Out of concern for fellow shul attendees, if you are feeling sick, we ask that you please refrain from attending. Thank you for your cooperation.
Rabbi Michael Davies, Donna Moskowitz, and the Covid Task Force
Announcements & Upcoming Events
D'var Torah: Thursday, March 31st 8:30pm https://tinyurl.com/yse9khcn Meeting ID: 873 0800 5701 Passcode: torah CommUNITY Seudah Shlishit: Join the entire Cherry Hill West Jewish community for Seudah Shlishit with special guest Rav Akiva Grunblatt - Saturday, April 2 7:00pm-8:00pm
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 Dr. Mordechai Schiffman entitled 'Biases of the Self', which speaks to the nuanced Jewish approach to doing kindness with others.
[I]n Parshas Tazria [we learn that] Kohanim were responsible for diagnosing and overseeing the purification process of tzara’at. Even if a person presented with all of the symptoms, if a Kohen did not officially declare the affliction as tzara’at, it lacked the status of the disease. However, a Kohen did not have the ability to self-diagnose. Even if he “knew” he had the illness, a different Kohen needed to assess it because of the rule stated in the Mishna (Negaim 2:5) “a person may inspect anyone's afflictions, other than his own.”
Rabbi Menachem Meiri (b. 1249, France) interprets this legal ruling homiletically. The word negaim is literally a reference to physical afflictions like tzara’at, but could also be interpreted as shortcomings, inadequacies and failings of personality. We can see the flaws of others, but we can’t detect those same defects in ourselves. As a consequence, we are encouraged to “acquire a friend” (Pirkei Avos 1:6) so he or she can help identify our weaknesses, which can inspire self-improvement. [...]
Confronting our biases and striving for accurate self-awareness is an emotionally daunting task. If we feel that our core sense of self is ever threatened, a deep anxiety will manifest, and precise self-analysis will be difficult. Perhaps another lesson from this week’s parsha can help create the right emotional context conducive to self-reflection.
When describing someone who sees symptoms of what might be tzara’as, the verse states (Vayikra 13:2) – “When a person shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, or a scab, or a bright spot, and it became in the skin of his flesh the plague of tzara’at...” The fact that the verse uses the words “in the skin of his flesh” – בְעוֹר בְּשָׂרוֹ – writes the Ohr HaChaim, teaches us that the tzara’at is only skin deep, so to speak. It does not permeate the essence of a person’s being.
This message is essential if we want to work on our own biases or help others with theirs. Never, does someone’s flaws become the entirety of his or her identity. This realization could help us loosen our defenses and be more receptive to scrutinizing our self-related biases, with the ultimate goal of an accurate sense of self conducive to a more authentic religious persona.
Download the Sale of Chametz Form here, or pick up a copy at the Shul (all forms must be given to Rabbi Davies no later than9:00am on Friday, April 15th)
Ma'ot Chittim Send donations to SOI and indicate "Ma'ot Chittim" or submit donation via shul cloud to the "Rabbi's Discretionary Fund", and indicate "Ma'ot Chittim". You may also give cash or check to Rabbi Davies. Please make your checks out to the Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund and earmark them for Ma'ot Chittim.
Pesach Seder If you are looking for a place for the Sedarim or are interested in hosting some addtional people at your table, please let Rabbi Davies or Ora know so that we can make sure everyone has a place to go.
QUESTIONS? Feel free to email Rabbi Davies – Rabbi@SOICherryHill.org or text or call 609-301-0131.
My parents are fantastic people. They raised us by example, showing us that giving back was essential for the growth of your community and yourself. My mother was my Girl Scout leader, timer at swim team and first aid provider throughout our community. Pop was our greatest cheerleader at ALL sports, softball referee and Boy Scout volunteer. Being involved and not standing on the side lines was an essential part of our childhood. I volunteered at Einstein hospital as a candy-striper, was a volunteer EMT for Second Alarmers, Girl Scout Leader, PEP coordinator, and PTO President. “Volunteers don’t get paid, not because they’re worthless, but because they’re priceless.” – Sherry Anderson
There are so many opportunities to help our community and to help others less fortunate than us. On Pesach we are freed from slavery. Being free, we have the ability to live as we wish. We have religious freedoms to pray as we please, where we please. We have the freedom to pursue our dreams. We are blessed to raise our families in a relatively safe and nurturing environment.
Unfortunately, Ukraine does not have these opportunities currently. They are at war. SOI has chosen to join the Shuls for Ukrainian Jewry Campaign - working in conjunction with communities around North America, the OU, RCA, and National Council of Young Israel - to raise funds in support of their long-term needs. We in the SOI community have set a goal to contribute $3600 - 100 kosher for Pesach boxes. Every cent raised by this campaign will be distributed directly to partners on the ground working to take care of Jewish refugees wherever they are now, and to help them get settled wherever they are going. This campaign ends Tuesday, April 12. See flyer belowDonate Here
The JCC is collecting over the counter, new, un-opened medications and medical/first-aid supplies to send to Ukraine. These unexpired products can be dropped off at the JCC through Friday, April 1.
You also have the opportunity to help people in our community through the Ma’ot Chitim program. This program is based on the ancient traditional religious obligation which requires everyone who subscribes to the Jewish religion to help the poor. This tzedakah helps people less fortunate in our community.Donate Here
There have been many people who have served our community and volunteered their time, and in particular our shul, giving their whole heart and soul to the survival and betterment of Sons of Israel, especially your past presidents. As president, their entire lives and the lives of their spouses, were spent on shul issues – salaries, donations, leaking roofs, raccoons, State of the Union speeches, fundraising, maintenance, squabbles, advertising, outreach, purchasing, bills, rentals, storage, grants, High Holiday planning, rituals….I could go on forever. It was a thankless job, so now it is time to thank these individuals. Each week I will highlight a different past president so you can get to meet them briefly. I hope you will come out to honor them on our Jubilee GALA on May 23rd. Advertising and reservations will be available shortly.
Being involved is a great way to meet other people and share your expertise and knowledge with a group of fantastic people – SOI Volunteers. There are many opportunities to help:
Fundraising Ilana Weiss weiss.Ilana@gmail.com
GALA Vicki Miltz vickayvickay@gmail.com
Security Sam Tilonsky drsamod@gmail.com
Youth Sabrina Spector sabrinaspector@gmail.com
KIddush Flo Shulman florence.shulman@gmail.com
Advertising Chemmie Sokolic chemsok@aol.com
Welcoming Alisa Sadiky alisa.sadiky@gmail.com
If you can’t find your niche, please reach out to me and I will be glad to schmooze and figure out where your hands would be most helpful. Show your children by example how to be an asset and part of a community by voluntering your time.
Larry Miller President of SOI 1976-1978 "It was my honor and great privledge to know and work with three of the shul's Rabbis - Rabbi Riff, Rabbi Rothman, and Rabbi Epstein"
The 1971 NCAA University Division Basketball Tournament involved 25 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 1971, and ended with the championship game on March 27 in Houston, Texas. A total of 29 games were played, including a third place game in each region and a national third place game. UCLA, coached by John Wooden, won its fifth consecutive national title (its seventh all-time) with a 68–62 victory in the final game over Villanova, coached by Jack Kraft. Howard Porter of Villanova was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. However, Villanova's placement in the tournament was later vacated because it was found that Porter had signed with an agent prior to the competition.
Pesach is in 14 Days
In preparation for Pesach we need to clear out the coatroom. After April 1st all items left in the coatroom will be donated to Goodwill. Please, also clear out your shtenders and lockers.
FINANCIAL/MEMBERSHIP UPDATE It’s hard to believe that as Pesach is just around the corner, we are heading towards the end of the current fiscal year. We appreciate everyone's support and commitment to SOI. We respectfully ask everyone to review your accounts, to see if you are up to date with dues and pledges. Clearing any outstanding balances allows the shul to start the new fiscal year fresh and financially ready to meet the challenge of returning to normal programs and services. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to Heshy Chaitoff or Michael Partnow with any questions or concerns Thank you!
Thank you to LiannThank you to Lianna Weinberg, Malka Baratz, Lyla Lubin, Oze Henig, Adam Shulman, Malka Moskowitz and Gerald Mindel for helping out with kiddush last week.
Thank you to Gerald Mindel and Dan Malamud for help in defining the needs of the kitchen.
FOR SALE
Hurry & get your cocktail jelly beans ($8) & popcorn ($10). Limited quantities are available for sale!
A really big thank you to Bill Jungreis, Debbie Fineberg, Ken Panitch, Debbie Pester, Gila Davis, Harvey Chaitoff, Jeff Liss, Michael Morgenstern, Robbie Friedner, Chemmie Sokolic, Mike from OPS and Sam Tilonsky for providing security this past Shabbos. It’s your shul, help protect it! Please give us 30 minutes of your Shabbos morning to help protect your friends, family and fellow congregants. Volunteer for security greeter duty now! Questions: Contact Sam Tilonsky (drsamod@gmail.com)
CYBER SECURITY Cybercrime is on the rise. Hopefully, you have a contemporary antivirus application running on your computer, your system is patched regularly, and security updates get applied. What else should you be doing to keep safe? Learning how to recognize and identify phishing emails, scams and hoaxes makes you a human firewall. Here are a few quick tips to help you identify a fake phishing email from a genuine email. 1. Name of sender can trick you – Email addresses and domain names can be easily spoofed and impersonated. Check sender email address and domain name for spelling alterations on suspicious emails. Keep in mind companies never send from public domains like gmail.com Hotmail.com or outlook.com 2. Check for typos – Attackers are often less concerned about being grammatically correct. Typos spelling and grammar errors are often evident in messages. Such errors in an email could be a good indication that the message is not genuine. 3. Don’t share any information hastily – Any email that asks for sensitive information about you or your company is suspicious. For instance, no bank will ever ask for personal information over an email. Directly call your bank to ascertain if an email is genuine or not. Also, never give out your username, password or social security number. 4. Don’t fall for URGENCY – Phishing attacks use scare tactics such as urgency and authority to trick victims into taking immediate action. Emails that ask to share personal information or to make cash transactions are… ‘phishy’. 5. Hover but don’t click – Hover over URLs. If the link text does not match the display text, or if it seems strange, DO NOT click on it. 6. Attachments can be dangerous – Hover over attachments to check the actual link before you click on it or download it. If you are still unsure of the sender, do not click on the link. Call the sender to confirm. If you weren’t even expecting the attachment its likely you don’t need it. 7. Is it too good to be true – If it sounds too good to be true, chances are it is! Phishing attacks use fake rewards to tempt victims to take action. You wouldn’t win a lottery if you never participated. 8. When in doubt call or delete – if you get an email you are unsure of but weren’t expecting, just call the sender and verify its authenticity. If you are still not sure, delete the email and go about your day. It’s okay to delete email. There will be more emails tomorrow. If you want to test your skills try this quick phishing quiz and see how you do. https://www.sonicwall.com/phishing-iq-test-landing/
Regards, Harvey Mindel – OmniComp
Condolences to Anne Rudoler Klar on the loss of her beloved husband David Klar. Shiva will be at her residence at 3530 Henry Hudson Pkwy. Apt. 2F, Riverdale
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 Robert Shapiro - Doniel-Avraham ben Hannah Aaron Moshe ben Ruth Yosef Simcha Chaim Ben Sarah Chana Gaela bas Pinina Jackie Nussbaum - Eta Ruchmam bas Chaya Golda
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
JFCS will be holding a Passover Drop & Go Food Drive to help bring the joy of the holiday to clients in need. On Monday, April 4 from 10am to 1pm, the agency will be accepting donations of Kosher for Pesach food outside the Rhona Fischer Family Assistance Building (6 East Miami Avenue in Cherry Hill). Most-needed items include Matzo, Matzo Meal, Matzo Ball Soup Mix, Cake Mixes, Cake Meal, Gefilte Fish, Borscht, Chicken Broth, Grape Juice, Canned Fish, Canned Fruits & Vegetables, and Dried Fruits & Nuts. When cleaning your home to eliminate chametz, please consider donating any unopened, nonperishable food items you no longer wish to keep in your home, including cereal, rice, pasta, tomato products, peanut butter, and jelly. For more information, please contact Donna Broecker at dbroecker@jfedsnj.org or 856-818-3604.
If your family is in need of food assistance as Pesach approaches, please reach out to JFCS at 856-424-1333 or faphelp@jfedsnj.org.
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.
https://www.kosherwine.com/?rfsn=5940204.12e2a2 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.
Shoprite Scrip Now Available SOI Office Monday-Friday 10-2 Yaeli Sokolic at ycsgraphix@gmail.com Flo Shulman at florence.shulman@gmail.com
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 to Friday
