Visit our Website: www.jerusalemgreatsynagogue.com

Letter from the Chairman of the Board

Dear Friends,

It is certainly no exaggeration to say that this year's Motzaei Shabbat Social Evening and Lecture Series is very special.  Having gotten off to a magnificent start with Caroline Glick as our speaker, we are eagerly anticipating our next program which is taking place at 8:00 PM on Saturday evening November 28th.  It will feature a dialogue between our Mayor, the Hon. Nir Barkat and David Horovitz, the Editor-in-Chief of The Jerusalem Post.  I have already invited you to submit topics of a general nature which you would like discussed. Such requests may be submitted to our e-mail address: jgs@zahav.net.il. There will be a large screen set up on the entrance floor of our building so that as the Friedler Hall is filled to capacity, others will be able to both see and hear the program. The entire community is invited.       

The future programs in this year's series are as follows:  On January 9th, our speaker will be Dr. Daniel Gordis.  Dr. Gordis is Senior Vice-President of the Shalem Center where he is also a Senior Fellow. He is the author of seven books to date with others soon to be published.  His articles have appeared in leading newspapers and magazines throughout the world.

On February 13th, Israel's Minister of Intelligence and Atomic Energy, the Hon. Dan Meridor will be our speaker.  Mr. Meridor, a lawyer by profession, has served as Government Minister, Knesset Member and advisor to Prime Ministers since 1982.  He has been a Knesset observer to the Council of Europe and has published articles in academic journals.

Our speaker for the final program in this year's series, on Saturday evening March 13th, will be our Council Member and world renowned statesman, author and lecturer, Ambassador Yehuda Avner.  His newest book is being published during that month and we hope to have copies available for him to sign as you purchase them that evening.

These programs are in English and there is no charge for admission.  We are very grateful to those organizations that are cooperating with us in sponsoring this series: The Association of Americans and Canadians in Israel (AACI); The Orthodox Union-Israel (0U); Nefesh B'Nefesh; Young Israel of Rehavia (Hanassi); Yeshurun Central Synagogue, American Israeli Action Coalition, (AIAC), Council of Young Israel Rabbis in Israel and Rabbinical Council of America.-Israel.  

As I noted last week, on Friday evening November 13 (Shabbat Parashat Chayay Sarah), under the Chairmanship of our Council Member Tobias Berman, we and the Yeshurun Central Synagogue are hosting, in our catering hall, a Shabbat Dinner for lone soldiers who are based in the Jerusalem area.  This will be the first of several such Shabbat Dinners during the course of the year for lone soldiers. We thank the Center for Lone Soldiers and Nefesh B'Nefesh, who are greatly assisting in organizing the evening. We are grateful to our President and his wife, Dr. Felix and Dr. Miriam Glaubach, who have underwritten the costs for this first Dinner.  If you would like to contribute towards the costs of future such events, please e-mail us for further information at jgs@zahav.net.il  If you are a lone soldier and would like to participate, please contact Ellie Solimani of Nefesh B'Nefesh (ellie@nbn.org.il) or Daniel Charter of the Center for Lone Soldiers at 054-206-3321.   

Thanks to the several people who responded to our call for a large Chazzan's Machzor for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.  We are receiving two sets, one from Jerusalem and one from The United States.  We will acknowledge these gifts, in our newsletter,  within the next few weeks.

Mazal Tov to our Supporting Members and congregants Bert and Shirley Abell on the birth and naming of their great-granddaughter, Avigail Kramer, born to their grandchildren Yedidyah and Mimi Kramer.  May Avigail go to Torah, chupah l'ben Torah and maasim tovim and be a constant source of nachat to her family and to all Am Yisrael.

I call your attention to the opportunity you have to memorialize a loved one with a plaque on the Memorial Tablets in our Main Synagogue.  The cost is $3,000 per plaque, which is lit each year for the entire month in which the Yahrzeit is observed.  As I often tell people making inquiries about this possibility: When one puts up a plaque in a Synagogue in the Diaspora, in half a century from now the neighborhood may change and the Synagogue may either close or move to a different area.  B'ezrat Hashem, The Jerusalem Great Synagogue will always be in a Jewish neighborhood, will always remain a Synagogue and will always house these Memorial Tablets.  For further information about this opportunity, please contact our Director General, Rabbi Finkelstein at jgs@zahav.net.il or by phone (052-389-5190).

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), Penina Rivka Yoela bat Mirel (Penny Bowman), Avichai Avraham ben Sarah Miriam,  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 Goldberg will officiate this Friday evening (4:40 PM) and on Shabbat morning, Parashat Lech L'cha (7:55 AM).  We welcome our guest baal keriah for this Shabbat, Mr. Joey Joseph from London.  If you are in our area, I hope you will join us.  

Shabbat shalom.

Asher Schapiro

                UPCOMING EVENTS

November 6-7  Shabbat Parashat Vayayra -  The Jerusalem Cantors Choir conducted by Binyamin Glickman will officiate on Friday evening (4:35 PM) with soloists: Moshe Adurian, Yossi Birenbaum and Ronny Ofir.  On Shabbat morning (7:55 AM) Chief Chazzan Chaim Adler will officiate accompanied by the Jerusalem Cantors Choir conducted by Binyamin Glickman and featuring the young soloist Oded Israeli.     

November 13-14  Shabbat Parashat Chayay Sarah and Shabbat Mevorchim – Chief Chazzan Chaim Adler will officiate on Friday evening (4:30 PM) and Shabbat morning (7:55 AM) accompanied by The Jerusalem Great Synagogue Choir conducted by Elli Jaffe.

November 13 – Erev Shabbat evening – The first of a series of Shabbat Dinners for lone soldiers stationed in the Jerusalem area.   

November 16 – Monday – 1:00 PM – In Beit Midrash Be'er Miriam.  Tefilat Mincha and Tifilot for Yom Kippur Katan.  Guest Chazzan David Weinberg will officiate.

November 28 – 8:00 PM – Motzaei Shabbat Social Evening and Lecture Program – Dialogue between Jerusalem Mayor, the Hon. Nir Barkat and David Horovitz, Editor-in-Chief of The Jerusalem Post.

January 9 – 8:00 PM - Motzaei Shabbat Social Evening and Lecture Program –  Speaker: Dr. Daniel Gordis.  Topic to be announced.

February 13 -  8:15 PM - Motzaei Shabbat Social Evening and Lecture Program –  Speaker: Israel's Minister of Intelligence and Atomic Energy The Hon. Dan Meridor.  Topic to be announced.

March 13 – 8:30 PM - Motzaei Shabbat Social Evening and Lecture Program –  Speaker: Ambassador Yehuda Avner.  Topic to be announced.