Kiddush and Seudah Shlishit are sponsored by Adam and Alison Kaye in honor or Amelia's Bat Mitzvah.
Women's Only Kabbalat Shabbat: Friday, January 31st at 5:15pm in the SOI Chapel. For more information contact Helene Raush at raushfamily@comcast.net
Parent Child Learning: Motzei Shabbat, February 1st at 6:45pm at SOI. Parents and Children in Grades 1 - 8 are welcome to join us for a fun evening of learning and Ice cream! VINTAGE Book Review & Discussion: Sunday, February 2nd at 7:00pm with Laine Fastman at the Bagley home. Book review of The Big House: A Century in the Life of an American Summer Home by George Howe Colt. Click here to register. Gemara Shiur with Jeff Schwartz: Sunday evening at 7:30 pm in the SOI Chapel. Come join for an in depth study of Talmud.Â
Rabbi Kelemen's Inner Circle: Monday evenings at 8:00pm, February 3rd & 17th Video presentation with Rabbi Kelemen. February 10th & 24th review sessions with Rabbi Davies. You can attend one, the other, or both. Missed the first sessions? Click here to receive Rabbi Kelemen's first few presentations. Please note that, starting with the January sessions, Rabbi Kelemen presentations will only be available at the Monday evening screening for free or through paid subscription. Monday evening sessions with Rabbi Davies remain free of charge.Â
Semichas Chaver Program: Topic: Business Law, Wednesday, February 5th at 8:00pm. Contact Rabbi Davies to participate or for more information.Â
Women's Weekly Parsha Discussion: Wednesday evening, February 5th from 8:30-8:45pm. Join us on Zoom for a brief peer led discussion on the weekly parsha. Click Here to Join the Zoom.Â
Coffee with the Rabbi: Whether you have a burning question, seek guidance, or just want to chat, this is the perfect opportunity. Secure a cup of coffee (or tea), and your 30-minute one-on-one slot for a conversation with Rabbi Davies. Click here to reserve your slot. VINTAGE Melave Malka: Saturday, February 22, at 7:30pm at the Raush Home. Hosted by Helene & David Raush and coordinated with Moshe & Malka Moskowitz. Join us for great food, great company, and singing. RSVP at Raushfamily@comcast.net and Click here to sign up to bring a dish.Â
Women's Open Mic Night at SOI: Sunday, February 23rd at 7:30pm. Share your talents or just come to watch and have a fun night out! Light refreshments will be served. Tickets are $5 in advance by February 20th at 6pm or $10 at the door subject to availability. Performers must be at least bat mitzvah age and register by February 9th. Click Here to sign up. For more information contact Michelle Goldstein at michellegoldstein6@gmail.com.Â
​​​​​​​Join the Shnayim Mikra Initiative! Become part of our expanding group dedicated to daily study of the weekly Parsha. Choose between in-person morning sessions or follow along with recordings on WhatsApp. Click here to join the WhatsApp group. For more information contact Rabbi Davies.
Shabbat, February 1: Bo (Shevat 3) 8:00am 8AM Minyan 8:30am Sephardic Minyan 9:00am Main Sanctuary Minyan 9:41am Latest Shema 10:00am Youth Groups 10:30am Tot Shabbat 4:40pm Mincha 4:40pm Teen Minyan 5:10pm Seudah Shlishit 6:00pm Maariv 6:02pm Havdalah 6:45pm Parent Child LearningÂ
Sunday, February 2 (Shevat 4) 7:00am Shacharit 8:00am Shacharit 5:10pm Mincha/Maariv 7:00pm Vintage Book Review 7:30pm 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 with youan excerpt from an article by Rabbi Avraham Kovel entitled "What is the First Mitzvah in the Torah?" sharing deeper insight into the Mitzvah of Rosh Chodesh.  [...I]f you were crafting the perfect first commandment for a newly freed nation, what would you choose? Perhaps "Love your fellow as yourself" - the foundation of human relationships? Maybe Shabbat - the weekly reminder of God's creation? Or possibly the study of Torah itself - the blueprint for Jewish life? With such monumental options available, the actual first mitzvah might surprise you. It wasn't about prayer, morality, or even belief in God. Instead, it was... Rosh Chodesh - the sanctification of the new moon. Anticlimactic? It gets even more intriguing. Rashi, the foremost Torah commentator, makes a striking observation on the very first verse of the Torah. He explains that the Torah, as the guidebook for the Jewish people, could have legitimately begun with the command of Rosh Chodesh instead of the story of creation. This seemingly technical mitzvah wasn't just chosen as our first command - it was actually considered worthy of being the Torah's opening statement!
What elevated this mitzvah to such prominence, not just as our first command, but as a contender for the Torah's very first verse? And why does God choose to give it now, right as the Jewish people are about to go free from Egypt? The answers reveal nothing less than the blueprint for Jewish identity and destiny.
The Talmud reveals something remarkable about this mitzvah. The words "This month shall be unto you" teach us that the Jewish court has the power to determine when each month begins, even if their declaration doesn't perfectly align with the moon's appearance. Consider the magnitude of this moment: For 210 years, every minute of Jewish life had been dictated by Egyptian taskmasters. Sunrise meant trudging to the brick pits, sunset meant collapsing in exhaustion, and every hour between belonged to Pharaoh. Now, in His first command to the newly emerging nation, God didn't impose more rules - He granted power over time itself. We would determine the months, establish the holidays, and shape the spiritual energy of the year. This wasn't just freedom from bondage; it was elevation to partners in Creation.
[...P]erhaps the deepest wisdom of Rosh Chodesh lies in its timing. Why celebrate the moon's rebirth at the beginning of the month instead of its fullness in the middle? For the same reason we celebrate a Bar Mitzvah - not for the awkward Torah reading and canned sermon of a nervous teenager, but for his magnificent potential. We Jews always celebrate beginnings - bris, bar mitzvah, and wedding - because we understand that the journey toward greatness is as sacred as the achievement itself. On Rosh Chodesh, the beginning of the moon's cycle towards fullness, we look forward to the month ahead and arouse in ourselves the desire to achieve our utmost potential. This quest for self-actualization is the entire purpose of God’s Torah, making it the perfect choice for our first mitzvah. [...]
Join Our Team: Event Manager Wanted! SOI is looking to hire a friendly and organized per diem Event Manager to oversee and assist with various events, such as Bar/Bat Mitzvot, parties, graduations..etc. This position involves being on-site to ensure everything runs smoothly—from coordinating with office staff and renters to making sure the building is set up and ready before and after each event. You’ll also help with any on-site needs, work closely with caterers, and warmly greet guests as they arrive. This is a paid position. If you’re interested, or to learn more, please reach out to Heshy Chaitoff at CoPresident@soicherryhill.org
Volunteer Opportunity Community Mitzvah Day will be at the Jewish Federation of South Jersey on Sunday, February 2nd from 1:00-3:00pm. We are looking for volunteers to help at our booth for 30 minute slots, and an adult to help clean up at the end of the event. Please reach out to Anna Schwartz, Chani or Heshy to volunteer.
Purim is on its way! We are looking for volunteers to help with the annual Mishloach Manot campaign. Please reach out to Oze and Maetal Henig, Chani or Heshy for more information or to volunteer.
SOI Gala: We are looking for volunteers to help with all aspects of the SOI Gala. Please reach out to Chani or Heshy to get involved!
Website Update: We are pleased to share that thanks to a grant from the Jewish Community Foundation of Southern New Jersey, SOI will be redesigning our website. As a ShulCloud-based site, updates take place in real time. This means that users will see updates to the design, navigation, and pages as they take place in all phases of the project, rather than only once the project is completed. It may take a few months for the website to display in its final form. We look forward to our site being easier to navigate for our members and better communicate what we offer to those seeking information about SOI. We appreciate your patience throughout this process!Â
Thank you to all the volunteers who helped with last week's Kiddush.Â
Thank you to the volunteers who helped with last week's Seudah Shlishit.Â
Mazal Tov to Adam and Alison Kaye on their daughter Amelia's Bat Mitzvah!
We regret to inform you of the passing of  Glenn Harmon, Avraham ben Avraham, beloved father of Rena (Sam) Oshlag, and grandfather of Meir, Coby, and Remi Oshlag.
Rena will be sitting Shivah at home 118 Massachusetts Ave Cherry Hill, NJ 08002 from Wednesday through Friday
Thank you to Yaakov Levinson, Matti Rosenberg, Michael Morgenstern, Debbie Fineberg, Jeff Liss, Sam Tilonsky and JFed Security Officer Bill DiCola for providing security on Shabbos.
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.Â
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!)
All submissions for the Newslink are due by noon on Wednesday
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