Dear Friends,

 

In light of several requests we have received, members of our Seating Committee will be available to help you reserve your seats for Rosh Hashana and/or Yom Kippur on Monday (Sept 14) and Thursday (Sept 17) from 5:45-7:00 PM, in addition to our regular morning hours (Sunday-Thursday 9:30 AM-12:30 PM).  We will also be available this Motzaei Shabbat (September 12) from 9:15-10:15 PM prior to the first Selichot.  If you haven't as yet reserved your seats, we suggest that you do so at your earliest convenience.

 

As we expect people from throughout Israel to join us for Selichot this Motzaei Shabbat, we strongly suggest that you come early.  

 

Our Mara d'Atra, Rabbi Zalman Druck will give divrei Torah and Chief Chazzan Chaim Adler will officiate, accompanied by The Jerusalem Great Synagogue Choir at the First Selichot this Motzaei Shabbat at 10:30 PM.  The entire community is invited to join us.  If you have your own Selichot booklet, please bring it so that those who do not have their own may avail themselves of those belonging to The Jerusalem Great Synagogue.  Beginning Monday morning, Selichot will take place at 7:25 AM on Monday and Thursday and 7:35 AM on Tuesday and Wednesday.  Selichot for Erev Rosh Hashana are at the Rnanim Synagogue in Heichal Shlomo at10 PM on Thursday evening and 5:20 AM on Friday morning.

 

During the course of next week, in addition to our final newsletter for 5769, we will e-mail you the schedule for the month of Tishre (thru the end of Simchat Torah).  We would love to see you join us for the Yamim Noraim and Sukkot.  But even if you find yourselves in other parts of the world, we are delighted to keep you up to date with what is happening in your Synagogue in Israel –The Jerusalem Great Synagogue.  If you are abroad, perhaps we can entice you to join us here at least for Yom Kippur.  We turn the clocks back to Winter Time prior to that day.  The Fast in Jerusalem ends at 6:05 PM.  We still have seats available if you are able to come.

If you live outside of Jerusalem and want to spend Sukkot here, we are delighted to co-operate with Eddie's Travel who will be celebrating the days of Yom Tov at the nearby Dan Panorama Hotel and joining us for services and special programs.  For further information, please visit their website www.koshertravelers.com, call Shelley at Eddie's Travel (Israel +972 2 992 9801  in the US +646 240 4118 or e-mail them at info@eddiestravel.com.)

Mazal Tov to our Founder Member and Council Member Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin on the publication of his newest volume "Maimonides: Reason Above All."  Dr. Drazin is the author of several books and has received wide acclaim for his ability to clearly convey the wisdom of our Sages to contemporary scholars and laymen alike.  Yasher Koach.

 

Mazal Tov to our congregants and friends Hanania and Naomi Avisar on the birth of their first great-grandson and to the parents, Moshe and Ruthie Weisfish.  Special Mazal Tov to our congregants, the grand uncles and aunts of the newborn, Daniel and Shira Avisar, Esther Avisar and Liat and Moshi Luftig.  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.  

 

We continue to pray for the good health and immediate release of Gilad ben Aviva Schalit.  Please add prayers for refua sheleima for those who were injured in terrorist attacks and in the War in Gaza and for Ratza bat Reesa (Roslyn Lowy), Aryeh ben Sarah Leah (Chazzan Aryeh Goldberg), 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), Chaya bat Chava (Chaya Herstik), 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) and Gitel Rivka bat Chaya Risa. May they all be blessed with a speedy and complete recovery and enjoy good health for many more years.

 

Guest Chazzan Moshe Solomon will officiate this Friday evening (6:40 PM) and Shabbat morning Parshiot Nitzavim-Vayaylech (7:55 AM).  On Shabbat morning we will celebrate the aufruf of Tamir Buchler from Los Angeles.  We wish him and his fiancée Racheli Gohar a long, healthy and happy life together as they build their bayit ne'eman b'Yisrael. 

 

If you are in our area for Shabbat, I hope you join us.  I also look forward to seeing you at Selichot this Saturday evening at 10:30 PM.

 

 Shabbat shalom.

 

Asher Schapiro

 

                                                UPCOMING EVENTS

 

September 12 – Motzaei Shabbat – Members of our Committee will be in the Main Lobby of the Synagogue from 9:15 PM-10:15 PM for Yamim Noraim seat reservations and for those who made reservations via the telephone to pick up their tickets.  At 10:30 PM – First Selichot.  Divrei Chizuk from Rabbi Zalman Druck.  Chief Chazzan Chaim Adler will officiate, accompanied by The Jerusalem Great Synagogue Choir conducted by Elli Jaffe.

September 18 (evening),19,20 - Rosh Hashana. Chief Chazzan Chaim Adler will officiate, accompanied by The Jerusalem Great Synagogue Choir conducted by Elli Jaffe.

September 26 – Parashat Haazinu; Shabbat Shuva – Bar Mitzvah: Aaron Schwartz-Messing.  The Jerusalem Great Synagogue and the Yeshurun Central Synagogue jointly sponsor a Shabbat Shuva Drasha in English given by Rabbi Ari Berman.  The Drasha will take place at the Yeshurun Synagogue following our Shabbat morning service.