COVID UPDATES FOR THIS SHABBAT Reminder: Masks are required in the building for Shabbat. Out of concern for fellow Shul attendees, if you are feeling sick we ask that you please refrain from attending. Thank you. Rabbi Michael Davies, Donna Moskowitz, and the Covid Task Force
Announcements & Upcoming Events
Kiddush is sponsored by Matti & Rachel Rosenberg in honor of the birth of their daughter, Sophia May סימה ביילא
Community Mitzvah Day: Sunday, January 16, we are donating 250 tissue packets to add to the Chemo Comfort Bags being distributed. These bags will benefit cancer patients at local hospitals. Please bring your donations to the office or drop them in the basket on the table by the front doors. (See flyer)
Shabbat, December 25: Shemot (Tevet 21) No Outdoor Minyan this Shabbat 8:30am Sephardic Minyan 9:00am Main Minyan - Indoors 9:40am Latest Shema 10:00am Groups K-2nd Jr. Congregation 3rd-5th 10:30am Tot Shabbat 11:30am Kiddush sponsored by Matti & Rachel Rosenberg in honor of the birth of their daughter Sophia May סימה ביילא 4:10pm Mincha 4:35pm Rabbi's Parsha Shiur 5:15pm Maariv 5:26pm Havdalah
I am very excited for the opportunity to share words of Torah with you. Each week, in this spot, I look to share an idea I've found that speaks to me and that I think will resonate with you as well. This week, I share an excerpt from an article by Rabbi Etiel Goldwicht entitled 'The Making of a Leader', which speaks about how we are meant to look at and engage with the world around us.
In this week’s Torah portion, we learn three stories about the first Jewish leader, Moshe Rabeinu. [...] When Moshe goes out to his brothers and he sees an Egyptian hitting a Jew, he steps in and strikes the Egyptian and saves the Jewish slave. The next day he goes out again and he sees two Jews fighting. Again, he steps in to stop them from fighting. The third account of Moshe stepping in to save others is when he runs away to Midyan and meets the daughters of Yitro. There too, when the shepherds came and drove them away, Moshe rescued them and watered their flocks.
We read these three accounts and understand that they are not just here to tell us about Moshe Rabbeinu’s young adult life, but to teach us why Moshe was chosen as the leader of the Jewish people. We understand from his bravery and assertiveness that Jewish leadership is [...] about taking action when you see an issue that needs to be addressed. [...]
The first story of Moshe witnessing the incident of the Egyptian hitting a Jew, symbolizes the issue of antisemitism, when Jews are attacked by non-Jews. Are we willing to open our eyes to see it, and are willing to take a stand like Moshe Rabbeinu? The second account represents division and internal fighting amongst Jews. When Jews fight with one another, do we ignore it? We may not want to get involved, telling ourselves it's not my issue. Perhaps we should step in to try to stop the fighting? Lastly, the incident with the daughters of Yitro in Midyan is a conflict between non- Jews, representing issues the world faces due to a lack of moral values. We might think it's none of our business, let them fight amongst themselves. [...] But Jewish wisdom is teaching us here real leadership means stepping up and taking a stand, even when the issue seems further removed from home.
To be a Jewish leader means to be committed to take action. First to stop and think about the issues facing the world and the Jewish people. To think about how we can unite Jews from different backgrounds and then to take responsibility and make an impact.
Last week, the National Association of Chevra Kadisha (NASCK) marked Shabbat Parshat Vayechi as a Shabbat to learn about Jewish views on various end of life issues. If you have not yet had a chance to take a look at the website www.ShabbosVayechi.org or view the fantastic virtual program, I strongly encourage you to do so - they contain great information about very important, not often spoken about topics.
There is no “I” in the word “team” and the SOI Board of Directors epitomizes this statement and is a great team to work with. We had a very productive and well attended SOI Board Meeting this past Tuesday with Rabbi Heshy Chaitoff starting us off with a D’var Torah speaking about the premise that when one teaches torah he/she impacts the person and in turn creates a new person due to the new knowledge as the saying goes, “Anyone who teaches someone else’s child Torah is regarded by the Torah as though he made him”
We then proceeded with Committee Reports. Following are the highlights:
This past Monday night, Ken Panitch went in front of the Cherry Hill Township Zoning Board to present our plans for a canopy and signage on the front of the shul. Thanks to him, it was approved and we can now move forward to implement the plans.
The COVID Task Force commended Sabrina Spector & Suzie Mindel in their flexibility to create a wonderful Chanukah event despite the lingering effects of a community COVID outbreak. They will be meeting to discuss moving forward through this pandemic.
The Chesed Committee has just filed for reimbursement for the grant from Federation. Their Tomchei Shabbat program is still in effect for many families that are struggling in this pandemic.
Rabbi Davies has been busy sorting through our past surveys and through discussion with many members developing increased learning opportunities. At this point in time, some classes will be hybrid and others virtual with sponsorship opportunities. Please see the flyer below for a taste of what is to come.
Our Fundraising Committee was pleased that SOI raised $1630 during Giving Tuesday. Thank you to everyone who contributed.
SAVE THE DATE- May 23rd -SOI Jubilee Gala co-chaired by Vicki Miltz & TL Wienberg. They are forming a committee to make this the best shul banquet yet. If you would like to volunteer, please reach out to them at seanwienberg1@gmail.com or mayer.vicki.823@gmail.com.
Purim is March 17th. Keep your eyes peeled for the upcoming Mishloach Manot campaign. To volunteer, please reach out to Maetal Henig maetal2r@gmail.com or Flo Shulman at Florence.shulman@gmail.com.
Our kitchen and kiddushes are a work in progress. The kitchen was fully steam cleaned and will be re-kashered. Supplies are being consolidated and it is labelled and organized so it is now more user friendly. There is a new white board for communications, updates and supplies needed in the kitchen. A kitchen chairperson is necessary to supervise kitchen usage, coordinate kiddushes and events. Please contact me if you are interested in this great opportunity.
Sponsoring a kiddush is easy and affordable. There are basically 3 levels ranging from $180-$540. There is a form on shul cloud https://www.soicherryhill.org/form/kiddush.html or you can contact our office manager Jean Klein at officeadmin@soicherryhill.org or 856-667-9700 or me at president@soicherryhill.org. $180 Standard Kiddush - Assorted pastries, vegetable platters, hummus or other dip, and snacks with an abundance of cold water bottles. Any alterations or special orders may incur an additional fee. $360 Intermediate Kiddush - A step up from our Standard Kiddush, this kiddush includes all of the elements of a Standard Kiddush plus your choice of either Potato Kugel or Cholent, both served in individual portion sizes, along with your choice of a Salad. $540 Enhanced Kiddush - Perfect for any simcha or celebration - or even "just because" - this sponsorship level includes all of the elements of a Standard Kiddush plus Potato Kugel and Cholent and choice of 2 salads. To volunteer to help at kiddush please contact Flo Shulman at Florence.shulman@gmail.com or please sign up here.
On December 29th we will be having a Kugel Cooking Marathon. Anyone interested can meet in the kitchen on the 29th at 7:00pm and we will stock the SOI freezers for upcoming kiddushes with delectable kugels (wine will be provided for the occasion). Escape from your home and enjoy a night out with friends, cooking and wine. (See flyer below)
The Ritual Committee has been very busy. Jeffrey Weiss currently holds and maintains an up-to-date leining schedule spreadsheet. Anyone interested in leining opportunities should speak to Jeffrey at stamvaad@yahoo.com. The outdoor minyan will be coming inside after the winter break and start at 8AM. They will be meeting in the kiddush room - HEPA filters will be in use, they will be socially distanced and masks will be required ALL of the time.
The Security Committee is moving forward implementing the Homeland Security Grant with new/additional cameras, emergency notification lighting, and a larger monitor to be installed within the next month. New front doors with bullet resistant glass will also be ordered. Volunteers are needed on an on-going basis. We are asking for people to volunteer for ½ hour/month to help monitor our cameras or be a security greeter along side our armed guard. Contact Sam Tilonsky at drsamod@gmail.com. Training is provided.
Sabrina Spector reported on both Youth and Programming stressing the difficulties with COVID precautions and planning activities. The Magical Chanukah Program was a great success. Programming for January and February are in the works. SIP is doing well with the big trip coming up in January. There will be a committee meeting this Thursday night at 8:30 pm via zoom for anyone interested in getting involved. Please contact Sabrina Spector at sabrinaspector@gmail.com for more information.
Thank you to our entire SOI Board for all the hours and time you put in as volunters to make our shul a great, welcoming and inspiring environment to all.
As we approach the end of the 2021 tax year, now is a great time to address any outstanding obligations to the Shul and get in a last minute tax deduction.
Thank You We are pleased to announce that SOI has ordered 6 large air purifiers with HEPA filters. These portable units will be set up in the social hall and kiddush room in order to add an additional layer of protection against Covid and other airborne pathogens. The units have filters capable of trapping viral particles and when run simultaneously, can filter the air in the rooms roughly 3 times every hour.
Air filtration alone will not prevent the spread of a virus, but we are excited to add this additional layer of protection to help make indoor activities at SOI safer. A tremendous thank you to those who have donated to make this purchase possible and we look forward to putting them to good use as soon as they arrive.
Thank you to Dr. Oze Henig for all your hours spent on reseaching these filtration units and implementing the campaign to order them for SOI.
SPONSORS Gail & Bob Belfer Rivka & Robert Kieserman Brenda & Jon Bender Rachel & Eric Klein Chani Wiesman & Yoni Berliant Marcy & Michael Partnow Susan & Harvey Chaitoff Debbie & Hillel Pester Devora & Jonathan Delman Baila Silverman & Avi Rynderman Neely & Elon Elisha Eve Narrows & Sam Tilonsky Maetal & Oze Henig Shari & Charles Weg Lynn & Bill Jungreis
If you would like to add your contribution to this effort, please click below.
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WAYS TO HELP SOI PAINLESSLY
Just go to smile.amazon.com, search for Congregation Sons of Israel Synagogue. Every qualifying purchase will send 0.5% of the total to our Shul. Over time, this will add up.
SOI members and affiliates can click the link to go to the JCommerce websites and purchase their products. You can support SOI through the commission we earn.
A big thank you to Debbie Pester, Gila Davis and Steve Koloski - new individuals who have stepped up to help with security.
A huge thank you to Bill Jungreis, Chemmie Sokolic, Bob Belfer, Don Becker, Debbie Fineberg, Jeff Liss and Sam Tilonsky for continuing to shoulder the security duties on Shabbos.
Thank you to Estelle Lerner for stepping up and helping to bake kugels for this upcoming sponsored kiddush.
Thank you to Bob Moskowitz for installing our Kitchen Communication Hub.
Thank you to our Shabbat Kiddush Volunteers this week: Diane Irwin, Sabra Wienberg, Sabrina Spector, Sylvia Levine, Aliza Sadiky, Sandy Crass, and Baila Silverman Special Thank You from Politz Day School Dear Rabbi Davies and the Sons of Israel Community, We are so grateful to you and your congregation for your support in making the Causematch Campaign for Politz Day School a huge success! Thanks to your generosity and commitment to our community and the children and families of Politz Day School, we have raised over $360,000 to ensure that Politz can continue to serve our community in providing excellence in Torah education. Wishing you good health and happiness in your families, Fondly, Rabbi Chaim Greenwald Head of School Politz Day School
We extend our heartfelt condolences to Ron Zanger and Family on the death of his beloved mother, Miriam Zanger. Shiva will take place at the Zanger home: 407 Tanforan Drive Cherry Hill, NJ
Services will be on: Thursday - Shacharit 7am Mincha/Ma'ariv 4:20pm Friday - Shacharit 7am Saturday night - Ma'ariv 5:35pm Sunday - Shacharit 7:15am
Shiva Visiting Hours: Thursday from 9am-Noon, 2pm-6pm, & 7pm-10pm Friday from 9am-Noon & 1pm-3pm Saturday night from 6pm-10pm
The family requests that all guests be vaccinated and masked.
Florence Axelrod – Fruma bas Sarah Estelle Lerner- Esther Ethel bas Rochel Andy Rauer – Avigayal bas Peshe Ella Sheryl Malamud Amy Goldwasser Gavriel Yehuda ben Chaya Sarah Eytan Raphael Shraga ben Dina Sarah David Partnow - David Avram ben Tilla Razel Elyse Greenberg - Elisheva Miriam bas Dovah Hillel Yochanan ben Bracha Moshe ben Leah Gittel Pinchas ben Susan Swisa Since the tehillim group is not meeting again until after COVID, following is a link to the prayers for good health and healing that you can recite for our ailing members
SOI Members Get Great Benefits We are so excited about the many families who have recently joined Sons of Israel. As a member in good standing, you are entitled to a fob which would give you access to the building for minyanim. Please reach out to Heshy Chaitoff for more information at heshychaitoff@gmail.com
There are many ways to support our Shul: Yartzeit Plaque ($400) Shabbat Security ($180) Chumash for the sanctuary ($75) Newslink ($36) Siddur for the sanctuary ($50) Welcome Basket ($18) Bottle Club ($36) Kiddush (starting at $180) https://www.soicherryhill.org/sponsor
On behalf of the Eruv, we are excited to announce that the Eruv is raising funds to cover costs for repairs, expansions, tree trimming, inviting a Posek to come, and more. This is the first fundraiser for the new communal eruv organization, and everyone should make a contribution. Most of our families use the Eruv every shabbos especially during the pandemic, and this is a way to show our appreciation for the eruv checkers and all who are involved with the Eruv. Eruv Checkers are Sid Goldberg, Avi Lifschitz, Dr. Simcha Moshe Gerzoff, Heshy Chaitoff, and R’ Baruch Gore. If you have any questions about the Eruv, please speak to Moshe Moskowitz, Rabbi Davies, or any of the Eruv checkers. Go to this website to make your contribution: https://thechesedfund.com/chwesteruv/startingcampaign/teams/sonsofisrael
COVID UPDATE - Mask Protocols - All unvaccinated adults and children must wear masks indoors at all times. - Masks (properly worn) will be required for all indoor attendees. - Everyone on the bima must wear a mask except for vaccinated baalei tfillah and baalei kriya - It is recommended that high risk individuals remain masked indoors at all times for their protection - Masks are optional at the outdoor minyan We will continue to seek guidance from the CDC, the NJ Department of Health, and the rabbinic and medical leadership of the OU to help keep our synagogue safe and we expect that our policies and recommendations may change as the pandemic continues to unfold. Thank you all for helping to keep our synagogue and our community safe.
UPCOMING/ONGOING SOI EVENTS & PROGRAMS
YOUTH & TEENS
COMMUNITY NEWS
SOI is collecting 250 tissue packets for the Chemo Comfort Bags. Please bring your donation to the shul office. Thank You
Reminder: If your mailing information has been changed, please update it on our website by logging on at soicherryhill.org If you know someone who is not receving our weekly email, please let the office know The office will be open from 10-2 Monday, Wednesday - Friday closed on Tuesday.
Congregation Sons of Israel 720 Cooper Landing Road Cherry Hill, NJ 08002
