Shabboom! Weekly Announcements

Energize your week with Ohev Sholom                                         June 11, 2020

Shabbat Times and Announcements

Erev Shabbat, June 12 (Day 20 of Sivan):
5:00p D'var Torah with Rabbi Herzfeld via Facebook Live
5:50p Laining of the Torah by Ariel Wolf and family join here
6:30p Mincha join here
6:45p Kabbalat Shabbat led by Guest Chazzan Gedalia Penner join here
8:16p Candlelighting

Shabbat, June 13 (Day 21 of Sivan):
9:30p Havdalah led by Rabbi Avi Weiss join here

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We wish a Mazal Tov to Pesha Rubinstein on the birth of a granddaughter, to Hindy Rubinstein and Lee Murphy.

Today:

• Shorashim B'Kayitz at 4:00 pm
  via Zoom here: https://zoom.us/j/983873001
  Meeting ID: 983 873 001
• Planning Session for Teen Summer Class from 5 - 5:30 pm! All teens are invited to a planning session for a summer class with Maharat Ruth. The meeting will be on zoom at https://zoom.us/j/427064286 or 301-715-8592, 427064286#.

Join us before and after Shabbat!

• Friday afternoon: 6:45 pm, Kabbalat Shabbat will be led by Gedalia Penner! via Zoom at https://zoom.us/j/3127816941 or via phone at 646-558-8656, 3127816941#
• ​​​​​​​Saturday night: 9:30 pm, Havdalah led by Rabbi Avi Weiss via Zoom at https://zoom.us/j/3127816941 or via phone at 646-558-8656, 3127816941#

Thank you to our virtual learning sponsor from this past week, Cheryle Bryant. If you are interested in sponsoring a day of virtual learning for $54, please email Alejandra at alejandra@ostns.org.

Friday's Virtual Learning is sponsored by Monty Bennett in memory of his grandmother, Frances Bonetti.

Spotlight On.............

Free Produce for Families in Need 
We are working with community groups to acquire fresh produce for shul families and individuals who might not have the means to access it at this time. Please fill out this form by sundown Friday so we can coordinate with the community groups.

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 visit  covidgw.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.

On Tuesday, June 9, Rabbi Herzfeld taught a class on Harry Houdini and the Rambam in memory of Bradley Fields, z”l on the occasion of his shloshim. 
A recording is available here.

In this week's parsha, Behaaloscha, the Jewish people continue their travels in the wilderness. They also continue complaining, and Moshe becomes discouraged about his responsibilities as their leader. In response, God tells Moshe to appoint seventy elders who will assist him in the governance of the Jewish people. Later in Jewish history, the Sanhedrin, also consisting of seventy respected authorities, was the supreme judicial body in the Jewish community. 

The parsha also contains the familiar prayer that was said then, and is said now, when the Holy Ark is moved from place to place. (Bamidbar, 10:35-36). "Advance O God. May Your enemies be scattered and may Your foes flee before you."  (Vayehi Binso'a). We continue to sing the same passage from the Torah when we replace the Torah in the Holy Ark: "Return, O God, You who are Israel's myriads of thousands." (U'venucho, verse 36)  Interestingly, both these passages are enclosed in brackets when the Torah is written on a scroll by a scribe. Why? The rabbis explain that both before and after the passages about the Ark, the Torah contains stories that reflect badly on the Jewish people and their complaining, so the purpose of the brackets is to separate the two unfavorable stories from the passage about the Ark.

The parsha goes on to mention that Moshe had married an Ethiopian woman (isha kushit)) (12:1) and that Miriam and Aharon spoke critically of his action. The rabbis cannot understand, because it is known that Moshe married Tzipora and not a kushite. They explain that just as everyone knows that an Ethiopian woman is beautiful, so they knew that Tzipora was beautiful. (I agree.)

Because she made derogatory statements about Moshe, Miriam was punished with a leprosy-like condition (12:10). The Torah says that Miriam was placed outside the Jewish camp for seven days as punishment. However, the Torah adds says that the Jews did not move their campsite for those seven days while Miriam was interned. The rabbis learn from this that a person always receives his or her due reward. As a young girl, Miriam had stayed and watched the cradle floating on the Nile River, in which the baby Moshe had been placed, because Pharaoh had ordered the death of all male newborns of the children of Israel (Shmos, 2:4) So the Jews waited for her when she was indisposed. 

The haftorah is from Zecharia, one of the twelve prophets (2:14 - 4:7): "These are God's words to Zerubavel: For not by might and not by power but by My spirit, says the Lord God. Who are you in the face of Zerubavel, mountain turned into level ground." (Zerubavel was one of the Jewish leaders in the Second Temple period.)

PIRKE AVOS 
Hillel says: Don't separate yourself from the community; and do not trust yourself until the day of your death. The rabbis explain that since one does not know the day of his or her death, one should never stop taking care about the way one acts. 

A Haftorah Video by Hal Brodsky z"l 

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.

Lifecycles

Support our community and its members by making a donation dedicated in honor of (IHO) or in memory of (IMO) a  loved one.

Sponsor a day of virtual learning for a birthday for $54.
 If you're interested please contact Alejandra at alejandra@ostns.org.

Don't see a birthday listed? Update your lifecycle events and more at ostns.org (login required)

Sponsor a day of virtual learning in memory of/Yahrtzeit for $54. If you're interested please contact Alejandra at alejandra@ostns.org.

Don't see a yahrzeit listed? Update your lifecycle events and more at ostns.org (login required)

Contact Us

Synagogue Office
info@ostns.org
(202) 882-7225
Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld
RabbiShmuel@ostns.org
(202) 812-8900 
Maharat Ruth Balinsky Friedman
MaharatRuth@ostns.org
(202) 882-7225, ext. 107
Monica Wolfe, Executive Director
Monica.Wolfe@ostns.org
(202) 882-7225, etx. 103
Lisa Redisch, Director of Youth & Family Programs
youth@ostns.org
(202) 882-7225, ext. 105
Board of Directors
board@ostns.org
Hospitality & Welcome Committee
BeOurGuest@ostns.org
Mikvah Chaim
mikvahchaim.org
attendant@mikvahchaim.org
Cemetery Information
cemetery@ostns.org
(202) 882-7225