לתמיכה בנו צור קשר אירועים קרובים חווית ביהכ"נ הגדול אודותינו עמוד הבית
 

  Letter from the Chairman of the Board

Dear Friends,

As the Shloshim period of mourning for our beloved Rav Zalman Druck, z"l, will end on Shabbat, the 23rd of Tevet, The Jerusalem Great Synagogue in cooperation with Beit Midrash Be'er Miriam and several other community Synagogues and institutions will host a memorial program on Sunday, January 10th.  The details regarding time and program will be forthcoming within the next several days.   

As we complete the tax year, we turn to our friends for your generous financial assistance prior to the end of this month so that we may continue to serve our local community and the Jewish world internationally. Please send your contributions to:  The Jerusalem Great Synagogue, POB 7924,
Jerusalem 91078, Israel.  For those who wish to make a United States tax deductible contribution, checks above $100 may be written to "The American Friends of The Jerusalem Great Synagogue" and sent to the above address. We appreciate your friendship and support and hope you will continue to partner with us, in good health, for many years to come.

This Saturday evening at
8:00 PM in our Friedler Banquet Hall, we will host Professor Irwin Cotler, whose topic is "Facing the Challenge of Ahmadinejad's Iran – Can the Free World Ensure the Security of Israel and Global Human Rights?"  As I noted last week, this month marks the 61st anniversary of the Genocide Convention and the 61st anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  Professor Cotler is an international human rights lawyer, has served as the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and is currently a Canadian Member of Parliament.  The program is in English and admission is free.  We hope you will be able to join us.  This program and the Motzaei Shabbat Mevorchim Social Evening and Lecture programs are sponsored in cooperation with The Association of Americans and Canadians in Israel (AACI), The Orthodox Union-Israel (OU), Nefesh B'Nefesh, American Israeli Action Coalition (AIAC), Young Israel of Rehavia (Hanassi), Yeshurun Central Synagogue, Council of Young Israel Rabbis in Israel and the Rabbinical Council of America-Israel.     

Professor Daniel Gordis will be the speaker at our next Motzaei Shabbat Mevorchim Social Evening and Lecture, on January 9 at
8:00 PM. His topic is: "Israel's Promise: Zionism, the Bible and the Future of Human Freedom."  Dr.  Gordis is Senior Vice President of the Shalem Center, where he is also a Senior Fellow. His writing has appeared in magazines and newspapers throughout the world. He is a regular columnist for The Jerusalem Post. His latest book, Saving Israel: How the Jewish People Can Win a War That May Never End was published in March 2009. The lecture is in English, admission is free, and you will have the opportunity to purchase Dr. Gordis' books on the evening of the program.

The next Shabbat Dinner for Lone Soldiers following Leil Shabbat services at The Jerusalem Great Synagogue, will take place on Friday evening January 8th.  These programs are sponsored in cooperation with The Center for Lone Soldiers, Nefesh B'Nefesh, Yeshurun Central Synagogue and The American Jewish War Veterans Post 180 Jerusalem.  Although the members of the IDF are our guests, our cost per soldier is $30.  We welcome your contributions to assist us in meeting our expenses for this very special project. If you are a Lone Soldier and would like to attend the Shabbat Dinner on January 8th, please contact Daniel Charter at the Center for Lone Soldiers at 054-206-3321.

There will be a Memorial Program for our Founder Member and long time congregant Rabbi Charles Weinberg, z"l, there will be a Memorial program on Monday evening, December 28, at 6:00 PM in the Yeshurun Central Synagogue.  The speakers will be Rabbi Yosef Carmel (Rosh Kollel Eretz Hemda), Rabbi Professor Avraham Steinberg (Rabbi Weinberg's son-in-law) and Rabbi Yitzchak Steinberg (Rabbi Weinberg's Grandson). The entire community is invited to participate.

This is the final opportunity to make reservations for the upcoming Dinner of the Council of Young Israel Rabbis in
Israel, on Wednesday, December 30th at The Jerusalem Great Synagogue. Dr. Sheldon Abramson, our Board Member and Chairman of our Synagogue's Welcoming Committee, will receive their Community Service Award at the Dinner. To make reservations, please contact Daniel Meyer at mush@youngisraelrabbis.org.il or Susan Taragin at either 02-625-4983 or susan@youngisraelrabbis.org.il

Mazal Tov to our Supporting Member and Congregant Toby Willig on the birth of her great-grandson and to the parents Yehoshua and Chana Chernofsky.  May the newborn go to brit, Torah, chupah and maasim tovim and be a source of constant 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 Reuven Shmuel ben Reitza (Raoul-Sam Lokiec), 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 Binyamin Munk will officiate this Friday evening (
4:30 PM) accompanied by our Choir conducted by Elli Jaffe.  On Shabbat morning, Parashat Vayigash (7:55 AM) guest Chazzanim Shmuel Shitrit and Meir Shitrit will officiate  accompanied by our Choir conducted by Elli Jaffe.  If you are in our area, I hope you join with us.  

Have you become a Supporting Member of The Jerusalem Great Synagogue?  If you haven't, you will find the form on our website www.jerusalemgreatsynagogue.com or you may call Rabbi Finkelstein at 052-389-5190.      

Shabbat shalom.

Asher Schapiro


                UPCOMING EVENTS

December 26 –
8:00 PM - Lecture in English by Professor Irwin Cotler.  
Topic: "Facing the Challenge of Ahmadinejad's
Iran – Can the Free World Ensure the Security of Israel and Global Human Rights?"  Admission Free  

Sunday, December 27 – Fast of the 10th of Tevet. Fast begins at
4:59 AM. Shacharit service in Beit Midrash Be'er Miriam at 7:50 AM.  Mincha at 1:00 PM. Fast concludes at 5:06 PM.

December 28 – 6 PM - Azkara for Rabbi Charles Weinberg z"l at Yeshurun Central Synagogue

January 1-2  -  Shabbat Parashat Vayechi – Guest Chazzan Arik Wolheim will officiate on Friday evening (4:35 PM) and Guest Chazzanim Shmuel Shitrit and Elazar Winograd will officiate on Shabbat morning (7:55 AM) accompanied by our Choir conducted by Elli Jaffe.
 
January 7 – The Jerusalem Great Synagogue Board Meeting (5 PM)

January 8 – Shabbat Parashat Shemot -  Chief Chazzan Chaim Adler will officiate on Friday evening (4:40 PM) accompanied by our Choir conducted by Elli Jaffe. Lone Soldiers Shabbat Dinner in the Friedler Banquet Hall following the service.

January 9 – Shabbat Parashat Shemot - Chief Chazzan Chaim Adler will officiate on Shabbat morning (
7:55 AM) accompanied by our Choir conducted by Elli Jaffe. Bar Mitzvah: Pinchas Belzberg. Kiddush following services sponsored by Professor Arye and Justice Miriam Naor.

January
9 – 8:00 PM - Motzaei Shabbat Social Evening and Lecture Program –  Speaker: Dr. Daniel Gordis.  Topic: "Israel's Promise: Zionism, the Bible and the Future of Human Freedom."  Admission Free.

January 10 – Memorial gathering for Moreinu Harav Zalman Druck, z"l, at The Jerusalem Great Synagogue.  

January
23 – 8:00 PM – Opening Motzaei Shabbat Lecture Program in Hebrew.  Speaker and 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.  

March
13 – 8:30 PM - Motzaei Shabbat Social Evening and Lecture Program –   Speaker: Ambassador Yehuda Avner

 






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