Weekly Newslinks

Announcements & Upcoming Events

Schedule for the Weekend

Erev Shabbat, April 21: Rosh Chodesh Iyar, 15th Day Omer (Nisan 30)
6:30am Shacharit
8:15am Shacharit
6:20pm Plag HaMincha (Earliest Candle Lighting)
7:00pm Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat/Maariv
7:26pm Candle Lighting

Shabbat, April 22: Rosh Chodesh Iyar, 16th Day Omer, Tazria-Metzora (Iyyar 1)
8:00am 8AM Minyan (Politz Beit Midrash)
8:30am Sephardic Minyan
9:00am Main Sanctuary Minyan
9:36am Latest Shema
10:00am Youth Groups
10:30am Tot Shabbat
11:30am Kiddush sponsored by David and Leia Mendelovitz
5:45pm Gemara Shiur
7:05pm Mincha
7:35pm Seudah Shlishit sponsored by Marvin Bleiberg
8:25pm Maariv
8:28pm Havdalah

Sunday, April 23: 17th Day Omer (Iyyar 2)
7:00am Shacharit
8:00am Shacharit
7:35pm Mincha/Maariv

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 Boruch Leff entitled ‘Uncomfortable Musings for Comfortable Jews’ which questions the order of the content of our Parshiot this week with an important message, especially as we head toward Yom HaAtzmaut this coming week.

Something is strange. The arrangement throughout the Parshas of Tzaria-Metzora is unusual. […] The Torah first teaches the laws concerning leprosy and its impurity on the body and then instructs regarding clothing. At this point, Parshat Tazria ends. Parshat Metzora then opens with a description of the procedure of how one who has tzaarat on his body returns to purity through a sacrificial service. After this long service is discussed, only then do we learn about the laws of leprosy in the walls of the home. […] Why does the Torah interrupt the logical flow and only mention the house laws as a last topic, isolating the home leprosy laws from the rest? It would appear that the laws of house leprosy are in a separate category, but why?
 
A second question, which we will answer first, is the following: The law is that household leprosy can only occur in the Land of Israel and not in lands outside Israel, in exile (Tractate Nega'im 12:4). This is due to the language in the verse, "I will place an affliction upon a house in the land of your possession" (Leviticus 14:34). This is not the case regarding the laws of clothing and body where leprosy can appear even outside Israel. What is the reason for this distinction?  […]
 
The difference is that we have no real habitations or homes outside Israel. We don't own them. We own our clothing and our bodies wherever we are, but not our homes outside of Israel. We are always hoping and planning to return to Israel and we live in our homes in exile on a temporary basis. Only that which is truly ours forever is afflicted with leprosy. […]
 
[W]e are driven out of our homes when we speak lashon hara because through our lashon hara we have denied our victim his comfort and privacy in his home. [...] So if our lashon hara has removed dignity and privacy from the victim which was truly his own, then the affliction of leprosy can only appear in kind. It will not appear outside Israel in a home that is not truly ours because the consequence does not fit the crime. Even in a case where the subject of the lashon hara also lives in a home outside Israel, leprosy will not come to the gossiper's home. This is because the victim was not stripped of his comfort in his real home. In a sense, he has no actual and real rights to his home outside Israel so he hasn't done much damage within the realm of home. But the damage done to his general dignity and privacy does warrant leprosy appearing on clothes and body since he does truly own his body and clothing no matter which land he lives in.
 
We derive from all this that the only place where Jews really belong and the only land which we truly own is Israel. Yet, unfortunately most of us who live in the Diaspora don't usually think of our homes as temporary and we rarely contemplate abandoning our comforts in exile in order to fulfill the commandment of living in Israel. At the very least, we should be hoping and anxiously anticipating returning to Israel when the Mashiach (Messiah) comes. […]
 
One of the questions that we will be asked after our 120 years in this world is whether we "yearned for the salvation (of God and Israel)" (Shabbat 31a). […] Do we yearn for Mashiach? Often we ask ourselves why do we even need Mashiach? What are we missing? This is a symptom of our spiritual malady. We no longer recognize the need to relate to God in the holiest place and in the closest manner, which is what Mashiach will bring to the world. We utilize our comforts and freedom in exile to serve God better but we must never feel too attached to our culture and land. We should yearn for the time when we will leave the exile forever and unite with our land, our nation, and God once again. Someday we will all be together in Jerusalem. May it be soon.

Have a Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Davies
Rabbi@SOICherryHill.org

We are excited to be partnering with Mizrachi World Movement to provide their publication of HaMizrachi Parasha Weekly.

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Welcome to Leia and David Mendelovitz and their son Momo

who recently moved into the community.

Mazal Tov to Gail and Bob Belfer on the birth of a grandson and to the proud parents Arielle and Jacob Wischnia.

Mazal Tov to Karen and Bill Chast on the birth of their first grandchild, Alexander, born on March 28th to proud parents Danielle and Tyler Theurer.

A great big thank you to Debbie Pester, Debbie Fineberg, Harvey Chaitoff, Jeff Liss, Yacov Linder, Shari Solomon, Eytan Irwin, Eric Klein, Yair Klein, Donna Moskowitz, Avi Rynderman, Ken Panitch, Hector from OPS and Sam Tilonsky for providing security during Pesach and Shabbos.

30 Minutes
30 minutes of your time, usually once a month, during Shabbos and Yom Tov is what we ask of our volunteers to help protect the shul and community.  Volunteers usually watch the video monitors in the office during their shift.  Contact Sam Tilonsky to volunteer.

Door Installation Update
Installation of our new doors is being postponed due to factors beyond the vendor's control. We are hoping to have a new installation date shortly.

Gavriel Yehuda ben Chaya Sarah 
David Partnow - David Avram ben Tilla Razel 
Aaron Moshe ben Ruth
Gaela bas Pinina
Chayim Gedalya haLevi ben Henya
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
Inga bat Bella
Shaindel bas Gruna Leah
Moshe Krumbein - Moshe ben Yehudit Sarah

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

​​​​There are many ways to support our Shul:

(check out our website for more oportunities)

Yartzeit Plaque ($400)

Shabbat Security ($180)

Siddur for the sanctuary ($50)

Chumash for the sanctuary ($75)

Newslink ($36)

Welcome Basket ($18)

Bottle Club ($36)

Kiddush (starting at $180)

We are excited to announce the new Kosher Pantry at Cooper Hospital, being stocked and maintained by Bikur Cholim of Lakewood!
They are absorbing the cost and Cooper is graciously providing the space.

The location is on the second floor Pavilion immedately to the right of the main elevator bank. There is a keypad entry inside, and the pantry is currently stocked with mostly Passover foods, but will be maintained weekly with kosher items. There is a hot water kettle -on all the time- with tea and instant coffee. Snacks, meals in the refrigerator, prayer books, kiddush cups, light up candles, and many other necessities to sustain visitors and patients at Cooper. There are some other basic necessities such as phone chargers and cords available too.

Access
Press C to clear the padlock
then enter 5412
Turn knob to right and it should open
(may take a couple tries)
On inside - on left wall there is a hole- put your hand in and unlock the hook to open the left door!
To close shut the door turn knob to left and hit C to clear the padlock

ERUV UPDATE
Sign up to receive email communications by clicking here and filling out a short formPlease check your spam if you are not getting notifications from the new Eruv Hotline

UPCOMING/ONGOING
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

UPCOMING/ONGOING
EVENTS & PROGRAMS

YOUTH & TEENS
EVENTS & PROGRAMS

Support SOI While You're Shopping

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

https://www.soicherryhill.org/form/purchase_scrip

New House of Kosher Donation Program
SOI will automatically earn 2% of your total purchase when you use our code when checking out!  SOI's code is 0720

(Think of our shul's address and add a "0" at the start!)

If you have news to share please send the info to:
MEMBER HOTLINE
memberhotline@soicherryhill.org

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