Letter from the Chairman of the Board

Dear Friends,

If you are in the Jerusalem area this Sunday evening at 6:00 PM, we hope you will join with us at the Memorial Evening for the beloved and revered Rabbi Zalman Druck, z"l.  Participating in the program will be the Israel's Chief Rabbi the Rishon L'Zion Rabbi Shlomo Moshe Amar; the Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv-Yaffo Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau; the Chief Rabbi of Haifa Rabbi Shear Yashuv Cohen, Rav Druck's brother Rabbi Avraham Druck and our Chief Chazzan Chaim Adler.  Rav Druck's son Rabbi Yisrael Chaim Druck, will make a siyum of Mishnayot Seder Zeraim.  The entire community is invited to participate in this gathering to honor the memory of Rav Druck, who dedicated his entire Rabbinic career to teaching Torah and serving the community.  This Memorial Evening is being sponsored by The Jerusalem Great Synagogue, Beit Midrash Be'er Miriam, Yeshivat Netzach Yisrael, The Israel Center (OU), the Council of Young Israel Rabbis in Israel and the following Synagogues: Yeshurun, YI of Rechavia (Hanassi), Yad Tamar, Ohel Yosef, Horev, Hazvi Yisrael (Hovevei Zion), Ohel Rivka and Ohel Aharon.  

This Saturday Evening's Social Evening and Lecture Program, which begins at 8:00 PM in our Friedler Banquet Hall, will feature the Senior Vice-President of the Shalem Center and prolific author Dr. Daniel Gordis, whose topic is: "Israel's Promise: Zionism, the Bible and the Future of Human Freedom."  The program is in English and admission is free.  Dr. Gordis' books will be on sale and he will be available after the program to inscribe them. This series is sponsored by The Jerusalem Great Synagogue 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.     

This Friday evening, we expect close to 200 Lone Soldiers who will be joining us for Leil Shabbat services and a delicious Shabbat Dinner catered in our Friedler Hall by Marvad Hakesamim. During the evening, we will be celebrating Sheva Brachot for one of the IDF alumni, who now volunteers at the Center for Lone Soldiers.  We congratulate Joshua and Meira Flaster who were married this week and wish them a long, healthy and happy life together as they build their bayit ne'eman b'Yisrael. We thank our partners in these Shabbat programs: The Center for Lone Soldiers, Nefesh b'Nefesh and the Yeshurun Central Synagogue. We 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. Special thanks to The Leo V. Berger Fund, benefactors of The Jerusalem Great Synagogue's Lone Soldier Program. Although the members of the IDF are our guests, 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 this Shabbat's Dinner, please contact Daniel Charter at the Center for Lone Soldiers at 054-206-3321.
 
Mazal Tov to our Supporting Member and congregant Chazzan Binyamin Glickman on his recent "birthday concert" in celebration of his 75th birthday and his 55 years as a Choir conductor.  With over 100 choristers, an orchestra and a several guest Cantors, all those attending had the opportunity to see and hear why Chazzan Glickman was so successful for over half a century thus far in helping people connect to the music of our heritage.  We wish him and his wife Shifra many more years of good health and happiness and ever-present nachat from their entire family.

Mazal Tov to our Supporting Member and congregant Professor Arye Naor on the celebration of his 70th birthday.  In honor of this occasion, Professor Naor and his wife, Justice Miriam Naor, are sponsoring the Kiddush following services this Shabbat morning.  We wish the Naors many more years of good health, happiness and ever-present nachat from their entire family.

Condolences to our congregant Rachel Yannai on the recent passing of her beloved mother Sarah Farber.  May Mrs. Yannai and her family be comforted among the other mourners of Zion and Jerusalem and experience no further sorrow for many more years.

Condolences to Bracha Zabaly, wife of our Choir Member Eliyahu Zabaly on the passing of her mother. May Mrs. Zabaly and her family be comforted among the other mourners of Zion and Jerusalem and experience no further sorrow for many more years.
 
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 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.

Mazal Tov to our Chattan Bar Mitzvah Pinchas Shaul Emanuel Belzberg, his parents Marc and Chantel Belzberg and their relatives and friends who will be joining us this Shabbat in celebration of this Simcha.  We wish the Bar Mitzvah good health and success in everything he does and we are certain that he will continue to be a constant source of pride to his entire family and to all Am Yisrael.

Chief Chazzan Chaim Adler will officiate this Friday evening (4:40 PM) and Shabbat morning, Parashat Shemot and Shabbat Mevorchim (7:55 AM) accompanied by our Choir conducted by Elli Jaffe.  We look forward to seeing you if you are in our area.

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

Shabbat shalom.

Asher Schapiro

                

                 UPCOMING EVENTS

January 8 – Leil Shabbat - 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." Program is in English.  Admission is free.

January 10 – 6 PM - Memorial gathering for Moreinu Harav Zalman Druck, z"l, at The Jerusalem Great Synagogue.  Participants include: Israel's Chief Rabbi, the Rishon l'Zion, Rabbi Shlomo Moshe Amar; the Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv-Yaffo Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau; the Chief Rabbi of Haifa Rabbi Shear Yashuv Cohen, Rabbi Avraham Druck and our Chief Chazzan Chaim Adler. Siyum of Mishnayot Seder Zeraim will be made by Rabbi Yisrael Druck.  

January 15-16 – Shabbat Parashat Vaera and Shabbat Rosh Chodesh -  Chief Chazzan Chaim Adler will officiate on Friday evening (4:45 PM) and Shabbat morning (7:55 AM) accompanied by our Choir conducted by Elli Jaffe.

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

January 27 – 6:30 PM – Program for religiously observant Singles - ages 20-40.  For further information call Daniel at 054-281-4625.  The evening's program will be printed here in the coming weeks.  

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:  "Are We on Course?  A View From the Inside."

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