Weekly Newslinks

Announcements & Upcoming Events

Schedule for the Weekend

Pesach Preparation Information
Visit our Pesach Webpage for Complete Information!

Click here to download the Sale of Chametz form or pick up a copy at the Shul. 
Rabbi Davies will be available before and after Mincha/Maariv for sale of Chametz. If you are not available at that time, please reach out to the rabbi to schedule another time to meet.
(all forms must be given to Rabbi Davies
no later than 9:00am on Friday, April 11th)

QUESTIONS?
Feel free to email Rabbi Davies –  Rabbi@SOICherryHill.org
or text or call 609-301-0131.

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 you an excerpt from an article by Rabbi David Aaron entitled "Passover: In the Name of Love" explaining one reason why the upcoming holiday is called by this name.
 

[...] This perhaps is the greatest miracle in the Exodus story: Even though the Jews were undeserving and unworthy to be liberated by God as Elokim, they were nonetheless saved by God as YHVH. This basic truth is embodied in the Exodus story and therefore we must remember the exodus daily. [...] This is the meaning of the verse in the Song of Songs: "Behold the voice of my beloved comes skipping over the mountains, hopping over the valleys." Nothing can stand in the way of God's love for you. No obstacle is too great. His love transcends all barriers. This is the inner dynamic of this miraculous event, and this is one reason why this holiday is commonly referred to as Passover. God, in order to pass over the homes of the Jews, passed over His attribute of judgment in the name of love. The Zohar teaches: "Even though God loves justice, His love for His children overcame His love for His justice."

One more vital point needs elucidation: Why did God require the Jews to sacrifice the Pascal lamb and smear its blood on their door-posts? Did God really need this sign to identify the Jewish homes and pass over them?

Actually, there is one obstacle that can stand in the way of God's love. God can love us, but He can't make us believe that he loves us. A poignant passage in Isaiah portrays this impasse. The prophet is defending the people, claiming that they are sinning because God is not present for them. God responds: "I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for Me. I was ready to be found by those who did not seek Me. I said 'Here I am, here I am'." (Isaiah 65:1) God may pour upon us all His love, but it is up to us to acknowledge and accept it. We have to make some overture, some sign. That's what smearing the blood on the door-posts was all about. God did not need an identifying sign, but we had to identify ourselves as wanting redemption and believing it can happen. God says to the Jews, "Nothing can stand in the way of My love for you, except you."

Passover is the time to experience and acknowledge God's unconditional love for you. That's why it is the foundation of all the holidays, of all of Judaism. Without the acknowledgment that God loves you enough to redeem you -- even when you're not worthy, you have no inkling of God's relationship with you. That's why we read the great love poem, the Song of Songs, on Passover. That's why we spend hours reciting the Haggadah, like an enamored lover describing every minute detail of how her beloved proposed to her.

The more we acknowledge God's love, the more we will experience His unconditional love. May you have a happy Passover, basking in God's loving presence.

Hoping and praying for 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.

World Zionist Congress Elections

Every five years, the World Zionist Organization (WZO), one of the most influential
organizations in the Jewish world, of which 30% is controlled by US Jewry, holds a
crucial election. This election, which runs from March 10, through May 4, gives American Jews the opportunity to vote for representatives in the World Zionist Congress. The number of seats a slate receives directly impacts leadership decisions, policies, and the allocation of over $1 billion annually toward Jewish education, aliyah, security, and other vital causes.

I am strongly encouraging our members to vote for Orthodox Israel Coalition (OIC)
Mizrachi, slate #5. Coalition partners include RZA-Mizrachi, YU, OU, RCA, Amit, Bnei Akiva, NCYI, Touro University, and Sephardic organizations such as Shvilim and UMJCA. Your vote will ensure that our Religious Zionist voice is heard. An authentic Torah voiceof integration and unity: integration between Judaism and Zionism; Torah learning and army service; between Torah u’Madda; and balancing Israel and Diaspora needs.

All Jewish American residents who are 18 (by June 30, 2025) can vote. There is a voter registration fee of $5.00. Click here to register and vote.
Please share this link with your family and friends. If you’d like to volunteer to help us mobilize our community, please let me know.

​​​​​​​Rabbi Michael Davies

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

Volunteers Wanted!

Kiddush: Volunteers wanted to help with Kiddush - preparation, set up, and clean up! Please contact Yaakov Linder to get involved.

SOI Gala: We are looking for volunteers to help with all aspects of the SOI Gala. Please reach out to Ilana Weiss, Avital Zeffren, or Yaeli Sokolic to get involved.

Do you enjoy small fix-it projects or just love helping out? We’re looking for friendly hands to assist with minor repairs, like sealing doors and patching up little gaps. No special skills needed! Just a willingness to pitch in and help make a difference! If you’d like to help, please reach out to Dan Malamud or Oriel Weinberg. We truly appreciate it!

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! 

Mazal Tov to Andy Rauer on becoming a great grandmother. Granddaughter Shifra (Avi Margolese) recently gave birth to twin girls. Proud grandparents are Dovid and Adina Rauer. 

Thank you to all the volunteers who helped with last week's Kiddush. 

Thank you to the volunteers who helped with last week's Seudah Shlishit. 

Thank you to Debbie Fineberg, Aharon Yeres, Rachael Shuster, Mordecai Krumbein, Brittany Yeres, Mayer Miltz, Dovid Schwartz, Sam Tilonsky and JFed Security Officer Bill DiCola for providing security on Shabbos.
​​​​​​​

The Cholim and Chayalim lists will be refreshed as we head into Pesach. For more information, please see announcement section above for details. 

A complete list of Cholim and Chayalim that have been submitted to SOI can be  www.soicherryhill.org/cholim-chayalim
To add or remove from these lists, please email  
​​​​​​​memberhotline@soicherryhill.org

Join the SOI Updates Whatsapp group!
"Updated Link for the SOI Updates Whatsapp"
For all the news and announcements you don't want to miss.

https://chat.whatsapp.com/K0syfQxNeobFsNC8NqYqez

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

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UPCOMING/ONGOING COMMUNITY
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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. 

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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

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Regular Office Hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday: 9:30am - 3:00pm (In-Office)
Wednesday & Friday: 9:30am - 3:00pm (Remote) 

Congregation Sons of Iarael
720 Cooper Landing Road
Cherry Hill, New Jersey 08002