Letter From the Chairman of the Board
Dear Friends,
We are very proud that the Entrance Hall of The Jerusalem Great Synagogue has been named "The Maurice and Vivienne Wohl Entrance Hall," in memory of the late, beloved President of The Jerusalem Great Synagogue Maurice Wohl z"l and his dear wife Vivienne z"l. Everyone who had the privilege of knowing them understood what very special, caring and dedicated Jews they were. We are the only institution of which Mr. Wohl accepted the Presidency and he and Vivienne enjoyed the respect and love of our entire congregation. We thank the Board of the Maurice Wohl Charitable Foundation for continuing this warm and close association with us. We will notify you of the date of the official ceremony naming this section of our building.
We express our gratitude to the Fundacion Dorset of Luxembourg for their association with and support of The Jerusalem Great Synagogue. They assist many worthy causes to help the Jewish people and the Land of Israel. We are thankful that they recognize the importance of our Synagogue in the panorama of significant Jewish institutions and hope that we merit their continued friendship and support in the future.
Our thanks to all who helped make this year's Yom Haatzmaut celebration at The Jerusalem Great Synagogue so meaningful and inspirational. We are very grateful to Chief Chazzan Chaim Adler, Maestro Elli Jaffe, Musical Arranger Raymond Goldstein, the Members of our Choir, Dinner Chairman Sheldon Abramson, Master of Ceremonies Zalli Jaffe, Rabbi Ari Berman, Israel Parnes and his Band, our Committee members Ella Jaffe, Lenore Schapiro, Connie Abramson and Fredda Finkelstein, Nachman Kupietzky and the staff of Marvad Hakesamim. We were honored by the presence of Members of the IDF and privileged, during our Service, to hear words of Torah from the Rishon L'Zion, Israel's Chief Rabbi Shlomo Moshe Amar. May our prayers be answered and may the State of Israel continue to flourish and finally be blessed with peace.
Last Friday Evening, we were delighted to host close to two hundred Lone Soldiers at our monthly Leil Shabbat Dinner in their honor. We were proud to welcome the Chairman of The Jewish Agency, Natan Sharansky, whose inspiring talk was greatly appreciated by everyone in attendance. Also attending were Harriet and Mark Levin, parents of the late Michael Levin z"l, in whose memory the Center for Lone Soldiers was named. 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 Michael Levin 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, which will be held on Friday evening, May 7th, please contact Daniel Charter at the Michael Levin Center for Lone Soldiers at 054-206-3321.
Please be with us on the Shabbat of May 7-8, Parshiot B'har-B'chukotai, which is the Shabbat immediately prior to Yom Yerushalayim. Joining us that Shabbat is the "Ichud Batei Knesset B'Yisrael" in celebration of the 43rd anniversary of the re-unification of Jerusalem. Further details will be included in next week's newsletter.
Mazal Tov to our congregant Avner Netanyahu, who placed third in the International Bible Contest held in Jerusalem on Yom Haatzmaut. We are very proud of his achievement and wish him continued success in all his studies.
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.
Chief Chazzan Chaim Adler will officiate this Friday evening (7:00 PM) and Shabbat morning, Parshiot Acharei-Kedoshim (7:55 AM), accompanied by the guest "Cantors Choir of Modiin, Netanya and Kfar Saba" with over fifty singers conducted by Yankele Rottner. On Friday evening, in addition to our regular service, Chazzan Adler will chant "Raza D'Shabbat" in the melody made famous by the late Chazzan Pinchik. If you are in our area, I hope you will join us for this special Shabbat.
Asher Schapiro