Shabboom! Weekly Announcements

Energize your week with Ohev Sholom                                      December 3, 2020

Shabbat Times and Announcements

Erev Shabbat,
December 4 (Kislev 18)
3:00p D'var Torah with Rabbi Herzfeld via  Facebook Live
3:50p Laining of the Torah  by Lucas and Milo Lutzky, and Yoni Friedman
join here
4:20p Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat/D'var Torah (in person,  advance registration requiredMincha via Zoom  join here )
4:27p Candlelighting

Shabbat, December
5 (Kislev 19)
Parashat Vayishlach
8:45a Shabbat Morning Services (in person, advance registration required)
10:20a Tot Shabbat, register here 
4:30p Mincha/Maariv (in person, advance registration required)
5:28p Havdalah via Zoom at 5:30p Join here

For more information and details on how to sign-up for our limited outdoor in-person services, please visit ostns.org/reopening.

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Do you love giving and receiving gifts? If yes, then our Chanukah gift exchange program is for you! Please fill out this form in its entirety if you would like to participate. You will be matched with someone to give a gift to, and will also receive a gift from someone else. You can either order a gift online, or prepare something that can be delivered with contact-less pick up. Please keep all gifts within an $18 limit. Sign up deadline is Monday 12/7! Email MaharatRuth@ostns.org if you have any questions.

The Yad Yehuda Clothing Exchange will be open to all members of the community this Sunday, December 6, 10am-12pm. This is your opportunity to shop at no cost for beautiful, modest clothing in our well-equipped showroom. Shoppers must be in good health, not have been in contact with someone who tested positive for Covid, wear masks and maintain social distancing. As we cannot accommodate walk-ins at this time, please schedule an appointment
here. For questions or to schedule an appointment on another day:  ncarmel@yadyehuda.org     

The USDA free Kosher food program for children has resumed, now with distribution once per week! Food items include grocery items and prepared foods. Open to DC residents for all children under age 18.

Ordering is now open at usda.yadyehuda.org. Order deadline is every Monday at 10:00 PM. Meal pickup takes place at Northwood High School, 919 University PM. Blvd West, every Wednesday evening, 6:00-8:00 PM.

The shul has two YouTube accounts which have recordings of past classes, shiurim, and events. They can be accessed here:

• Ohev Sholom Channel
• Rabbi Herzfeld's Channel

Last year we participated in a faith & mental health survey for researchers at Catholic University. They have built a follow-up survey focusing specifically on mental health during the pandemic, and we invite all members to participate (it should take 15 minutes.) In addition to helping support their research, Ohev's participation will also give the shul leadership useful information on the challenges and experiences of our members during the pandemic, which will allow us to serve you better. For the results to be accurate and useful, we need as high a response rate as possible. So we ask all adults to please fill out the survey. The survey is completely anonymous; we do not collect names or email addresses. You can find the survey here. Thank you for your participation!

Words on Parshas Vayishlach and its Haftorah Contributed by Rabbi Ben Mintz

In this week's parsha, Vayishlach, Yaakov is returning from the house of Lavan when he learns that his brother Eisav is coming to meet him. Yaakov is worried because Eisav had been very angry at him for taking their father Yitzchak's blessing. The Torah says that Yaakov was "fearful" and "pained" in anticipation. The rabbis interpret this to mean that Yaakov was "fearful" that he would be killed and pained" that it might be necessary for him to kill others. But the reunion takes place and, at least for the moment, the brothers are reconciled.

While Yaakov was preparing to meet Eisav, he came to a stream. He helped his family to cross it, and then, remaining by himself, he wrestled with an angel. That is, In parshas Vayishlach, we are told that a man wrestled with him ("vayeiaveik ish imo"). The Talmud, on the other hand, in Tractate Chulin, states that the "man" who wrestled with Yaakov referred to himself as an "angel," In any case, he could not overcome Yaakov, and asked him his name. When the reply was "Yaakov," the angel stated that henceforth his name would not be "Yaakov" but rather "Yisroel," a word whose beginning is related to the word "wrestle," and whose final syllable is one of the names for Hashem.  Yaakov had wrestled with Elokim and with mankind, and had prevailed.  The name Yisroel has continued to describe the Jewish people, as in "the children of Israel," whose Promised Land is "the Land of Israel."  

In the parsha, Yaakov continues his journey with his family. While they're on their way, his wife Rachel gives birth to a child . But Rachel has difficulty while giving birth and she dies on the road. Before dying, she calls her new son, "the son of my affliction." However, Yaakov calls him the son of my right hand." And that has continued to be his name: Binyomin (my name).

Rachel is buried by the roadside. That has been memorably recalled by the prophet Yirmiyahu (Jeremiah), who said: " A voice is heard in Rama, the sound of bitter weeping, Rachel crying for her children; she refuses to be consoled because her children are gone." (31:15) The prophet added: "Restrain your voice from weeping, and hold back your tears, for there is hope for the future, and your children will return to their land." This prophetic portion is the haftorah on the second day of Rosh Hashana
 
The haftorah for this week is from the prophet Ovadiah, one of the twelve prophets known as the "Trei Asar," The Twelve. In fact, the haftorah is the entire book of Ovadia – only 21 verses. The prophet speaks of God's animosity toward Edom, the nation that descended from Eisav.

(According to tradition, Rome descended from Edom. Gershon Cohen, the late head of the Jewish Theological Seminary, wrote a famous essay on how the tradition of that connection between Esav, Edom and Rome came to be.) 

The haftorah ends with the verse which appears in our daily prayers: "For the liberators will march up on Mount Zion to pronounce judgment on Mount Esav and dominion shall be the Lord's."    

Haftorah Video, by Hal Brodsky z"l

Upcoming Events and Weekly Schedule

To view and register for upcoming events and view the weekly schedule, visit our website's online calendar. 

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Contact Us

Synagogue Office
info@ostns.org
(202) 882-7225
Alejandra Benitez, Office Manager
Alejandra@osts.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
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