Letter From The Chairman of the Board

Dear Friends,

This is the final reminder for those who would like to attend our Gala Yom Haatzmaut Dinner this coming Monday evening to make your reservations this week.  This Dinner follows a most inspiring service in The Jerusalem Great Synagogue led by Chief Chazzan Chaim Adler accompanied by our Choir conducted by Elli Jaffe.  We will also hear words of Torah from Israel's Chief Rabbi - the Rishon L'Zion Rabbi Shlomo Moshe Amar.  The schedule for Monday evening is:  Mincha (6:55 PM); Special tefillot at the conclusion of Yom Hazikaron (7:05 PM); Chief Rabbi Amar's Divrei Torah (7:20 PM);  Festive Maariv service for Yom Haatzmaut (7:35 PM); Gala Yom Haatzmaut Dinner (8:45 PM).  Our special guests at the Dinner are members of the IDF and music is provided by Israel Parnes and his orchestra. The cost per person for the Dinner is 175 NIS ($48).  We are grateful to Nachman Kupietzky who is supervising the menu and directing the catering. We look forward to your participation as we express our joy and thanks to God for our opportunity to be in the Land and State of Israel.

This Shabbat (Parshiot Tazria-Metzora), at the invitation of Chief Chazzan Chaim Adler and our Board, we are delighted to welcome Guest Chazzan Shimon Farkas of Sydney, Australia, who will officiate on Friday evening (6:55 PM) and Shabbat morning (7:55 AM) accompanied by our Choir conducted by Elli Jaffe.  Chazzan Farkas was with us last year and endeared himself to our congregants with his Chazzanut repertoire and emphasis on congregational singing. If you are in our area I hope you will join us for this very special Shabbat.

This Shabbat, we will also be delighted to welcome the Lowy family and their guests, including Rabbi Levi Wolff from Sydney, Australia.  The Lowy family will be culminating a week of remembrance of Mr. Hugo Lowy, z”l, who was beaten to death by Nazi guards at Auschwitz in May 1944, as he sought to retrieve a bag with his tallit and tefillin which was taken from him by the Germans as he arrived at that Death Camp.  A special Memorial ceremony is being held at Birkenau-Auschwitz, in the presence of the Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv, Rabbi Israel Meir Lau to dedicate an original wagon used to transport Jews to Birkenau-Auschwitz.  This wagon was donated by the Lowy family in memory of Hungarian Jews murdered in Auschwitz, including Hugo Lowy.  As the Jerusalem Great Synagogue was dedicated to the memory of our Six Million brethren who perished during the Holocaust, it is most appropriate that the Lowy family has chosen to end this week at our Synagogue.

Our Kiddush this Shabbat is being sponsored by The Jerusalem Great Synagogue and by our congregants, Mr. and Mrs. Tzvi Chaimovits in memory of his parents Moshe and Chana Chaimovits who perished during the Holocaust.

This Friday night, we will again be joined by Lone Soldiers for our Leil Shabbat service and the Shabbat Dinner which will follow. Our special guest will be the Chairman of The Jewish Agency, Natan Sharansky. These Dinners are sponsored by our Synagogue and The Leo V. Berger Fund – Harvey Schwartz, President and Sigmund Kassap, Vice President, our Benefactors. We thank our partners in these Shabbat programs: The Center for Lone Soldiers, Nefesh b'Nefesh, the Yeshurun Central Synagogue and The American Jewish War Veterans Post 180- Jerusalem. We also thank those who support these efforts by their donations, helping to show our appreciation to these young men and women who have become Olim and volunteered to serve in the IDF.  Our cost per soldier is $30.  We welcome your contributions to assist us in covering the expenses for this very special project. If you are a Lone Soldier and would like to attend the next Dinner, please contact Daniel Charter at the Center for Lone Soldiers by this Thursday, April 15, at 054-206-3321.

On Shabbat April 23-24 (Parshiot Acharei-Kedoshim), at the invitation of Maestro Elli Jaffe and our Board, we will be delighted to host the 50+ members of the Guest "Cantors Choir of Modiin, Netanya, Kfar Saba" and their conductor Yankele Rottner.  They will join Chief Chazzan Chaim Adler on Friday evening (7:00 PM) and Shabbat morning (7:55 AM).  In honor of this Shabbat, our Chief Chazzan will chant, in addition to the regular Friday evening Ashkenazic service, a selection from the Zohar recited in the Nusach Sfard service, following "Bameh Madlikin."  If you are in our area, we hope you will join us for that Shabbat.

Mazal Tov to our Patrons and Past President of The Jerusalem Great Synagogue Rabbi David and Anita Fuld on the birth of their grandson, born to Yoel and Chayah Fuld.  May the newborn go to brit, Torah, chupah and maasim tovim and be a constant source of nachat to his family and to all Am Yisrael.

Mazal Tov to our congregant and member of our Welcoming Committee Chava Womark on the Bat Mitzvah of her granddaughter Esther Rosset and to Esther's parents Israel and Keren Rosset.  May Esther continue to be a constant source of nachat and joy to her family and to all Am Yisrael.

We continue to pray for the good health and immediate release of Gilad ben Aviva Schalit and the other members of the IDF still in captivity.  Please add prayers for refua sheleima for those who were injured in terrorist attacks and in the War in Gaza and for Aryeh ben Sarah Leah (Chazzan Aryeh Goldberg), Eliezer Yechiel Michael ben Perel (Chazzan Michael Naor), Amiram ben Reina (Amiram Benshimol), Zahava bat Rachel (Zahava Meczes), Channa bat Chaya Devorah (Anna Schlesinger), Bracha Miriam bat Rachel (Miriam Sheinberg), Chaim Ariel ben Vera Devora (Ariel Sharon), Shoshana bat Miriam (Susan Shapiro),  Amit Yehuda ben Malka (Dr.Amit Schwartz), Shimon Elimelech ben Sima Rivka (Marc Weinberg), Avraham Yeshayahu ben Aviva (Avraham Yeshayahu Feiner),  Shai ben Rachel (Shai Peltz), Miriam Rivkah bat Adina Leah (Miriam Strasberg), Yissachar Dov ben Peshe (Bud Silver), Moshe Avigdor ben Rivkah (Martin Herzog), Penina Rivka Yoela bat Mirel (Penny Bowman), Avichai Avraham ben Sarah Miriam, Gitel Rivka bat Chaya Risa and Chaya Aviva Sarah bat Adel Nechama (Alexandra Morgan Talbot). May they all be blessed with a speedy and complete recovery and enjoy good health for many more years.

We thank those who, over the last several months, have become Supporting Members of The Jerusalem Great Synagogue.  As of this week, names of our Supporting Members are listed on our Website www.jerusalemgreatsynagogue.com.  If you haven't as of yet taken advantage of this opportunity to demonstrate your partnership with us, please do so and allow us to add your name to this growing list of wonderful people.

 
Shabbat shalom, Chodesh tov and Moadim L'Simcha.

Asher Schapiro

 
                 UPCOMING EVENTS

April 16-17  Shabbat Parshiot Tazria-Metzora  Guest Chazzan Shimon Farkas will officiate on Friday evening (6:55 PM) and Shabbat morning (7:55 AM) accompanied by The Jerusalem Great Synagogue Choir conducted by Elli Jaffe

April 16  Friday Evening  Lone Soldiers Shabbat Dinner following Leil Shabbat services

April 19  Monday Evening 6:55 PM  Special service for Yom Hazikaron and Yom Haatzmaut with Chief Chazzan Chaim Adler and The Jerusalem Great Synagogue Choir conducted by Elli Jaffe.  Divrei Torah by the Rishon L'Zion, Israel's Chief Rabbi Shlomo Moshe Amar.  Gala Yom Haatzmaut Dinner follows.  Advance reservations are required for the Dinner.

April 24-25  Shabbat Parashiot Acharei-Kedoshim  Chief Chazzan Chaim Adler will officiate accompanied by the 50 plus voices of Guest "Cantors' Choir of Modiin, Netanya, Kfar Saba" conducted by Yankele Rottner.