Thursday, May 28 (Erev Shavuot & Day 49 of Sefirah): 5:00p Weekly D'var Torah with Rabbi Herzfeld via Facebook Live 5:30p Laining of the Torah Reading join here 6:00p Women's Laining of the Book of Ruth join here 6:30p Minchajoin here 6:45p Yizkor Service and Mussaf led by Guest Chazzan, Gedalia Penner!join here 8:07p Candlelighting (Remember to make an Eruv tavshilin) Erev Shabbat, May 29 (1st Day of Shavuot): 4:47a Earliest time for Davening Shacharit 8:08p Candlelighting
Shabbat, May 30 (Shabbat & 2nd Day of Shavuot / Yizkor): 9:09p Havdalah join here
Details for Thursday:
Laining for the first day of Shavuot with the Ten Commandments! Read by Harris Cohen and maftir read by Eitan Netter, starting at 5:30 pm via Zoom at https://zoom.us/j/3127816941 or via phone at 646-558-8656, 3127816941#
Women's Laining of the Book of Ruth read by Josie Silverberg, Hannah Gerstein, Tovah Berger, and Yifat Alon Perel (all are welcome!), starting at 6 pm, via Zoom at https://zoom.us/j/3127816941 or via phone at 646-558-8656, 3127816941#
Yizkor Service and Mussaf led by Guest Chazzan, Gedalia Penner! At 6:45 pm, via Zoom at https://zoom.us/j/3127816941 Please note that the “mussaf service” will not be using the name of Hashem. We will be chanting the prayers to remind us of the holy words and tunes. Download the text of the service here .
Torah from the Beltway Vaad: The Beltway Vaad has put together a packet of source sheets for learning on Shavuot, which you can downloadhere to print. The packet includes learning for adults and kids of all ages. If anyone would like us to print a copy for pickup, please email alejandra@ostns.org and specify if you would like the entire packet or only adult learning/only kids learning.
Thank you to all our virtual learning sponsors from this past week! David Movsky, Elaine Jacobson, David & Naomi Balto, and Avril and Michael Weisman. If you are interested in sponsoring a day of virtual learning for $54, please email Alejandra at alejandra@ostns.org.
Spotlight On......
Community Resources
Free Kosher Meals for all Children Under 18! Yad Yehuda has started a daily kosher meal distribution through the USDA Summer Food Service Program, distributing breakfast and lunch simultaneously each day.
Distribution takes place Monday through Friday each week, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm, at E. Brooke Lee Middle School, 11800 Monticello Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20902. There is no charge for these meals. All households with children age 18 and under are eligible to participate in this USDA program; income requirements have been waived during this time.
Visit http://moco.covidgw.com for further instructions and to place your orders for the coming week. It is very important that you pre-order so our vendors (Ben Yehuda Pizza and Shalom Kosher) will know how many meals to prepare. Meals will be available for those who do not pre-order but we urge you to assist us by using the pre-order process.
FAQ: Q. If I live in DC, can I pick up meals for my family in Kemp Mill? A. Yes. Families living in any jurisdiction in the DC region can pick up meals at our distribution site; residency requirements have been waived at this time.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington COVID-19: Rabbi Emergency Fund. During this unprecedented time, congregations, their members, and the larger community are experiencing unbelievable challenges including significant financial instability. To assist congregations in meeting these increasing community needs, The Federation, through its COVID-19 Emergency Funds established the Rabbi Emergency Fund to provide financial support directly to congregations for emergency use to help community members in need. These funds, up to $1500 per household, can be used to meet individual and family needs (e.g., housing, utilities, food, medical, mental health, or other relevant emergency needs of individuals and families that may or may not be covered by the Federal Stimulus) and are to be paid to the service provider (i.e. utility company, mortgage company, drug store or health company.) If you are experiencing financial challenges and these funds can be of assistance please contact Rabbi Herzfeld or Maharat Friedman.
Yad Yehuda has a new website that includes a wide range of resources for the Greater Washington Jewish community. Please visitcovidgw.com.
Bikur Cholim of Greater Washington is working to pair volunteers with folks who would like a phone visit. If you would like to volunteer to make calls, or request a phone visit, please fill out this form here. Bikur Cholim also has funds available to help those in need to pay for medical expenses incurred during this time. Please contact Maharat Friedman or Audrey Siegal asiegel@bikurcholimgw.org to learn more.
Senior Planet is a program created and sponsored by national nonprofit Older Adults Technology Services (OATS) that harnesses technology to change the way we age. Our courses, programs, and activities help seniors learn new skills, save money, get in shape, and make new friends. They have a robust schedule of daily zoom classes available here.
Event Recordings
Last Friday night Ari Mandelbaum from the Y-Studs led the Ohev Sholom community in Kabbalat Shabbat via Zoom. A recording is available here
Monday, May 25 The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington had a Pre-Shavuot celebration of Torah. The recording is availablehere
Comments on Torah Readings, Haftorahs & a Megilla Contributed by Rabbi Ben Mintz
This Friday and Shabbos we celebrate the festival of Shvuos. Shvuos completes the seven-week, forty-nine-day period of the Omer, which began on the second day of Pesach. Shvuos has come to be known as the Festival of Weeks (The Hebrew word Shvuos means "weeks.") Shvuos is one of the Shalosh Regalim, the three Pilgrim Festivals. It is celebrated for one day in Israel, as Biblically commanded, and two days elsewhere.
In the prayers, Shvuos is called Zman Matan Torateinu, the time that the Torah was given to the Jewish people on Mount Sinai. That the Torah was given on Shvuos is actually not stated explicitly in the Torah; it is a rabbinical interpretation of texts. On the first day of Shvuos, the reading from the Torah is the part of parshat Yitro in the book of Shmot (Exodus) that describes the revelation on Mount Sinai (Chap.19 & 20) On the second day of Shvuos, we read the section describing the celebration of the various festivals from parshat Re'eh in the Book of Dvorim (Deuteronomy) 14:22-16:17.
In addition, on the second day of Shvuos we read Megilas Rus, the Book of Ruth. The events in the Book of Ruth take place in the harvest season in Israel, and Shvuos occurs during the harvest season in the Jewish agricultural calendar. In addition, Shvuos was the time when the Jewish people would bring their first fruits (bikkurim) to the Temple in Jerusalem. Another name for Shvuos is Chag Habikkurim.
The Book of Ruth is one of the five megillos -- literally, scrolls -- shorter books of the Torah that are read in the synagogue on various occasions during the year. Koheles (Ecclesiastes) is read on Sukkos, Esther on Purim, Shir Hashirim (Song of Songs) on Pesach, Rus (Ruth) on Shvuos. and Eicha (Lamentations) on Tisha B'Av. The story of Ruth is familiar. Ruth, a Moabite woman, marries the son of Elimelech and Naomi, who have moved to Moab because of the famine in Israel. Orpah, another Moabite, marries a second son of Naomi. The husbands of Orpah and Ruth die in Moab, as does Elimelech. When the famine is over, Naomi returns to the Land of Israel, but she persuades Orphah to remain in Moab with her family. (The word "orpah" in Hebrew refers to the back of the head. and it symbolizes Orpah turning her back on Naomi.) However, Ruth insists on returning with Naomi, declaring what has become a classic statement on loyalty: "Where you go, I will go; I will rest with you; your people will be my people, and your God shall be my God. When we die I will be buried with you; only death will separate us." The book of Ruth then states that Naomi and Ruth returned together, thus indicating that the Torah treats converts as equal members of the Jewish people.
Also of note: the Book of Ruth begins with the words "And it was in the days that the judges judged." However, the Hebrew literally means that "... the judges were judged." In another words, the people arrogantly believed that they were superior to the judges. When the public takes control pf the legal system, that is reason for a famine.
The Haftorah for the first day of Shvuos is from Ezekiel, (Chapter 1 and 3:12) "And behind me I heard a great roaring sound: 'Baruch kevod Hashem b'mkomo,' Blessed is the presence of the Lord in His place.)" The Haftorah on the second day is from Habakkuk, one of the twelve prophets (2:20-3:19).
Because of Shvuos, there is no study of Pirke Avos.
A Video by Hal Brodsky, z”l, entitled "WHY DAIRY?"
A video about this week's can be viewed here: Why Dairy?
Upcoming Virtual Learning Opportunities
To see the schedule and links for upcoming virtual services and classes schedule, visit our website's zoom page, ostns.org/zoom.
