Erev Shabbat, July 17 (Day 25 of Tammuz): 5:00p D'var Torah with Rabbi Herzfeld via Facebook Live 6:00p Laining of the Torah reading by Yaakov Sussmanjoin here 7:00p Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat/D'var Torah (in person, advance registration required or via Zoom join here) 7:30p Maariv (in person only, advance registration required) 8:13p Candlelighting Shabbat, July 18 (Day 26 of Tammuz): 8:00a - 9:30a Shabbat morning services (in person, advance registration required) 8:15p Mincha/Maariv (in person, advance registration required) 9:13p Havdalah via Zoom at 9:15p Join here
Welcome to our new members
Michaela Wilkes Klein & Zachary Elkaim
Jordan & Samara Hirsch
We are thrilled to have you in our neighborhood and community!
Register for the Annual Meeting The meeting will take place on August 3, 2020 at 8:30 pm via Zoom. (Pre-registration is required). Click here to find instructions for how to register, log-in, participate, and vote (as well as who to contact if you are having problems during the meeting) - please review this document carefully.
Eicha and kinnot for Tisha B'av will be on zoom this year, with details to follow. The text for Eicha can be found here, and the kinnot text can be found here. There are also print copies available in the front office. Please email alejandra@ostns.org if you would like to pick up a printed copy.
We are grateful to the Shepherd Park Citizens Association for loaning us a tent so that we can have shade during outdoor services! OSTNS Limited Reopening As a reminder, we have begun limited in-person services outdoors (advanced sign-up required). For more information and details on how to sign-up, please visit ostns.org/reopening.
Virtual learning sponsorship! If you are interested in sponsoring a day of virtual learning for $54, please email Alejandra at alejandra@ostns.org.
Spotlight On........ Lecture this Sunday
YCT and Partners in Adult Education
Recordings
On Tuesday, July 14, Rabbi Herzfeld gave a class titled: "Jeremiah: The Man and his Prophecies." A recording of the class can be found here. Please join him on Zoom on Tuesday July 21 at 8:15 pm for the second part of the class
Community Resources
IMPORTANT! To understand the impact of the coronavirus crisis for individuals and households in our region, we are partnering with The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, in collaboration with Brandeis University researchers, to conduct the Jewish Community COVID-19 Impact Survey for Greater Washington. Your answers will help us best respond to our community's changing needs. Please take the survey (https://bit.ly/COVIDsurveysyn ), and help spread the word by sharing the link with your local friends and family. (All answers are confidential and no personally identifiable information will be shared with The Jewish Federation or other organizations.)
The Association for Safe International Road Travel (ASIRT) is working on a project to help make our community's roads safer. During the pandemic, many people have been going on more walks, bike rides, and runs throughout the neighborhood and have come in contact with dangerous areas for both pedestrians and drivers (these areas are called black spots). Our project's goal is to survey community members and find the larger and more dangerous blackspots and then work with local governments to fix the blackspots. We have created a survey that can be easily accessed and filled out by anyone in the area in order to gather all of the data on the area, issue, and possible solutions. To take the surveyclick here
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.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, JSSA, and our network of local human service organizations are proud to introduce 703-J-CARING: The Jewish Community Support Line, serving residents of DC, MD, and Northern Virginia. With one call to 703-J-CARING (703-522-7464), you can connect with a professional case manager ready to assist you in finding the resources and support that are right for you. All calls are confidential. For more information visit: https://www.jssa.org/jcaring/
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.
Bikur Cholim of Greater Washington and the Jewish Council for the Aging are partnering to deliver free kosher meals and groceries to people over 60 years of age this summer. If you would like to participate please contact Audrey Siegel asiegel@bikurcholimgw.org. This current program is only for residents of Montgomery County. If you do not live in Montgomery County and would like to participate in a similar program please contact Audrey or Maharat Friedman.
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.
Comments on the Torah portion, haftorah, and Pirkei Avos Contributed by Rabbi Ben Mintz
This Shabbos, we have two parshiyos, Matos and Massei. Massei ends the book of Bamidbar. Chazak, Chazak, V'nischazek. Next Shabbos we begin the last book of the Torah: Dvorim. Dvorim is also known as Mishneh Torah, the repeating of the Torah, because it recapitulates many of the stories from the first four books.
Parshas Matos begins with God instructing Moshe to take revenge on the Midianites for their action in summoning Balaam to curse the Jews. The immediate question is: Why is revenge decreed only against Midian and not against Moab, which also participated in the summoning of Balaam? Two answers are presented. The first and more obvious answer is that Ruth, the heroine of the Book of Ruth and the ancestor of King David, came from Moab and was a credit to the entire nation. Rashi explains further that Moab summoned Balaam because it feared the military might of the Jewish people who threatened them. That might have justified its actions, but in reality, Midian was not threatened, so its hostility to the Jews was gratuitous.
At that time, the Jews traveling from Egypt were on the east side of the Jordan River. They would have to cross the Jordan to conquer the Promised Land. In parshas Massei, the tribes of Reuven and Gad came to Moshe and said that they had large flocks of livestock. They asked that they be given possession of land on the east side of the Jordan, where the sheep could better graze. At the same time, they agreed that they would not settle on that land right away, but would accompany the rest of the Jewish people across the Jordan to join in the battle for the Promised Land. Only when that battle had been won would they return to possess the east side of the Jordan. Relying on that agreement, Moshe did assign to Reuven and Gad (as well as to half of the tribe of Menashe) the land east of the Jordan.
Parshas Massei contains the rules respecting the "arei miklat," the refuge cities. They would serve as places to which individuals could run for safety,when they had committed a murder accidentally and were seeking protection from the "go'el ha'dam," the relative of the deceased who was seeking vengeance. According to the Torah, the individual could stay in the refuge city until the death of the High Priest, at which time, he would return to his homestead. The rabbis ask: What if an individual were to die in the city, before the death of the High Priest. The rabbis answer that his bones would be transported to join the graves of his fathers, which was the equivalent of returning to his homestead.
The haftorah is the second of the series of three preceding Tisha B'Av. It is from the second chapter of the Book of Yermiyahu (Jeremiah): "For my people committed two evil actions -- they left Me, the source of living waters, and for what purpose? To build cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot contain water."
PIRKEI AVOS Chapter One. Hillel says: "If I am not for myself, who will be for me; but if I am only for myself, what am I. And if not now, when."
A Haftorah Video by Hal Brodsky z"l
A video about this week's haftorah can be viewed here: Jer. 2:4-28; 3:4
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.
Minyanim Week of 7/19 NEW - In person option available for: Shacharit (Sunday - Friday @ 8:00 AM) Mincha/Maariv ( Sunday - Thursday @ 6:50 PM) Click here to register to attend in person. Non-Shabbat Services will continue to be available via Zoom. Daf Yomi via Zoom (Monday- Friday @ 7:00 AM)
All minyanim via Zoom at https://zoom.us/j/3127816941 or via phone at 646-558-8656, 3127816941#.
Classes & Shiurim To see a list of our current virtual classes please visit ostns.org/zoom For a step-by-step video guide on how to use zoom Click here
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.
This Week's Birthdays
Aliza Marcus Andrea Wolf Douglas Feith Max Hirsch Abraham Cherrick Barbara Boland Lawrence Rosen Linda Moskowitz Michael Kopp Renana Brooks Caroline Mendelsohn Gabriel Grossman Olimpia Nowicka Sulla Sandra Burt Shaanan Meyerstein Ayah Johnson Charlotte Rest Hadas Binstock Ben Shapiro Jordan Abramson Simon Katkov Simon Reich
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.
Members Observing Yahrzeits This Week
Thursday Charlotte Rest for mother June Rest
Friday Sherri Vishner Glazer for Fritzie Silver
Tuesday Debra Sann for father Jack Zuckerberg Scott Jaffa for grandmother Doris Jaffa
Thursday Jack Reiter for father Abraham Reiter Shmuel Herzfeld for grandfather Judah Reines
Don't see a yahrzeit listed? Update your lifecycle events and more at ostns.org (login required)
June Donations
Annual Giving Plans Ronald & Anne Abramson Anthony & Leone Abroms Yoni & Emily Appelbaum David & Naomi Balto Naomi Brodsky Eric Brown & Aliza Levine Jeffrey & Sandra Burt Belle Davis Kira Epstein Begal & William Begal Ellen & David Epstein Douglas Feith & Pamela Auerbach Sarah & David Feith Sarah Fertig Trauben & Steven Trauben Yoni & Ruth Friedman Harold & Diana Furchtgott-Roth Carl & Laurie Gershman Shmuel & Rhanni Herzfeld Amos Hochstein & Rae Ringel James & Deborah Karesh David & Lucy Kurtzer-Ellenbogen Wendy & Desmond Lachman Steven & Chani Laufer Nathan Lesser & Chani Bloom Steven & Sharon Lieberman James & Rachel Loeffler Joseph & Carol Low Jeffrey & Lea Mendelsohn Shaanan Meyerstein & Rachel Engelhart Michael Morse & Miriam Achtenberg Jerome Netter & Leora Klapper Robert Parker & Mona Charen Matthew & Rebecca Price Baruch & Rachel Roth Yaakov & Arielle Roth Justin & Jessica Rubin Franklin Rubinstein & Nicole Goldstein Thomas & Jill Sacks Joseph & Claudia Saka Joshua Schenker & Julie Rapoport Schenker Susan Schutz Joshua Segal & Jennifer Geetter Starr & William Stixrud Samuel & Thera Swersky Daniel & Cheryl Troy Michael & Avril Weisman Ben & Rachel Wildavsky Ariel & Andrea Wolf Reuven & Tamar Zakheim
Building Projects Andrew Apostolou & Aliza Marcus
Cemetery Donation Amos Hochstein & Rae Ringel John Kossow Baruch & Rachel Roth
Coronavirus Special Projects Rhona Gordon
Day of Virtual Learning (Zoom) David & Naomi Balto Monty Bennett Lowell Brazin Jeffrey & Lea Mendelsohn Franklin Rubinstein & Nicole Goldstein
General Gifts and Donations Roy Ackerman Jonathan Cottrell Amos Hochstein & Rae Ringel Mariyan Kolev Lorne & Chaya Lieberman Melwood Horticultural Shaanan Meyerstein & Rachel Engelhart Bernard Rosenberg Martin Weiss Reuven & Tamar Zakheim
"In Honor of" Donations made by: Harris Cohen in Honor of Lisa Redisch in memory of Phillip Redisch. Edward Karan in honor of Caryl Herzfeld, with wishes that her Judaica artwork continue to inpsire others in their connections to Hashem and Torah. George Kimmel Eitan Levisohn & Dina Epstein Carol Newman in honor of Rabbi Hertzfeld's Torah class Michael & Avril Weisman, Mazel Tov to Pesha Rubinstein on the birth of a granddaughter
"In Memory of" Donations made by: Joseph & Joyce Band in memory of my father, Robert Band Donald Brady & Janet Epstein Brady in memory of my father, Frank David Epstein Stephen & Shoshana Bryen in memory of Ina Rogers Silver, beloved stepmother of Shoshana Bryen Max Chaikin in memory of my mother, Pauline Rosenberg Chaikin Debra & Robert Cowen in memory of my father, Bertram Freedman Richard & Barbara Daumit in memory of Frank David Epstein Larry Garber Stanley & Harriet Garfinkle in memory of my mother, Betty Garfinkle and my father, Daniel Garfinkle Beverly Gendleman in memory of my father, Mack Stoller Stanley & Marilyn Goldberg in memory of my mother, Rose D. Goldberg and William B. Goldberg Evan & Esther Goodman in memory of my father, Leonard Goodman and mother, Barbara Goodman Sheldon Harris Laurence Herman in memory of my uncle, Monte Herman Betty Jordan in memory of Fran Cohen James & Deborah KareshYizkor Chester & Linda Katz in memory of Rose Katz Lewis Kest, Yahrzeit of Sara M. Kest, Aaron Mushinsky and Betty N. Horwitz. Jonathan Kopp & Charlotte Rest Donald Krastman Rita Lehrin memory of my father, Morris Bass William Lennon Pat & Warren Lupson Yahrzeit of Lupson-Holden-Young Phyllis Mindel in memory of my husband, Phillip Mindel David & Tracey Pazornick in memory of my father in law, Albert Moore Roanne Pitluk in Memory of Phillip Martin Redisch Pesha Rubinstein Malvy Solomon Elena Tscherny donation in memory of Alex Robert Weissler & Carol Miaskoff in memory of Leah Miaskoff
