For more information and details on how to sign-up for our limited outdoor in-person services, please visit ostns.org/reopening.
We are saddened to announce the passing of:
Edna Davidson z”l, mother of Ohev staff member, Roanne Pitluk
Hershel Shanks z”l
Goldie Lapiner z"l, sister of Ziona Tanzer
Dessert Kiddush To-Go is sponsored by Maharat Ruth and Yoni Friedman in memory of Ruth's grandparents, Ezra and Eve Perkal z"l. Sunflower cookies will be individually wrapped and are to be taken to-go. Please maintain social distancing when approaching the table.
Tot Shabbat: Join Yoni Friedman and Andrea Wolf this Shabbat, February 6 at 10:30 AM. Masks, social distancing, and registration required; register here.
February 22 and 24 at 12:30 PM - Book of Esther class with Rabbi Herzfeld via Zoom at https://zoom.us/j/427064286
Solar Panels Installation Update: Due to the weather, Ohev's solar panels installation has been postponed to next week. Please be advised the parking lot will be closed all day Wednesday, 2/17. Thank you to our virtual learning sponsors for this past week: Elaine Jacobson, Wendy Lachman and Lowell B. If you are interested in sponsoring a day of virtual learning for $54, please visit https://www.ohevdc.org/form/virtual-learning-sponsor.html
Spotlight on....Purim 2021/5781 - Details at OSTNS.org/Purim
Sunday, February 14 at 12:00PM
MishloachManot
Because of the unique distribution circumstances this year, we will not be using our usual registration system and instead everyone will receive a Mishloach Manot from Ohev Sholom (and not a list of those who sent to them). These packages will be available for in-person pickup as well as home delivery if necessary.
We would greatly appreciate sponsorships to help cover the costs of this community project. If you are able to contribute, please go to https://www.ohevdc.org/form/Mishloach_Manot_2021.html. If you are signed up for our annual giving plan, you are automatically signed up as a sponsor and there is no need to register.
Highlighting Efforts for the Kosher Food Pantry
Kol Hakavod to first grader Katie Schwartz whose Winter Mitzvah Project raised money to help the Yad Yehuda Capital Kosher Pantry! Through her hard work and creativity in making and selling key chains, bookmarks and coasters, Katie raised $350. Put another way, more than 50 children who would have gone hungry will have breakfast tomorrow. Katie presented the money to Yad Yehuda Operations Chief Stephanie Savir this week.
Ohev's February Food Drive: Yad Yehuda has asked Ohev Sholom to collect winter foods for the food pantry, specifically: dried (tube) and boxed (broth) soups, barley, lentils, Near East mixes, and quinoa. We have a bin outside the shul on the Jonquil steps for drop off or you can order online and have the items shipped to the shul for us to deliver. Below are a few direct links to items on Amazon:
Comments on this Week's Parsha, Haftorah, and Special Additional Readings Contributed by Rabbi Ben Mintz
This week's parsha is Mishpatim. It is also the first of four special Shabbosim preceding Pesach. As with each of the four special Shabbosim, an addition to the weekly parsha is included, and there is a special haftorah. This Shabbos is Shabbos Shekalim. It deals with the assessment on the individual Jew for the upkeep of the Sanctuary. The addition to the Torah reading for Shabbos Shekalim is Shmos 30:11-16. This Shabbos is also the second day of Rosh Chodesh Adar. There is an addition to the Torah reading for that, as well.
The parsha opens, saying: These are the laws that you shall "place before them" . The rabbis interpret from these words as requiring that a rabbi/teacher show consideration for his students and not say "this is the law. Accept it." Rather, the rabbi/teacher shall always explain the reasons for a law when teaching it.
The parsha goes on to say that a person shall not "oppress the stranger "...for you were strangers in the land of Egypt." (Shmos 22:20) The rabbis derive from this law a general principle of conduct, "A fault in your own conduct you should not attribute to your neighbor." In other words, the Jewish people should know what it feels like to be "strangers" and therefore should treat other people who are strangers generously,
The parsha goes on to say that one should "distance" oneself "from lying words." (23:7) The rabbis learn from this that a judge who knows that a particular judgment would be false should not say that they will decide in accord with the false result because the witnesses are testifying in favor of that result. Rather, the Torah instructs, the judge in these circumstances shall avoid any false judgment.
On three separate occasions, the Torah states that a person should not "boil a kid in its mother's milk" (23:19).The rabbis explain that repetition thus: The prohibition against mixing meat and milk has three facets: first, meat and milk may not be cooked together; second, they may not be eaten together; and, finally, an individual shall not gain any benefit from the mixing of meat and milk.
The parsha goes on to say that a judge shall not take a bribe ("shochad") ) for deciding a case in a particular way.. The rabbis add that a judge is also prohibited from taking the bribe, while saying they will decide the case justly. The Torah says that the judge must "distance" himself or herself from bribery (23:8).
The haftorah for Shabbos Shekalim is from 2 Kings, 12:1-17. It deals with the required contribution of individual Jews to the upkeep of the Temple in the time of the kings of Israel. As mentioned. this Shabbos is also the second day of Rosh Chodesh Adar, and there is an addition to the haftorah reading because of that.
Haftorah Video, by Hal Brodsky z"l
A video about this week's haftorah can be viewed here: 2 Kings 12: 1-17
Upcoming Events and Weekly Schedule
To view and register for upcoming events and view the weekly schedule, visit our website's online calendar.
Sunday, February 14 (Adar 2) 8:00a Shacharit (in person or via Zoom) 9:00a Daf Yomi with Rabbi Herzfeld 12:00p Exploring Judaism: The Richness of our Tradition with Rabbi Mintz via Zoom 12:00p Yeshivat Chovevei Torah - Winter learning Series Making the desert bloom again: How Israel can survive the climate crisis 5:35p Mincha/Maariv (in person or via Zoom)
Monday, February 15 (Adar 3) Presidents' Day (Office Closed) 7:00a Daf Yomi with Rabbi Herzfeld 8:00a Shacharit (In person or via Zoom) 5:35p Mincha/Marriv (In person or via Zoom)
Tuesday, February 16 (Adar 4) 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) 5:35p Mincha/Maariv (in person or via Zoom) 7:00p Class with Baruch Roth via Zoom 8:15p Class with Rabbi Herzfeld: The Laws of Purim
Wednesday, February 17 (Adar 5) 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 Kings with Maharat Friedman via Zoom 5:35p Mincha/Maariv (in person or via Zoom)
Thursday, February 18 (Adar 6) 7:00a Daf Yomi with Rabbi Herzfeld 8:00a Shacharit (in person or via Zoom) 12:00p Jewish Genealogy Workshop by The Beltway Vaad 4:00p Teen Torah Class on Parashat Hashavua by Rabbi Herzfeld 5:35p Mincha/Maariv (in person or via Zoom)
Erev Shabbat, February 19 (Adar 7) 7:00a Daf Yomi with Rabbi Herzfeld 8:00a Shacharit (in person or via Zoom) 5:25p Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat (Registration required; Mincha available via Zoom) 5:31p Candle Lighting
Alan Leshner Reut Skromne Leon Kass William Jaffe Gabriella Kurtzer-Ellenbogen Jacob Schenker Alisa Schwartz Jonathan Mincer Ma'ayan Zakheim Sophie Schwartz Temima Fruchter Jonah Blumenthal Mayira Tonti Nitzan Alon Perel Henry Sheller
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Members Observing Yahrzeits
Shabbat James Karesh for father William Marshall Karesh Leah Weber for father Morris Malickson
Monday Micah Salb for father Edward Salb
Tuesday Tony Reynolds for friend Herbert Dern
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Donations January 2021
Annual Giving Plan Participants for 2021 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 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 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 Nina & Peter Tarley Daniel & Cheryl Troy Ann Werner Michael & Avril Weisman Ben & Rachel Wildavsky Ariel & Andrea Wolf Reuven & Tamar Zakheim
Cemetery Pamela Kuster
Coronavirus Special Projects Stefan & Wilhelmina Gottschalk Eitan Levisohn & Dina Epstein Victor & Maureen Stone Samuel & Thera Swersky Betty Verjovsky
Day of Virtual Learning Monty Bennett Ellen & David Epstein Yoni & Ruth Friedman Bruce Ray & April Rubin Nina & Peter Tarley
DC Kosher Stefan & Wilhelmina Gottschalk Bruce Jones General Gifts and Donations Jennifer Marshall Breger Stefan & Wilhelmina Gottschalk Shmuel & Rhanni Herzfeld William Levenson Alan Makovsky Paul Margulies & Ilana Waxman Alan & Lynn Roshwalb Philip Ryman Rustin & Julie Silverstein Samuel & Thera Swersky
"In Honor of" Donations made by: Michael & Harriet Epstein, Janice Epstein, best mom Bernard Friedman, in gratitude for the many online education programs this difficult year. Michael & Alexandra Horowitz, in honor of the Rabbi Herzfeld and his amazing efforts over the past year. Roanne Pitluk in honor of the birth of Elly and Bob Kott's grandson Leo Emmett Michael & Avril Weisman, Mazel Tov to Bob and Elley Kott on birth of new grandson Leo Emmitt
"In Memory of" Donations made by: Jack & Diana Binder in memory of my grandmother, Chana Friedman Ralph & Sylvia Block in memory of my uncle, Hyman block and my aunt, Esther Sherman Michael & Harriet Epstein in memory of Leon S. Epstein Peter Federowicz in memory of Sophia Lambert Stanley & Marilyn Goldberg in memory of Louis and Alice Gamerman Michael & Deborah Kopp in memory of my mother, Miryam bat Mikael Donald Krastman in memory of my grandfather שלמה עזריאל בן אלי Solomon Millner Doreen Kreger in memory of my father, Kalman Cohen. Ned Lazarus & Nahanni Rous in memory of Harvey Schwartz z"l Julie (Julius) Levine in memory of my grandfather Jacob Freed Julie (Julius) Levine in memory of my father Joseph Levine and uncle Morris Dash Arleen Meyers in memory of my father, Meyer Levine Benjamin & Harriet Mintz in memory of Rachel Mintz Roanne Pitluk in memory of Ruth's grandmother Pesha Rubinstein Nina & Peter Tarley in memory of my mother
