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PEQUDEI 5784

03/15/2024 11:18:36 AM

Mar15

This Shabbat, Simcha and Shulamit Foxman are sponsoring the kiddush in memory of her father, Rabbi Mordecai Singer. May his memory be for a blessing.

SADNA' DE'AR`A HAD HU'

The above quotation, in Talmudic Aramaic, literally means that pieces of land (alternatively: tree trunks) are  the same throughout the world. The phrase is used to mean...Read more...

VAYAQHEL/SHEQALIM 5784

03/08/2024 10:56:52 AM

Mar8

Dear mitpallelim,

Oh no, say it ain’t so! Look how pervasive “wokism” has become. I saw this week that the authorities at Merriam-Webster have “paskened” that a preposition is something that you can end a sentence with! (sic) [I know that we all have been careless in our everyday speech with the old rule of not ending with a preposition, but still it is important to know...Read more...

KI TISSA 5784

03/01/2024 12:01:21 PM

Mar1

Dear mitpallelim,

Rabbi Yitschak Zilberman is one of the leading rabbinic authorities in Bnai Berak, and a prolific author of rabbinic isssues. To the best of my recollection, I saw the following in one of his “seforim.” A man made a kiddush one shabbat in shul, because the man had been spared from serious injury while crossing the street. This kiddush is called a “se’udat...Read more...

TETSAVVEH 5784

02/23/2024 11:18:44 AM

Feb23

Shalom to all!

Mr. Erdstein observes yahrzeit for his wife Molly/Malka bat Yehuda HaKohen, on 21 Adar,

Stanley Goldstein and Mariam Mintz observe for their grandmother Sarah Miriam on 22 Adar.

******

Sadly, anti-Israelism and its corollary anti-semitism are alive and well....Read more...

TERUMAH 5784

02/16/2024 10:50:54 AM

Feb16

Mazal tov to Michael and Maggy Rubin on the marriage of Benjy to Maya Arussi, an Israeli/American who represented Israel internationally in Taekwondo.

A big yish’ar koach to Bob Kraft, for sponsoring the ad against antisemitism on the Super bowl. His father Harry a”h was the beloved leader of the “Children’s Congregation” which I attended in my pre-Bar mitsvah years on...Read more...

MISHPATIM 5784

02/09/2024 10:40:47 AM

Feb9

Shalom rav!

As you have probably heard, the OU has been encouraging people to follow the Nach yomi, that is, studying every day a chapter of Nach. [which stands for nevi’im =prophets and Ketuvim = the poetic books of the Bible] They start with the Book of Yehoshua [=Joshua] and continue with a chapter a day until the last chapter of the...Read more...

YITRO 5784

02/02/2024 11:26:24 AM

Feb2

TUNES AND VERSES THAT WENT THROUGH MY HEAD The “mission” to Israel was so amazing, that I must write about it this week again. Why did I join it? I felt that I had to participate. The verse that Moshe said to the tribes of Gad and Reuven “your brothers are going out to war but you will stay here [on the eastern side of the Jordan]??” kept resonating in my mind. Now, it’s true that Gad and Reuven responded...Read more...

BESHALACH 6784

01/26/2024 12:08:43 PM

Jan26

Dear readers of the bulletin,

The yahrzeit of the patriarch of the Haimovici family, Yeshu`a ben Hayyim, is 21 Shevat.

The yahrzeit for my mother, Chana bat Tsvi Hirsch, is 20 Shevat.

May the neshamot have `aliya, and may they be melitsot yosher for the people of Israel.

******Read more...

BO' 5784

01/18/2024 05:29:50 PM

Jan18

Dear Chevra Shaas, Shearith Israel, et al

* First of all. mazal tov to the Haimovici family on the engagement of Yehonatan to a young lady from Teaneck (!), Chaiy Bodek.

I have returned from a wonderful week in Israel: amazing people and eye-opening experiences, and yet, the constant threat of danger in the background.

Read more...

SHEMOT 5784

01/05/2024 12:22:49 PM

Jan5

Dear all,

Last week, we concluded the Book of Bereishis, Genesis. This Shabbat, we begin Sefer Shemot.

The reading of Bereishis this year has been a difficult time for Am Yisrael.  We began reading Bereishis on Simchat Torah, or, as the whole world refers to that date, October 7, the day of the massacre by Hamas.

Shemot, in English,...Read more...

VAYECHI 5784

12/29/2023 12:34:38 PM

Dec29

Dear mitpallelim,

Let’s begin with some good news from Jerusalem.  Some of you probably remember my grandson Shmuel who came to Montreal for several weeks to help with my recuperation after my knee surgery back in ‘16. A couple of years ago, he made aliya, and a few days ago became engaged to a lovely young lady, Sarah Kusnitz, originally from North Carolina, who had made...Read more...

VA-YIGGASH 5784

12/22/2023 10:22:41 AM

Dec22

Shalom to all,

First of all, a big yish’ar koach to Michael and Maggie Rubin, who sponsored last week’s kiddush in honour of their anniversary and in honour of the Israeli soldiers, and this week’s, in memory of Michael’s grandmother Lillian; and to Irwin Miller who sponsored last week in memory of his brother Monroe ben Yosef (Meir).

*********Read more...

MIQQETS 5784

12/15/2023 11:25:48 AM

Dec15

Dear Mitpallelim,

AS I WRITE THESE WORDS ON WEDNESDAY MORNING, THE MOST PRESSING THOUGHT ON EVERYONE’S MIND IS THE FATE OF THE HOSTAGES.

This week’s parasha opens with the fate of our first hostage: Yoseph.

Last week’s parasha ended with Yoseph in prison but counting on the “sar ha-mashqim” to put in a...Read more...

VA-YEISHEV 5784 - Shabbat Hanukkah

12/08/2023 01:01:14 PM

Dec8

Shalom to all!

First of all, a big “yish’ar koach” to all of you who braved the major snowstorm and bitter cold temperature to travel to Ottawa for the meaningful gathering at Parliament hill. “hizqu u-veruchim tiheyu!” [And shame on the 17 Toronto buses that, despite having been paid in advance, demonstrated their antisemitism by not showing up.]

Read more...

VAYISHLAH 5784

12/01/2023 11:50:43 AM

Dec1

Dear mitpallelim

Mazal tov to Shulamit and Simcha Foxman. With all of the stressful news we hear coming from Israel, we rejoice to learn of the wedding this past week in Israel of Simcha’s granddaughter Kaila to Yehoshua Werblowsky, grandson of the well known teacher and author Hanoch Teller - Mazal tov

Read more...

VAYEITSEI 5784

11/24/2023 12:12:07 PM

Nov24

The parasha begins "And Jacob left Beer Sheva and went "harana." Literally, that last word means "to (the place) Haran." But midrashically, there is a chasidic tradition that it is connected to the word "haran," which means "anger." We can understand that Yaakov must have been very upset. His brother wanted to kill him, he knows that Uncle Laban had a history of being a trickster, and not a nice guy, and his GPS had not yet been invented, so...Read more...

HAYYEI SARA 5784 cs

11/10/2023 10:44:23 AM

Nov10

Dear mitpallelim,

As we hear how our enemies wish to eradicate the Jews of Erets Yisrael chas ve-shalom, we should remind ourselves of the words of Israel’s Declaration of Independence: “The State will be diligent for the development of the Land for the benefit of all of its inhabitants. It will be grounded on the foundations of freedom, tsedek, and shalom in light of the...Read more...

VA-YEIRA' 5784

11/03/2023 02:37:13 PM

Nov3

I have written the following briefly in previous years. However, in light of recent events, it seems so relevant that I felt that I had to expand upon it now.

The 6th aliya, end of chapter 21, describes a meeting between Avraham and Avimelech, the leader of the Philistines (located in the Gaza area!) A peace treaty is established between the two of them. Avraham states “I will...Read more...

LEKH LEKHA 5784

10/27/2023 12:18:17 PM

Oct27

To all my dear Montreal friends,

The world still seems upside down. Here in the greater NY area, almost all the major colleges are having demonstrations for Hamas!? These are the great institutions where a previous generation of Jewish students flourished. [My late wife a”h said that when she went to Brooklyn College, there were so many “frum” Jewish students and professors...Read more...

NOAH 5784

10/20/2023 12:20:45 PM

Oct20

Interesting tidbit: At the beginning of this week’s parasha, we read that the world was filled with “hamas.” That word is usually translated as “theft,” but the ancient Aramaic Targum has “hatofin,” which in modern Hebrew means kidnapping!

***

I am writing this on Tuesday morning. Probably, by the time you read this on Shabbat, the...Read more...

BERISHIS 5784

10/13/2023 02:02:07 PM

Oct13

Dear mitpallelim

oy! How things can change so quickly.

My previous two “blogs” described the wonderful three weeks I had just experienced in Israel: first, living for several days near the kotel with my son, daughter in law and grandchildren; then the week with our good friends the...Read more...

SHEMINI ATSERET 5784

10/06/2023 01:39:50 PM

Oct6

Here are some more reflections on my recent trip to Israel (part I appeared in last week’s bulletin.)

I prayed three times at the Jerusalem Great Synagogue: (a) My first Shabbat morning, I went with my son and grandson for davening. They were hoping to hear a world-famous hazzan and rabbi. However, since it was a couple of weeks before RH, I guess the rabbi and hazzan had a...Read more...

SUKKOT 5784

09/29/2023 11:34:58 AM

Sep29

Dear congregants

I returned last week after spending 3 wonderful weeks in Erets Yisrael.

I would like to share some experiences with you. After all, when we kept repeating in the davening “simcha le-‘artsekha ve- sason le-`irekha,” i.e., asking for joy and happiness for Your land and city, we weren’t referring to Quebec and Montreal! (And...Read more...

KI TEITSEI 5783

08/25/2023 01:03:28 PM

Aug25

Mazal tov to the Foxmans, on the engagement of their granddaughter Kaila.

in the Land of Israel,

Hmmm… What’s the name of this week’s parasha? The 2nd word of the name begins with a “t.”  But, wait a second! Didn’t I learn it as “ki Seitsei,” with an “s,” when I was young? And if I look at the websites of certain shuls, it will also be spelled with...Read more...

SHOFETIM 5783

08/18/2023 12:43:18 PM

Aug18

“Say it ain’t so.”

Well, it is, and we have to respond properly.

I am referring, of course, to the fact that this past Thursday and Friday have been Rosh Hodesh of Elul. And that means…

Rabbis must make sure their sermons are properly prepared.

Hazzanim must make sure...Read more...

RE'EH 5783

08/11/2023 10:24:16 AM

Aug11

Our parasha begins "Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse.”

“Go to the ant, you lazy person; see its ways, and become wise” (Proverbs 6:6.) In the original Hebrew: “lekh ‘el nemalah `atsel, re’eh derakheha va-hakham.”

I am grateful to my high school Hebrew Lit teacher, Dr. David Weinstein a”h [you might be familiar...Read more...

EIQEV 5783

08/04/2023 02:17:35 PM

Aug4

What? it’s already August? Wow! Parents begin thinking of school supplies (as you say in Quebec, the time of “rentrée scolaire.”) For my 46 years at U.T.T., it meant I had to begin thinking of content and teaching methods.

Back around 25 years ago, I was asked one year to start off the first teachers/administrators meeting of the year with a devar torah. Instead, I told the...Read more...

VA'ETHANAN 5783

07/28/2023 02:36:56 PM

Jul28

Maggie Cohen observes yahrzeit for her mother Hermance Emsallem Cohen on Sunday 12 Av

Arlene Sheffer observes for her mother Rose Winstan on Thursday 16 Av

Shulamit Foxman observes for her mother Eliza (Zemlah) Singer on Friday 17 Av

May their memories be a blessing.

***

Read more...

DEVARIM 5783

07/21/2023 11:54:25 AM

Jul21

There are several important lessons that we might learn in the first chapter of Devarim. The first thing we notice is the introduction: "These are the words that Moshe spoke..."  As I have mentioned many times in the past, this man Moshe, the man who had claimed, 40 years prior, at age 80, that he was not a speaker, that he was "hard of mouth and hard of tongue, [According to Rabbenu Hananel, as quoted by Rabbenu Bahya, this means the he...Read more...

MATOT-MAS`EI 5783

07/14/2023 01:43:29 PM

Jul14

First and foremost: Mazal tov to our centenarian, who joined Shevet Achim before I was born, and who was active in the Shevet Achim shul and sisterhood: our Number 1 member, Helen Scharf-Kern. May HaShem bless you with good health, and good memories, ”biz hundert un tvantsig.”

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We are now in the midst of the period known as the “3...Read more...

Tue, March 19 2024 9 Adar II 5784