Kiddush is sponsored by Sabrina & Aaron Spector in honor of Daniel's Bar Mitzvah Seudah Shlishit is sponsored by Duke McCarthy.
Red Cross Blood Drive: Sunday, February 19 from 9:00am-2:00pm at SOI. All donors will receive a $10 amazon gift card & a chance to win a trip to Florida. To sign up click here. For more information contact Jeff Lubin at lubin_jeffrey@yahoo.com
Chesed Opportunity for All Ages: Sunday, Feb. 19 from 10:00 -11:00am at SOI. Package Mishloach Manot bags & decorate cards for our local Holocaust survivors. RSVP tomadispalter@gmail.com
Women's Halacha Shiur: Thursday, February 23rd at 8:00pm in the SOI Chapel, Studying the Laws of Kashrut, for more information contact rabbi@soicherryhill.org
"When You Want To Be There But Don't Know How" Event: Sunday, February 26th at 7:45pm in the Politz Beit Midrash with Aimee Baron, M.D. A discussion on how to support someone with infertility or pregnancy issues. RSVP here .
SOI Get Together in Florida: Monday, February 27th from 3-4:30pm in Century Village, Boca Raton. Rabbi Davies will be in Florida and hopes to see/meet our Sons of Israel friends past and present. Click Here for More Details or contact Helen Baker at 856-979-7656.
SOI and Politz Mishloach Manot Campaign: Deadline to participate is February 22nd. Support these local institutions and show your community members that you are thinking of them! More information and registration is available here .
Shabbat, February 18: Shabbat Mevarchim, Parshat Shekalim, Mishpatim (Shevat 27) 8:00am 8AM Minyan 8:30am Sephardic Minyan 9:00am Main Sanctuary Minyan 9:32am Latest Shema 10:00am Youth Groups 10:30am Tot Shabbat 11:00am Kiddush is sponsored by Sabrina & Aaron Spector 5:00pm Mincha 5:30pm Seudah Shlishit sponsored by Duke McCarthy 6:20pm Maariv 6:21pm Havdalah
Sunday, February 19 (Shevat 28) 7:00am Shacharit 8:00am Shacharit 9:00am Red Cross Blood Drive (Ends at 2:00pm) 5:30pm Mincha/Maariv 8:00pm In Depth Gemara Shiur
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 Yitzchak Zweig entitled ‘Locus of Focus’ which talks about finding the meaning behind the Mitzvot.
[...] One of the places in which many people seem to miss the point of what they are trying to accomplish is in the area of religious observance. It is very easy to get caught up in the minutiae of checking every box [...] that we miss the experience entirely. I have noticed many devoutly religious men come to synagogue late and speed read through all the prayers to make sure they’ve said everything, seemingly forgetting that the purpose of prayer isn’t to say every word in the prayer book, it’s about having a conversation with the Almighty.
In this week’s Torah portion, which is called “Mishpatim – laws,” we have a remarkable exchange between the Almighty and Moses that highlights this point exactly. The Torah reading opens with: And these are the laws which you shall set before them (21:1). The great biblical commentator known as Rashi notes that the Almighty told Moses, “Do not think that it is enough to teach them (all the laws) chapter and verse two or three times until it is organized in their (mind) and that you do not have to bother to explain them and make them understand what those laws mean. Rather, you must teach them the reasons for the laws as well. This is why the verse says, ‘you shall set before them’ – it must be placed before them like a set table from which one is ready to eat.”
[...T]he Almighty informs him that it isn’t enough just do the mitzvot (the commandments), the people must understand the reasons as well. Why is this true and what does the analogy to "a set table from which one could readily eat" mean? The Torah is presenting one of the most important underlying principles of Judaism. There are two purposes in eating: nutrition and pleasure. When God tells Moses to organize it for them as a set table, He is referring to the presentation of the mitzvot.
Food presentation speaks not to the nutritional but rather to the pleasurable aspect. People will pay substantially more at a high-end restaurant where the presentation and ambiance adds to the pleasure of the experience. Though Moses is focused on the commandments as a way to fortify the people, God is telling him that it isn’t enough to just fulfill them; the people are also meant to enjoy them.
Therefore, the Almighty informs Moses that the laws are to be presented in such a way that the Jewish people should garner pleasure from them and thus have a desire to do them. The ultimate lesson here is that the Torah must be transformative. [...] Once we [recognize this], then we can begin to see that everything God asks of us is really for our own good. All these laws were given to us in order to provide us with the best possible life. In this way, we begin to anticipate the joyful experience of every one of God’s commandments; only then do we begin to scratch the surface of all the good God has created for us in this world. Have a Shabbat Shalom from Eretz Yisrael, Rabbi Davies Rabbi@SOICherryHill.org
We are excited to be partnering with Mizrachi World Movement to provide their publication of HaMizrachi Parasha Weekly.
Purim is less than a month away. Join Congregation Sons of Israel in their Mishloach Manot Project 2023. This is a major fundraising project and we hope that you will participate generously. We are hoping for 100% participation!
2023 Congregational Survey Last week, we sent out our congregational survey to all members in good standing. This survey is an important way for members to recognize our strengths, provide feedback where we could do better and help us plan strategically for the future. All submissions are completely anonymous. If you have not received your survey, please check your spam folder. If you have not received the survey or would like to complete a paper version please email president@soicherryhill.org.
Thank you to all those who contributed to SOI's
Automatic Defibrillator Campaign!
Aaron & Malka Feibush, Adam & Flo Shulman, Andrea Rauer, Charles & Jacquelyn Nusbaum in honor of Jackie Nusbaum, Chemmie & Yaeli Sokolic in honor of The SOI Family: The heart of the shul, David & Barbara Felder, Debbie Pester in memory of Hillel Yochanan ben HaRav Yaakov, Debra & Allen Fineberg, Eric & Rachel Klein, Eugene Resnick & Jane Glassman in memory of Marilyn Glassman & Morris Resnick, Evan Fishman, Eytan & Diane Irwin, Jeffrey & Menorah Schwartz, Jon & Brenda Bender, Joyce and Jeffrey Joseph, Judy & Steven Herzberg, Karen & Marc Hess, Robbie & Debbie Friedner, Marlene Goldhagen, Matti & Rachel Rosenberg, Mendy & Dinie Mangel, Oze & Maetal Henig, Paul Berlin & Hildy Steinbach in memory of Sylvia Berlin, Rachael Shuster, Robert & Gail Belfer, Ron & Sarah Zanger, Sam Tilonsky & Eve Narrow-Tilonsky, Seth & Karen Cohen in honor of Sam Wizov, Steven & Caryn Hurlock, Stewart & Sylvia Levine in memory of Aaron Lev ben Shmuel Moshe, William & Marcia Heine, Yaakov Linder & Sari Gindoff-Linder, Yoni Berliant & Chani Wiesman in honor of Chaim Wiesman, Zumi & Caryn Brody in memory of David Brody
A new AED has been purchased and will be installed soon.
Thank you to Dr. Eytan Irwin and Dr. Ron Zanger for coordinating this effort!
Mazal tov to Yaakov and Susan Bagley on the birth of their first grandchild, a girl, to their son Dani and his wife Rivka Bagley. Mazal tov to Gaela and Tuvia Klein on their 10th wedding anniversary.
Mazal tov to Sabrina and Aaron Spector on the occasion of Daniel's Bar Mitzvah.
Welcome to Aaron and Marnie Rubenstein and family who have joined SOI as members.
Thank you to Tamar Wiener, Baila Silverman, & Anna Schwartz for helping with the kiddush last week.
Thank you to Jeffrey & Ilana Weiss, Malka Moskowitz, Yael Linder, Sandy Crass, Matti Rosenberg, Yair Klein, Jonathan, Devorah & Ahuva Delman, & Rachael Folowoshele for helping prepare Seudah Shlishit and to Matti & Rachel Rosenberg, Daniel and Michal Drabkin, Eric and Rachel Klein, Yoni Berliant & Chani Wiesman for their Birthdays at the Shul Seudah Shlishit sponsorships.
A huge thank you to Bill Jungreis, Debbie Pester, Harvey Chaitoff, Jeff Liss, Chani Wiesman Berliant, Chemmie Sokolic, Ken Panitch, Hector from OPS and Sam Tilonsky for providing security on Shabbos. Special thanks to Debbie Pester and Jeff Liss for doing extra shifts on Shabbos. Thank you to Oze Henig for the hand sanitizer.
It’s Your Shul, Please Help Protect It!
We are always looking for more people to volunteer on a regular basis. If you can’t commit to a specific time, why not be available to fill in when needed? Just let me know you are willing to help. Thanks, Sam Tilonsky
Gavriel Yehuda ben Chaya Sarah David Partnow - David Avram ben Tilla Razel Robert Shapiro - Doniel-Avraham ben Hannah Aaron Moshe ben Ruth Gaela bas Pinina Jackie Nussbaum - Eta Ruchmam bas Chaya Golda Chayim Gedalya haLevi ben Henya Joan Solomon Weinberg - Yehudit Sarah bat Esther Chaim Leib HaLevi ben Batya Gittel Tobie Cohen - Tova Lieba bas Esther Chaya Alan Friedman - Avraham Pinchas ben Hudda Kayla Chaya bat Bayla Simcha Avraham Ben Datya Leba Karen Cohen - Esther Chaya bas Sara Chana Inga bat Bella Janet Miller - Devora bat Basha
Please help us keep this list up to date. If you have names to add or would like to have a name removed from this list, please email memberhotline@soicherryhill.org.
Click below for a link to the prayers for good health and healing that you can recite for our ailing members
Cecilia Bachana, an undergraduate student, is working with Professor Johanna Ray Vollhardt’s research group in the Psychology Department at Clark University. She is part of a team of Jewish American researchers conducting a study on how Jewish Americans (i.e., Jews living in the U.S., regardless of nationality) think about the history of violence against Jews and present-day antisemitism as well as how this may relate to psychological well-being and health.
They are looking for a broad range of opinions on these issues among Jewish Americans (18 and older) with different backgrounds and diverse political and religious views.
If you would like to take part in her survey, click the link below. The survey is anonymous, completely voluntary, and can be stopped at any point. The survey will take approximately 15 to 20 minutes to complete. Upon completion of the survey participants will be offered $10 as a small token of appreciation. https://clarku.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1G1zOJznBc059Jk
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
All submissions for the Newslink are due by noon on Wednesday
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 Office hours next week are Monday - Friday 10am-2pm Rabbi Davies' general office hours are Monday, Wednesday-Friday 10am-5pm
Congregation Sons of Israel 720 Cooper Landing Road Cherry Hill, NJ 08002
