself".

The proof of the connection of this requirement with holiness, is the often forgotten suffix to this verse "I am the Lord". This makes it clear that our obligations to our fellow human being are not to be divorced from our obligations to the Almighty.

With great joy we announce the birth of a girl to our devoted members Jonathan and Elizabeth Rodan on Monday. They will be naming their daughter at services this Saturday morning.

Coming in two weeks:

Rabbi Y. Y. Rubinstein returns as the Steven J. Plasco Scholar in Residence!

May 11^th Friday night dinner and lecture.

May 12^th Saturday Dvar Torah and post Kiddush talk.

Stay tuned for more details!

Today we observe the 70th anniversary of the State of Israel which was established on the 5th of Iyar. They push the celebration up one day  to today (the 4th of Iyar) because of the concern that the celebration would continue into Shabbat. 

TriBeCa Synagogue has partnered with JNF by having Sarah Azizi as Shabbat guest speaker, Maura Koening presenting to our Hebrew School, and supporting its Breakfast with Israel, featuring Ambassador Danny Danon this June 6th. Additionally an Israel Bonds event is being planned so stay tuned.

The founding of the modern State of Israel represents, at least in part, a fulfillment of a 2,000 year old vision of a return to a Jewish homeland and the blessed security that it provides.

Congratulations to Professor Sylvain and Amy Cappell for the tremendous honor of his being elected to the National Academy of Sciences!

TriBeCa Torah Hebrew School celebrating Israel Independence Day

This week's portion includes a long presentation of the rules of kashrut including the 2 signs of what determines which mammal is kosher - cleft hoof and chewing cud. One sign is external and the other is internal. Rabbi Avraham Pam, the late Rosh Yeshiva of Torah V'Das, explained how there is a spiritual parallel to this concept as the human being also has "2 signs". Specifically, to be a kosher Jew each person should be strong in the "inner" commandments regarding God as well as the "external"  commandments regarding one's fellow human being.

And this would therefore be a great time to begin our next Adult Education Seminar "Kosher Prep" dedicated to a deeper understanding of this area of observance. We will start with a presentation explaining the process by which these laws are derived and then proceed to cover the various practical topics necessary for a full observance of the kosher lifestyle.

6 sessions beginning Tuesday 4/25 at 6:30pm

Tomorrow is Yom HaShoah, the day chosen to commemorate the horrors of the holocaust. As the years pass and fewer and fewer survivors remain, we need to redouble our efforts at preserving the memory of that horrific era. 

Congratulations to our new couple, Samuel and Sharita Lesman, for the birth of their daughter Lia Ana, this past Wednesday. A baby naming ceremony is being planned to be held at the synagogue.

Congratulations to Dr. Freema Gottlieb who is the guest speaker at the Giffnock Synagogue in Scotland today for their Yom HaShoah program 

Congratulations to Rabbi and Mrs. Glass for their 35th Wedding Anniversary this weekend. They will be sponsoring the kiddush in celebration of the wonderful milestone.

Buying back your chametz this past Saturday night

The conclusion of the Passover holiday centers around the miracle of the Red Sea. Obviously, without our rescue from the pursuing Egyptians there wouldn't be much to celebrate!

The problem is, similar to the issue with the 10 plagues, that we find ourselves celebrating at the expense of much human suffering. We solve that issue at the seder by spilling some wine from our cup and the Torah addresses the issue by declaring a holiday on the 7th day of Passover, but never reveals the reason why. This is because our rejoicing is diminished.

Kashrut alert: Unfortunately the Promenade bar and grill at 344 3rd Avenue is no longer a kosher establishment.

Getting ready for Passover

David Rosenbaum delivering the siyyum for the first born

Burning the chometz with an old friend

Rabbi Soloveichik used to say the two most dramatic evenings of the Jewish calendar to him were Kol Nidrei and Seder night. Kol Nidrei is obvious with its pageantry and full sanctuary, Seder night so obvious. But that is exactly the challenge of the day: use the hagadah, the props and a little feeling to create the theater our sages had in mind for a memorable Passover experience!

Still time to register for our Second Seder!

NOTE: If you are having trouble reaching the shul on the main line, please try one of these numbers: 

212-226-3265  or 212-226-4176

TriBeCa Torah Hebrew School Preparing for Passover

Model Seder Monday March 26th

2018 Isaac's Lions 

Sporting a spiffy 3-1 record

We have an interesting nexus in this week's portion with the holiday of Passover. The meal offering, Mincha, is forbidden to have Chametz both on the altar and later on when the Kohanim eat from the remainder. Rabbi Avigdor Miller states that avoiding leavened bread was yet another method of separating the Israelites from Egyptian society. And by mimicking the Kohanim, who have an even greater responsibility to remain above society's negative influences, we can achieve the Torah's goal of our becoming the great Nation of Priests. 

This is also Shabbat HaGadol, the Sabbath proceeding our freedom from Egypt when we were told to take the Passover sacrifice in public fashion.

ALTERNATE NUMBER TO REACH THE SYNAGOGUE: 212-226-4176

PLEASE REGISTER FOR OUR SECOND SEDER!

Congratulations to Susan Silverstein and Pamela Gross for their great honor a week ago at the JCP Benefit

Belated Mazel Tov to Sharon Nazarzadeh and Bobby Arang for the Bat Mitzvah of their daughter Sofia

At the Mezzanine in 55 Broadway

Rabbi Glass delivering the invocation at the Jewish Lawyers Guild at the Hilton

With Honorable Chief Judge of the State of New York Janet DiFiore 

Updated Shiva information for Robert Levine:

Shiva in NY will be held at the home of Abe Dweck and Robert Levine,110 Franklin Street, Apartment 3, New York, NY 10013

Sunday 3/25 12pm to 9pm
Monday 3/26 5pm on
Tuesday 3/27 5pm on

Each evening there will be services at 6:45pm

We begin a new book this week, Vayikra, and the primary topic for the next number of weeks will be the details of sacrifices. While we hope and pray for a restoration of the temple, for the time being we can still derive practical inspiration with the help of Rabbi SR Hirsch and the Or HaChaim.

Rabbi Hirsch provides one definition of Karban (sacrifice) from its root Karov, meaning close. The goal of bringing a sacrifice is to close the distance that might have developed between that person and God. The Or HaChaim goes on to explain that additionally, anyone who endeavors to bring someone else closer to God in any appropriate way, has accomplished the same goal as if he would have brought an animal to the altar.

We also read the portion called Chodesh, describing the command to bring the Passover sacrifice and proclaim the month of Nisan. And if we call Rosh HaShana the birthday of the world, Nisan is the birthday of the Jewish nation!

ANNOUNCING: TriBeCa Synagogue Second Seder!

Saturday night March 31 at 7:30pm-$75 per adult / $35 per child under 13

Register here. Registration ends 3/27 and must be paid in full.

AVAILABLE FOR RENT: Our new and beautiful reception hall for your first seder!

TriBeCa Synagogue Community in Florida

Studying Torah with the Chullmirs

Fishing with Eitan Goldman

Planning the future with Jeff and Liubasha

Preparing for Oliver's June 9 Bar Mitzvah at TS

Reconnecting with member and friend David Rheingold

But the learning continues at TriBeCa Synagogue!

David Rosenbaum delivering a siyyum for his father's yahrtzeit

And finally, our old friend Arlene Shechet is in the news!

In the midst of all the instructions regarding building the tabernacle the Torah imposes a short discussion regarding Shabbat. The sages say one message here is that even though the building of the Temple is important, Shabbat is paramount and thus no building on the Sabbath, even for the Temple.

One way to understand this priority is that while the Temple represents the holiness of space, Shabbat represents the holiness of time. Space can be affected by human activity as we know so well while time is immutable and thus purely Divine.

Purim at TriBeCa Synagogue

BBYO Purim Party

Motzei Shabbat Fever by Wendy Friedland and the Tribeca Torah Players

Click here for a great Purim Song by "Diamond District" - David Koral & Joel Diamond

Today is Shushan Purim, meaning that every city that was walled at the time of Joshua observes Purim a day after everyone else. Effectively this applies almost exclusively to Jerusalem and this phenomenon of multiple days of observance is unique to Purim. Still and all, it gives the rest of us the opportunity to extend our feeling of joy another day. Enjoy!

We also read about the sin of the golden calf which has many interpretations of what went so terribly wrong. Essentially, it is a story wherein the people thought they lost their intermediary with God so they panicked. Let us remember that we don't need an intermediary, which is one of the most beautiful tenets of the Torah!

Please note that the synagogue has lost telephone service and now the internet for the last 48 hours. We are striving to remedy the situation with Verizon.

Tremendous thanks to the incredible Wendy Friedland and all the TriBeCa Torah Players for the most ambitious shpiel ever!

This week we read about the priestly vestments and the procedures that ushered Aaron and his sons into the priesthood. Although Moses is not mentioned by name he is referred to twice as “Atah”, emphasizing that although he would no longer function as a Kohein, his role was still the superior role in the affairs of the Jewish nation. The Crown of Torah supersedes the Crown of Priesthood.

Additionally this is the week when we read about Amalek. Much Torah has been developed regarding the message here but simply put we are warned against attaching randomness to the events in our lives and to history in general.

Please reserve for dinner Purim night Wednesday February 28^th!

Seeking sponsors for entertainment!

 With this week’s portion we begin a multi week discussion on the tabernacle and all its accoutrements. The Torah Giants debate whether this was commanded right after the 10 Commandments or only as a response to the sin of the Golden Calf.

Either way, all agree that an effective way to understand the tabernacle is that it was sort of a bottling up of the experience of Mount Sinai and carrying it with them wherever they would go, even into the Promised Land and the Holy Temple.

Now, considering that our modern synagogues have been termed “Mikdash M’aat” (mini temple), how lucky are we to share a thread of what they had at that time? Very!

Shiva for George Parker will be observed tonight and tomorrow night at the residence of his son Perry and Nancy Aaronson from 4-9pm. They are located at 100 Warren Street apt 806 in Jersey City, New Jersey.

It seems a little anticlimactic that the first topic after the momentous event of the 10 commandments is indentured servitude, and then the Canaanite slave. But previously, we have pointed out that during the Egyptian slavery there were Israelites who enslaved their own. They were warned then to free them immediately, lest they threaten the liberation of the entire people. Thus, how they were to treat their brethren became a foundation for their nationhood and a clear first priority in their law code.

Additionally, how they were to treat even “the nations of the world” were also key to the moral society they aspired to create through the commandments they had just received.

Joe Fisher and Gordon Wine are in a group show Small Works in the Sidney Mishkin Gallery at Baruch College located at 135 East 22nd Street.

Opening Thurs., Feb 15th 6-8pm

TriBeCa Synagogue is pleased to announce the birth of a boy to our friends Hezi and Alessandra Torati.

TriBeCa Synagogue regrets to inform you of the passing of the Giovanni Luigi Penzo, father of our member Jacopo Penzo, last week. The burial is in Europe and Jacopo will be there for the indefinite future but we extend to him our deepest condolences from afar.

In the lead up to the momentous scene at Mount Sinai and the giving of the 10 Commandments the phrase “on the wings of eagles” is used to describe God’s relationship with the Israelites. Rashi explains that the eagle is unique in that the only predator the eagle fears is the human being and as such can carry its young on its back knowing that they will be safe from any other predator. And regarding that predator, the eagle says let the arrow enter me before my children, which is what God says about His nation.

Rabbi Shmuel Berenbaum (zt’l) of the Mirrer Yeshiva of Flatbush used to propose that just like an animal, where no judgment would compromise its love for its young, as it knows nothing about shortcomings, etc., so too God will never allow His love for our nation to be compromised, even by our failures. And this was important to point out to the nation before they received their code, as it assured them that though there were going to be failure, we were always going to be the Chosen People!

This Shabbat the Kiddush is generously sponsored by Eve Goldberg and Neil Wallin in commemoration of the yahrtzeit of their son Isaac Goldberg Volkmar, of blessed memory.

Eve and Neil founded BIGVISION (bigvision.nyc)after Isaac’s passing, to help restore hope and purpose for young adults in recovery in New York City. BIGVISION provides fun events and productive opportunities in a sober environment, as they strive to eliminate the stigma associated with substance use disorder. In support of the mission of BIGVISION, there will be no alcohol served at the kiddush.

Tu B’Shvat at TriBeCa Synagogue

Adult Education Seder - photo by Avi Beluca

At the JNF Shuk Shack

In the lead up to the momentous scene at Mount Sinai and the giving of the 10 Commandments the phrase “on the wings of eagles” is used to describe God’s relationship with the Israelites. Rashi explains that the eagle is unique in that the only predator the eagle fears is the human being and as such can carry its young on its back knowing that they will be safe from any other predator. And regarding that predator, the eagle says let the arrow enter me before my children, which is what God says about His nation.

Rabbi Shmuel Berenbaum (zt’l) of the Mirrer Yeshiva of Flatbush used to propose that just like an animal, where no judgment would compromise its love for its young, as it knows nothing about shortcomings, etc., so too God will never allow His love for our nation to be compromised, even by our failures. And this was important to point out to the nation before they received their code, as it assured them that though there were going to be failure, we were always going to be the Chosen People!

This Shabbat the Kiddush is generously sponsored by Eve Goldberg and Neil Wallin in commemoration of the yahrtzeit of their son Isaac Goldberg Volkmar, of blessed memory. We take this occasion to call attention to the great work they do in his name in the form of “Big Vision”, the organization they founded, dedicated to the promotion of sober living by youth at risk. As such the Kiddush will be alcohol free, in solidarity with all those individuals who struggle with addiction.

Tu B’Shvat at TriBeCa Synagogue

Adult Education Seder - photo by Avi Beluca

At the JNF Shuk Shack

In the Book of Jewish Heritage, Rabbi Ki Tov notes that although this week’s portion includes so many other momentous events like leaving Egypt, the splitting of the sea, and the manna, etc. it gets its nickname – Shabbat Shira – from the song the Israelites sang. He explains the difference between this and the others from the standpoint that the other events were God’s work while the song was the creation of the Israelites, even to the point where he describes the hosts of heaven as spectators to the exalted expression of the singers on earth.

And since this coming Wednesday is Tu B’Shvat we have dedicated the service and Kiddush to celebrating the Land of Israel and we have invited a representative of the Jewish National Fund to deliver the Dvar Torah and describe the work that they do on behalf of the State. Dolores Wine has prepared a Tu B’Shvat display also, in anticipation of the holiday.

Our own Sammy Allen, who was Bar Mitzvah at the synagogue

 Defending the State of Israel

Sammy as spokesperson for the IDF

Check out the Synagogue Cholent Book!

After the plague of locusts, Pharaoh begins to lose his resolve, and relents to allow the Israelites to leave for a few days, but still demands to know who exactly will be going on this “mission”. Moses specifies that everyone will participate: man, woman, child, old and young. Pharaoh balks and insists that it should only be adult males, but everyone else should hold back. Moses says that won’t work and thus the plagues continue.

Some sages explain the deeper conversation as having to do with the premise that culture and values can only be transmitted multigenerationally. Pharaoh was trying to squeeze a deal by which he would satisfy Moses but still maintain control while for Moses this was a nonstarter, because without the children on board you have nothing!

Now one could debate whether one would rather be released early on account of greater suffering but the message is clear: what we might attribute to God’s harshness often proves to be for our benefit.