Letter From the Chairman of the Board
Dear Friends,
We thank all
who participated in making Shavuot at The Jerusalem Great Synagogue so
memorable. We also apologize to those who had to stand during the Maariv
service or during Rabbi Lau's shiur later that evening. It was
inspiring to see so many people from Israel and from abroad who joined
us in celebration of the Yom Tov. Our thanks to Professor Nahum
Rackover and Moreshet Hamishpat B'Yisrael for arranging the most
interesting shiurim throughout the night, to the presenters, to the
Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv-Yaffo Rabbi Israel Meir Lau for his shiur and
his inspiring Sermon prior to Yizkor, to Chief Chazzan Chaim Adler,
Maestro Elli Jaffe and the Choir for the very meaningful tefillot of the
Chag.
The Jerusalem Great Synagogue in partnership with
The B'nai Brith World Center-Jerusalem present the "Jerusalem Address
2010" on Thursday evening, June 17th at 8:00 PM in our Friedler Banquet
Hall. Our speaker will be the renowned scholar, author and lecturer
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, the Chief Rabbi of the British Commonwealth.
His title is "Torah V'Chachma: Judaism in the World." The program is
being held in cooperation with 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. Please
reserve the date. The entire community is invited to attend.
Our
next Leil Shabbat program for Lone Soldiers will take place on June
4th. 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. We welcome
your contributions to assist us in covering the expenses for this very
special project. If you are a Lone Soldier and want to attend this
Shabbat's Dinner, please register by Thursday, June 3rd by clicking on
the appropriate box at the website www.lonesoldiercenter.com or by contacting Daniel Charter either by
phone at 054-206-3321 or
via e-mail at: daniel@lonesoldiercenter.com
I've written in these newsletters
about our efforts in bringing singles together with the object of
marriage and raising Jewish families. After several meetings with
professionals we have decided to refocus our efforts in, what we hope,
will be a more way. Two Singles events were held at The Jerusalem Great
Synagogue this year with over 800 participants in each. We have
decided to target smaller groups of singles with similar backgrounds and
interests. You will be kept informed in future newsletters about the
events taking place. We are grateful to those organizations that are
partnering with us in this important project: Yeshpa, the Council of
Young Israel Rabbis in Israel and Shalshelet.
We are honored
to welcome Albert and Sahar Rabizadeh, of Kings Point, New York as our
newest Founder Members. We thank them for partnering with us in this
meaningful way and wish them, in continued good health, a long and happy
association with The Jerusalem Great Synagogue.
Mazal Tov to
our Board Member and Executive Vice Chairman of The Conference of
Presidents of Major American Jewish Organization, Malcolm Hoenlein, upon
receiving the Guardian of Zion Award from the Ingeborg Rennert Center
for Jerusalem Studies of Bar Ilan University. Mr. Hoenlein also
delivered the annual Distinguished Rennert Lecture "The Meaning of
Jerusalem in the Twenty-First Century." May you continue your wonderful
work for Am Yisrael in good health and with much success for many more
years.
Congratulations to our Choir Member Yona Schwam on winning
the third place award in an international song contest held in
Bulgaria. May you continue your winning ways with much success and
continue to enhance our tefillot as a member of The Jerusalem Great
Synagogue Choir.
We were deeply saddened to learn of the passing
of Lord Wolfson of Marylebone. He was a great philanthropist and lover
of Israel and of The Jerusalem Great Synagogue. On the day of his
passing, our Vice President Zalli Jaffe wrote words of eulogy and
tribute which are printed at the end of this newsletter. May his family
be comforted among the other mourners of Zion and Jerusalem and
experience no further sorrow for many more years.
We were deeply
saddened to learn of the passing of our congregant Zahava Meczes, who
served as our secretary for almost two years. A year ago, she became a
candidate for a heart transplant and was in the hospital from then until
she received the heart close to a month ago. Unfortunately, she
developed an infection which the doctors were unable to treat and she
passed away a few days prior to Shavuot. Although she was working with
us for a relatively short time, she was greatly admired and respected by
everyone for her kindness, sincerity and concern for all. She will be
greatly missed. Our condolences to her mother and sister. May they 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 Aryeh ben Sarah Leah (Chazzan Aryeh Goldberg),
Amiram ben Reina (Amiram Benshimol), 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, Yisrael ben Chayla, 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 (7:25 PM) and Shabbat
morning Parashat B'haalotcha (7:55 AM). If you are in our area I hope
you will join us for this special Shabbat. Shabbat shalom.
Asher
Schapiro
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Words
of Eulogy and Tribute for Lord Wolfson of Marylebone by Zalli
Jaffe
The passing of certain unique people, is viewed by
historians as representing the end of an era. Such, I am certain, is
the way the passing of Lord Wolfson of Marylebone represents the end of
one of the most distinguished chapters in Modern Jewish history.
Following his illustrious parents, The Late Sir Isaac and Lady Wolfson
z’l, Lord Wolfson was a pillar of Jewish pride. Everywhere one looks
in this country the name “Wolfson” appears. Science and medicine,
universities and cultural centers, The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra,
and numerous religious institutions have all been made possible by the
philanthropy of the Wolfson Family.
The Wolfson Family took great
pride in The Jerusalem Great Synagogue, which became the most known and
prestigious synagogue in the world. If The Late Sir Isaac followed by
Lord Wolfson would not have shared the dream, The Jerusalem Great
Synagogue would very possibly have remained an unfulfilled vision. When
Lord Wolfson would visit The Jerusalem Great Synagogue, he proudly
showed others the seat bearing his name. He was honored and grateful to
be such an important part of the creation of this unique Jewish
institution
So many in Israel owe so much to Lord Wolfson, and
while we write these words, we are still in a state of shock at the news
of his passing.. .
Lord Wolfson passed away on the afternoon of
Shavuot, the time that many Jewish historical figures also left this
world. Among them were King David and The Ba’al Shem Tov. Just as
they left an eternal legacy, so did he. He was proud to be British, and
to be a member of The House of Lords, but above all he was an
uncompromising proud Jew and a staunch supporter of the State of Israel.
We
at The Jerusalem Great Synagogue, with deep sadness, bid farewell to
this great and noble man. We are forever indebted to him for what he
did for us as Jews, as Israelis and as the congregants of The Jerusalem
Great Synagogue.
His generosity, wisdom and achievements will be
source of pride for generations to come.
May his soul be bound in
the bonds of eternal life.