Energize your week with Ohev Sholom October 29, 2020
Shabbat Times and Announcements
Erev Shabbat, October 30 (Cheshvan 12): 4:45p D'var Torah with Rabbi Herzfeld via Facebook Live 5:15p Laining of the Torah by Elana Brown and the Wolf family join here 5:45p Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat/D'var Torah (in person, advance registration required Mincha via Zoom join here) 5:50p Candlelighting
For more information and details on how to sign-up for our limited outdoor in-person services, please visit ostns.org/reopening.
Mazal Tov to Hannah Joffe on her bat mitzvah! Though the family wishes they could celebrate with the entire congregation, they will be celebrating with her immediate family only.
We are saddened to announce the passing of our member, Belle Frishman.
Daylight savings time ends this Sunday, don't forget to turn your clocks back one hour.
Monday, November 2 at 5:30PM Ohev Sholom is participating in the non-partisan Election Eve 16th St Candlelight Vigil for Hope, Justice, & Peace. Please see here for more information, and contact Maharat Friedman if you have any questions.
Thursday, November 5 at 3:00 PM - Talk with George E. Johnson "When One’s Duty and the Right Thing are not the Same: A Vietnam Memoir." For meeting registration click here.
Sunday, November 8 - Hike in Rock Creek Park Please join Charlotte Rest for another family-friendly hike in Rock Creek Park at 9:30am. We'll be wearing masks and practicing social distancing for this 2 1/2 mile hike. Bring your water bottle and mask. We'll meet at Picnic Area #6, detailed directions will follow. Click hereto register.
If you are interested in sponsoring a day of virtual learning for $54, please email Alejandra at alejandra@ostns.org.
Spotlight On...
We believe it is a mitzvah to vote. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3rd! Please see here for information about where and how to vote.
Maharat Friedman's Weekly Podcast
Maharat Friedman's weekly parsha podcast "Life Imitates Torah" is back! Click here to listen, or subscribe on your favorite podcast platform.
Rabbi Herzfeld's Weekly Parsha Video
Rabbi Herzfeld has started a new weekly video on the Parsha. Click hereto view this week's recording on Lech Lecha.
Recordings
On Wednesday evening (10/28), Dr. Aaron Koller spoke to the congregation via Zoom on the topic of "Did Abraham fail in the Akedah? Criticism of Avraham in the Jewish Tradition." A link to the recording can be found here.
Other recordings and videos on the shul's Youtube page can be accessed here.
Comments on the Weekly Portion and Haftorah Contributed by Rabbi Ben Mintz
In this week's parsha, Lech Lecha, God tells Avram (soon to be renamed Avraham) to leave his home and go to the land that "I will show you" (asher arehka). Why does God not tell Avram immediately where he is to go? Rashi explains that God did so in order to show Avram's trust in God, and in order to increase his reward for following God's direction. What is the psychology? If Avram had known that he was going to the Land of Canaan, he would have been enthusiastic about going. Avram's willingness to make the journey without knowing his destination showed that he trusted in God, and increased his reward.
God later tells Avram that his descendants will be slaves for four hundred years, and afterwards will be freed from slavery with "great possessions." God goes on to say that Avram will live to old age and on his death, he will return to his ancestors "beshalom,'' meaning "in peace." The Talmud in the tractate Brachos distinguishes the situation when a person takes his or her leave from a living person, in which case it is appropriate to say, "lech leshalom," which means "go to peace." The distinction is crucial. When a person is deceased, our wish is that he or she will "rest in peace," and therefore we wish them a future "in peace." But when a person is living, and we hope that he will continue his or her life, and that this life will be peaceful, we say "leshalom," go to a life which is "peaceful."
Next Shabbos, we read parshas "Vayera," which includes the story of the Akeda, the climax of Avraham's life. We should note that in the Akeda story, God tells Avraham to sacrifice his son on a mountain, and that God will tell Avraham on which mountain. Rashi compares God's statement there to his statement at the beginning of this week's parsha, which we discussed above.
The haftorah is from the book of Yeshayahu (Isaiah), 40:27-41:16: "Fear not, for I am with you, Be not frightened, for I am your God. I strengthen you and help you. I uphold you with my victorious right hand."
Haftorah Video, by Hal Brodsky z"l
A video about this week's haftorah can be viewed here: Isa. 40:27–41:16
Upcoming Events and Weekly Schedule
To view and register for upcoming events and weekly schedule, visit our website's online calendar.
Announcements & Upcoming EventsSunday, November 1 (Cheshvan 14) 8:00a Shacharit (in person or via Zoom) 9:00a Daf Yomi with Rabbi Herzfeld 11:00a Exploring Judaism: The Richness of our Tradition with Rabbi Mintz via Zoom 4:55p Mincha/Maariv (in person or via Zoom)
Monday, November 2 (Cheshvan 15) 7:00a Daf Yomi with Rabbi Herzfeld 8:00a Shacharit (in person or via Zoom) 12:30p Class with Rabbi Herzfeld on the Parsha via Zoom 4:30p Book of Judges with Maharat Friedman via Zoom 4:55p Mincha/Maariv (in person or via Zoom)
Tuesday, November 3 (Cheshvan 16) All Day Event: US Election Day 7:00a Daf Yomi with Rabbi Herzfeld 8:00a Shacharit (in person or via Zoom) 4:00p Parshah Storytime with Rabbi Herzfeld (recommended ages 4-6) 4:55p Mincha/Maariv (in person or via Zoom) 7:45p Book of Judges Class with Maharat Friedman
Wednesday, November 4 (Cheshvan 17) 7:00a Daf Yomi with Rabbi Herzfeld 8:00a Shacharit (in person or via Zoom) 12:30p Class with Rabbi Herzfeld on the Parsha via Zoom 4:30p Book of Shmuel with Maharat Friedman via Zoom 4:55p Mincha/Maariv (in person or via Zoom)
Thursday, November 5 (Cheshvan 18) 7:00a Daf Yomi with Rabbi Herzfeld 8:00a Shacharit (in person or via Zoom) 4:00p Shorashim via zoom 4:55p Mincha/Maariv (in person or via Zoom)
Erev Shabbat, November 6 (Cheshvan 19) 7:00a Daf Yomi with Rabbi Herzfeld 8:00a Shacharit (in person or via Zoom) 4:40p Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat (Registration required; Mincha available via Zoom) 4:43p Candle Lighting
Shabbat, November 7: Vayera (Cheshvan 20) 8:30a Shacharit (In person, registration required) 3:45p Daf Yomi 4:45p Mincha/Maariv 5:43p Havdalah
Sunday, November 8 (Cheshvan 21) 8:00a Shacharit (in person or via Zoom) 9:00a Daf Yomi with Rabbi Herzfeld 9:30a Family-Friendly hike in Rock Creek Park 11:00a Exploring Judaism: The Richness of our Tradition with Rabbi Mintz via Zoom 4:45p Mincha/Maariv (in person or via 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.
Ann Sultan Shia Herzfeld Talia Loeffler Ora Fruchter Elisheva Appelbaum Samuel Fingerhut Shlomo Perel Daniel Kazhdan Lael Sacho-Tanzer Benjamin Lieberman Eden Segal-Geetter R Monty Bennett
Don't see a birthday listed? Update your lifecycle events and more at ostns.org (login required)
Members Observing Yahrzeits
Shabbat Deborah Karesh for mother Miriam Rein Shulman
Monday Doris Margolis for mother Eva Mendelsohn Rosenberg Doris Margolis for father Samuel Jacob Rosenberg Ellen Epstein for grandmother Claire S. David Wendy Lachman for father Israel Gould
Tuesday Doris Margolis for paternal grandfather Joseph Rosenberg
Don't see a yahrzeit listed? Update your lifecycle events and more at ostns.org (login required)
September 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 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
Cemetery Donation Michael & Harriet Epstein
Coronavirus Special Projects Robert Weissler & Carol Miaskoff
Day of Virtual Learning (Zoom) Michael & Deborah Kopp Janet Lipman Nancy Switkes & Jeffrey Fienberg Julie Weisman Ann Werner Sheldon Kimmel Rachel Maisler Naomi Brodsky Avril Weisman Nina Tarley
General Gifts and Donations Ronald & Anne Abramson Roy Ackerman Martin Auerbach David & Naomi Balto Joseph & Carolyn Bonnett Sarah Fertig Trauben & Steven Trauben Chana Freyesleben Harold & Diana Furchtgott-Roth Ethan & Sue Kanter Roger Kohn Michael & Deborah Kopp Alan & Agnes Leshner Stephanie Mazal Melwood Horticultural Yaakov & Arielle Roth Dov Schwartz & Revital Mashal Schwartz Arnold A Shuster Sara Sussan Daniel & Cheryl Troy Sherri Vishner Glazer & Ilan Glazer Mark and Pamela Weinfeld Bertram Weintraub Matthew Weisberg Murray Zinoman High Holidays-Appeal Robert & Ziva BenEzra Benjamin Berger & Rachel Weiss-Berger Rachel Blitz Daniel Blumenthal & Jennifer Sultan Blumenthal Yonatan Chapman & Eliana Wiener Andrew & Sara Dauber Asher & Smadar Epstein David & Ellen Feinsilber Hodayah Finman Daniel Friedman Harold & Diana Furchtgott-Roth Judith Gerstenblith Jeffrey Glassman Joshua Guzman Shmuel & Rhanni Herzfeld Kenneth Josovitz & Sindy Udell Ethan & Sue Kanter James & Deborah Karesh Leon Kass Binyamin Katz & Hannah Gerstein Michael & Deborah Kopp Michael & Barbara Ledeen Daniel Levenson James & Rachel Loeffler Paul Margulies & Ilana Waxman Matthew & Dafna Sherman Jeffrey & Lea Mendelsohn Christina Muller Jerome Netter & Leora Klapper Larry & Adi Rubin Pesha Rubinstein Suzanne Schwartz Daniel Silverberg & Sarah Gershman Samuel & Thera Swersky Nancy Switkes & Jeffrey Fienberg Nina & Peter Tarley Ann Werner Sholom Yaffa & Julie Ast "In Honor of" Donations by: Daniel Blumenthal & Jennifer Sultan Blumenthal Stuart and Sally Lesser in honor of the anniversary of Nate Lesser and Chani Bloom. Helene Reisler in honor of Maiya Blumenthal Bat Mitzvah, Ella Shapiro Bat Mitzvah, Lilah Levine Brown Bat Mitzvah, and Matan Silverstein Bar Mitzvah Pesha Rubinstein Michael & Avril Weisman, Mazel Tov to Naomi and David Balto on birth of new grandson, Gil. Michael & Avril Weisman, Mazel tov to Rabbi Ben Mintz and Harriet in honor of birth of great grandson
"In Memory of" Donations made by: Jack & Diana Binder in memory of Rose Love Binder Ralph & Sylvia Block in memory of my aunt, Katie Block and my uncle, Max Block Robin Bonifant in memory of my brother, Miles Berlin Dan & Fani Brandenburg in memory of my mother, Rita Brandenburg Jeremy & Debra Brown, tent sponsorship in memory of Marda Brown z"| Debra & Robert Cowen in memory of Bertram Freedman and Leonard Freedman Richard & Barbara Daumit, Goodman Kay Yahrzeit Beth Gansky in memory of Ari Zymelman Sol & Nina Glasner Alan Gordon in memory of my grandfather, Louis Gordon Michael Horowitz & Devra Marcus in memory of my father, Benjamin Cohen. Chester & Linda Katz, Yahrzeit - Janet Torchinsky Sheldon Kimmel in memory of Ida Kimmel Daniel & Sheila Kurtzer Michael & Barbara Ledeen in memory of Julian Louis Ledeen and Martha Ledeen. Debra Mann in memory of my husband, David Mann Dorothy Marder, Yahrzeit - Malka Glick William & Michel Martin, in memory of my father, Norman McQueen and my mother, Mary McQueen. Sidney & Josephine Mickelson, Yahrzeit of Rose Mickelson Noam Neusner Yaakov & Arielle Roth Ronald & Debra Sann Yahrzeit - Robert Sann Ann Sterling Yahrzeit- Lisa Gay Sterling and Annie Rosenblatt Michael & Adele Sumner, annual yahrzeit contribution Samuel & Thera Swersky Susan Wachtel Michael & Avril Weisman in Memory of Anna Yuter on her Yahrtzeit Reuven & Tamar Zakheim
