Shabbat Announcements, February 28, 2009

Parshat Terumah

Torah Artscroll, 444 Hertz, 325 Haftorah Artscroll, 1157 Hertz, 336 Times Candle lighting

5:26 pm

Mincha

5:30 pm

Hashkama Minyan

8:00 am

Parsha Shiur

8:30 am

Youth

8:30 am

Main Minyan

9:00 am

Beit Midrash

9:15 am

Gemorah Shiur

4:20 pm

Mincha

5:20 pm

Shabbat Ends

6:35 pm

Sunday, March 1,

7:30 am 8:30 am

Mon., Thurs.,

6:35 am

Tues., & Wed., Fri.,

6:45 am

Second Shacharit Minyan (Daily)

7:45 am

February 28, 2009 4 Adar, 5769

Rabbi Frand on the Parsha The parsha contains one of the more unique artifacts used in the Mishkan -– the Cherubim [Cherubs], which were placed on top of the Aron which housed the Luchos. The Torah states: "It is there that I shall arrange audience with you, and I shall speak with you from atop the lid, from between the two Cherubim that are on the Ark of the Testimony, and it is all that I shall command you pertaining to the Children of Israel [Shmos 25:22]. We do not have an exact picture of what the Cherubim looked like, but we are taught that their faces were child-like. Imagine the scene: The holiest city in the world (Jerusalem), the holiest place in the city (the Temple Mount), the Holy of Holies within the Temple complex –- this was the holiest spot on the face of the planet. The Master of the Universe speaks to Moshe from above the Aron and His Voice comes out from between the two Cherubim! The Heavenly Voice comes out from between the faces of babes.

Mincha (week of March 1)

5:35 pm

What is the symbolism? What is the message?

Late Ma’ariv Mon., - Thurs.,

8:15 pm

Rav Shmuel Rozovsky, zt"l, one of the Roshei Yeshivas

Latest times for Shema/Shmoneh Esrei February 28

9:18/10:14 am

March 7

9:12/10:10 am

Next Shabbat - Tetzaveh-Zachor Candle lighting

5:34 pm

Mincha

5:35 pm

maintain child-like innocence. But it should not be a challenge that when a kid is 10 years old, he is no longer a child. It is unfortunately more and more the case that our children have picked up from us and from our society, even when they are 10 and 12 and 15, a cynicism that does not allow them to be considered "child-like" anymore. They are no longer the innocent Cherubim and as such, the Torah they are supposed to learn becomes exceedingly difficult for them to This is a challenge because the accept. older we become, the less childlike we are. This is a Jewish We have to try to ensure that our quality that the prophet refers children should at least not to: "For Israel is a young lad and become cynics, at least while they I love him" [Hoshea 11:1]. The are still children. The only way we Almighty testifies that He can try to ensure that is if there constantly loves Klal Yisrael are incidents in life that tend to because Klal Yisrael is still like make us jaded and more cynical, a child. We have not become we not bequeath that attitude to jaded and we have not become our children. There is plenty of turned-off. We are still willing to time, unfortunately, for them to accept, like a child. become cynical on their own. We do not need to help to make them This is mussar [chastisement] to cynics. all of us. The older we become, the more cyni cal we become. The Difference Between The Cynicism is at the opposite end Gentile and Jewish View of The of the spectrum from the idea of Cherubim "Israel is a young lad and I love The Talmud quotes in the name of him." The pasuk [verse] in Rav Katina that when the Jews Hoshea advises us to maintain came up for the pilgrimage our innocence and maintain our festivals, the priests would pull purity. It is a challenge for us all. back the curtain in the Beis But what should NOT be a HaMikdash and show them that challenge for us is that at least the Cherubim (one of which had our CHILDREN should still be masculine features and one of "child-like". It may be difficult at which had feminine features) were age 40, at age 50, at age 60 to embracing one another. The from Ponnevitz writes that Torah can be taught from the best Rebbe in existence (the Almighty), to the best disciple in the world (Moshe Rabbeinu), under the best of conditions (in the Holy of Holies), but the receiver has to be child-like. In order to learn Torah, we need to maintain the child-like enthusiasm and child-like innocence that will allow us to accept Torah and integrate it into our personalities.

Kiddush and Bima Flowers Are sponsored by the children and grandchildren of

Seudah Shlishit is sponsored by

Morris Seidman

in memory of her father

in honor of his birthday

Donna & Joseph Hecht David Gad, z”l

26 Old Mill Road, Great Neck, NY 11023 (516) 487-6100

priests would say: "See how beloved you are before the Almighty, like the love of a male and female." [Yoma 54a] The Gemara continues [Yoma. 54b], Reish Lakish stated that when the Gentiles invaded and entered the Holy of Holies, they saw the Cherubim embracing like man and wife and they brought them out to the street and mocked. "These Jews whose blessing is a blessing and whose curse is a curse, look at what they occupy themselves with in their Holy of Holies." They debased Klal Yisrael and ridiculed them for this perceived impropriety. This, Chazal interpret, is the meaning of the pasuk: "All who once respected her, disparage her, for they have seen her disgrace (ervasah, literally 'her nakedness')" [Eicha 1:8]. [The Rishonim in tractate Yoma ask a very interesting question: The Cherubim were not always embracing. They were only embracing when the Jews "did the Will of the Almighty". Their embrace mirrored how G-d felt toward His people. When He loved them, they embraced; when G-d was angry with His people, they were separate. The Rishonim ask that when the Gentiles came into the Beis HaMikdash to destroy it, the last thing we would expect to find was the Cherubim embracing. They should have not even have been looking at one another! Why were they apparently mirroring G-d's Love for us at that moment?

Shabbat Announcements, Terumah 5769

imagery in the Holy of Holies." But to Klal Yisrael, the embrace between a husband and wife does not have to be impure and profane. It can be the holiest of acts. The mitzvah of onah (having conjugal relations with one's wife) of a Torah scholar is specifically on the night of the Sabbath, the holiest day of the week. If one would ask an untutored mind "On the holiest day of the week in what activities should a Talmid Chochom engage?" the secular or non-Jewish perspective would be that marital relations would be the last thing one should do on such a day. This is the difference between Jews and the nations of the world who destroyed our Beis HaMikdash. To us, the embrace of the Cherubim represented exactly what the Holy of Holies is all about -– holy intimacy. This is what Kedusha [holiness] is all about: There is no aspect of human existence that can't be elevated a nd can't be made holy. This is symbolic of everything else in life. Rabbi Akiva states: "All Biblical writings are holy, but the Songs of Songs (portraying the love of a male for a female) is holy of holies." [Yalkut Shimoni] The unlettered person reads Shir HaShirim with a snicker. The sensual descriptions seem far from holy writings. Rabbi Akiva states that not only is it holy, it is holy of holies. It symbolizes our relationship with the Almighty. Holiness or lack of it is all in the eyes of the beholder.

The Rishonim answer -- at that point the destruction (Churban) had happened already. G-d's Wrath was already spent. The Temple had already been destroyed. "Now let's make up." Thus, even while the walls were still burning, the Cherubim were embracing again. They were back in love.] Why, in fact, do we have in our Holy of Holies the image of a husband and a wife engaging in an embrace? This is something that the Gentiles could not understand. They mocked it. They used it to make us a laughing-stock.

GREEN TIP OF THE WEEK

How do WE understand this? The interpretation is that the Cherubim are like the famous Rorschach inkblot test. Psychologists and psychiatrists take blotches of ink that come out in random form and ask patients to tell them what they see. What a person "sees" says everything about what he is, where his thoughts are, where his values are, where his mind is.

Home energy tax credits are available for solar energy, energy efficiency home improvements, hybrid cars, and more. There are several important provisions anyone can take advantage of:

The Cherubim were Rorschach tests. They were a man and a woman embracing in a loving and adoring fashion. What is that? Is that pure or impure? Is it holy or profane? The answer is -– it is all in the eyes of the beholder. A Gentile looks at that and has impure thoughts. There is only one thing that happens when a man and a woman are in such an embrace and it is very far from being holy. Therefore, to the Gentiles it was the biggest demonstration of an incongruity. "How incongruous!" they mocked, "to have such Great Neck Synagogue Shabbat Activities Program

Dale Polakoff, Rabbi Shalom Axelrod, Assistant Rabbi Brahm Weinberg, Rabbinic Intern Dr. Ephraim Wolf ,z”l, Rabbi Emeritus Zeev Kron, Cantor Eleazer Schulman, z”l, Cantor Emeritus Mark Twersky, Executive Director Howard Silberstein, President Harold Domnitch, Chairman of the Board

Home Energy Tax Credits

$500 Home Tax Credits For Energy Efficiency-- You can claim a home tax credit for energy efficiency improvements made in 2009 (but not for improvements made in 2008) if you installed new insulation, energy-efficient windows or an energyefficient furnace, boiler or air conditioner. Your overall tax credit is capped at $500 and applies to equipment, not labor. Also note these important limits, which cap the amount of home tax credits you can claim for any particular project: * Windows: $200 * Exterior doors, roofing or insulation: $500 * Most heating, ventilation and air-conditioning improvements: $300 * Furnaces or hot water heaters: $150 $2,000 Home Energy Tax Credits for Solar Power- The bill extends for another eight years a tax credit that covers 30% of the cost of new photovoltaic solar power systems on homes. $7,500 Energy Tax Credits for Plug-in Hybrid Cars

PURIM SCHEDULE

TAANIT ESTHER Monday, March 9, 2009 Fast begins at 5:55 am and ends at 7:28 pm It is proper to wait until after Megilah reading before breaking the fast Shacharit 6:20 am/ 7:45 am (with selichot) Earliest time for Tallis/Tefillin is 6:20 am Mincha at 6:25 pm

PURIM EVENING Monday night, March 9, 2009 Please note that there will be three concurrent Megilah readings 1) Maariv & Megilah at 7:25 pm in Main Shul we will be using a microphone in the Main Shul this year 2) Maariv & Megilah at 7:25 pm in Beit Midrash 3) Maariv & Megilah at 7:25 pm in Mender Auditorium (Gym) 2nd Megilah at 8:30 pm in Mender Auditorium Youth Purim program at 8:30 pm in Youth Center Purim Extravaganza at 9:30 pm in Main Ballroom Purim Tisch 11:00 pm

PURIM DAY Tuesday, March 10, 2009 1st shacharit at 6:05 am in Main Shul earliest time for talis and tefillin is 6:18 am 2nd shacharit at 7:45 am in Main Shul Megilah reading approximately 25 minutes after start of minyan Women’s Tefilah Megilah reading 8:30 am sharp in Beit Midrash Early Mincha 1:35 pm Regular Mincha 6:45 pm

ANNOUNCEMENTS RABBI REISMAN SATURDAY NIGHT TELECAST In the Weinstein Torah & Technology Center Sat., 8pm www.gnstorah.org GNS PARSHA DISCUSSION GROUP GNS has created a google group where members can post their questions about the parsha and participate in a discussion with the Rabbis and other members about the weekly Torah reading. In order to join the group, send an email to [email protected]. SAVE THE DATE The Sisterhood is proud to present a “Shabbat Kitchen” lecture by Ruchie Axelrod, Tues. Feb. 24th at 8pm, at the home of Jessica Shusterman, 14 Essex Road. Thank you to Lisa Stein for organizing this event. Mark your calendars! PURIM GIFT CARDS Gift Cards for Purim are being sold through the Synagogue office, $5.00 per card. Call 487-6100 to place your order. DOS YIDDUSH VORT MEETING Dos Yiddush Vort celebrates Purim with the story of “A Fahrblondgete Shalach Manot”. Wed., March 4th at 1:30pm in the Chalfin Room. Enjoy a schmaychel, a glayzele tay, and some hamentaschen. All welcome! For more info call Roz Wagner 487-9795. SHOP DELIGHT DISCOUNT CARDS The Sisterhood of GNS is selling VIP Shop Delight Cards for $10. The VIP cards give you 5% off all purchases at Shop Delight, and do not have an expiration date. Contact Diane Rein at [email protected] THANK YOU VERY MUCH The Sisterhood of GNS would like to thank Farla Frumkin, Cindy Ludwig, and Sara Feldschreiber for organizing an amazing Couples Night Out at Cue Bar. It was hugely successful and everyone had a wonderful time enjoying the delicious food, music, and pool games!

WITHIN OUR FAMILY Mazal Tov to Bonnie & Elliot Diamond on the birth of their grandson, born to their children Melissa & Ethan Feinberg. Mazal Tov to Judy & Abe Soleimani on the upcoming marriage of their daughter Elana to David Aminoff. PARLOR MEETING Join us for a Pre-Purim Brunch on March 8th, 10 am, at the home of Harriet & David Schimel. Meet a modern-day Esther,” Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, founder of Israel Law Center (Shurat HaDin), which fights (and often wins) against terrorist organizations in the courts. Contact: Robert Spitalnick 466-2252 or David Schimel 487-2189. SAVE THE DATE Drora & Paul Brody have been selected as the Eretz Yisrael Awardees at the 7th Annual Journal Dinner of Manhigut Yehudit (New Jewish Leadership) to be held on Sushan Purim, Wed. March 11th, at the Sands of Atlantic Beach. For more info please call 516-295-3222. SAVE THE DATE The NSHA Annual Scholarship Dinner, celebrating its 54th year, is on Sun. March 22nd at 5pm at the Woodbury Jewish Center honoring “our children.” To RSVP and contribute to the schools’ scholarship fund please call Mr. Arnie Flatow, Executive Director at 487-8687 ext 133. DOCUMENTARY Devorah Wang Etzion has produced a documentary film on the life of her father, Samuel H. Wang, z”l a jewish activist, philanthropist, and successful businessman, that will be shown on Sunday, March 22nd, 11am light brunch the screening to follow at 12pm at the North Shore Towers Cinema. RSVP by March 11th to Devorah at 516-721-2851. FYI North Shore Towers will be showing the Holocaust movie “Defiance.”

UPCOMING MEN’S CLUB EVENTS GIVE OLD MAGAZINES A NEW LIFE March 17– Talk by Dr. Stu Greenstein (Professor of Surgery, Albert Please drop off your current used magazines to the Synagogue office to be Einstein College of Medicine) on the “Medical and Halachic side of donated to NSUH. Kidney Transplants” with donors and recipients in attendance. March 22– The annual Rabbi Dialogue, held at Temple Israel. The Loewenstein and the Adamsky families would like to thank the March 26- Avi Hoffman, actor-writer-comedian celebrates Jewish community for their thoughts and prayers during their difficult time. culture in “A Mensch and his Musical” Tickets $36 in advance, email [email protected] to reserve, or call 487-6100, checks made out to GNS Men’s Club. Saturday, 4 Adar May 6– Talk by Michael Tuchfeld, Commentator and correspondent Donna Hecht for David Gad Israel TV2 News—The Knesset Channel 99, co-sponsored by JPEF, Burton Mandelbaum for Pauline Mandelbaum publisher of the Jewish Political Chronicle. Milton Mitzner for Anne Shapiro HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR COOKBOOK FOR SALE Sunday, 5 Adar The Sisterhood Gift Shop is now selling the Holocaust Survivor Rose Baim for Nathan Diamond Cookbook for $30. It includes 250 kosher family recipes, and 129 Brenda Parver for Ida Altman amazing and miraculous stories of courage, survival, and hope. Ruth Wachtenheim for William Wachtenheim Shellie Zuckerman for Aaron Feinerman AM HASEFER Monday, 6 Adar Sally & Seymour Olshin Adult Ed Program is pleased to present a Melvin Breite for Stanley Breite discussion of the second volume of David Birnbaum’s Summa Hannah Kleinberg for Kenneth Kleinberg Metaphysica series, “Summa Metaphysica II: God and Good” at the Ina Lax for Ethel Schoenfeld Fischer home, 65 Bayview Ave. on Sat., March 21st at 9pm. Shirley Spiegelman for Israel Shankman AMIT NEEDS DELIVERY PEOPLE Shirley Spiegelman for Sadie Finklelstein This year’s AMIT Mishloach Manot project has been a wonderful Phyllis Weinberg for Sadye Herschkowitz success. Be a part of a community wide tzedakah project and help Gerda Weissfeld for max Weissfeld deliver baskets on Purim, March 10th. Please contact Sara Shapiro Tuesday, 7 Adar at 829-4390 or [email protected] if you would like to help. Gilbert Aronowitz for Fannie Aronowitz Ian Gavronsky for Jack Gavronsky GMACH Ruth Klapper for Aryeh Menachem Due to space limitations, we are now only accepting donations of Sam Movsas for Yehuda Leib Movsas Wedding Gowns in excellent condition, vintage or new, so we can help Shirley Spiegelman for Rose Pedowitz others less fortunate to make this special time in their life easier and Wednesday, 8 Adar even more joyful! For more information please contact Cindy Gold at Norman Fisher for Henry Fisher 482-9064 or [email protected]. Elizabeth Katzwer for Isaac Katzwer SAVE THE DATE Naeema Pomerantz for Rachamim Soleimani The 57th Annual Combined Sisterhood of Great Neck Ladies Night Moosa Soleimani for Rahamim Soleimani Out will be held at Temple Beth El on Thurs., April 30th at 6pm. Thursday, 9 Adar Delicious hors d’oeuvres, a boutique, an exciting program, raffle prizes, Faye Berke for Lawrence Jacobs and wonderful desserts, catered by Shop Delight. The Sisterhood of Sylvia Goldman for Charles Rutenberg GNS is proud to participate in this community event. There is no Kenneth Magida for Frieda Magida charge for our paid-up Sisterhood members but we encourage you to Milton Mitzner for Morris Mitzner be an event sponsor for $36. Reservations are required. Please call the Friday, 10 Adar synagogue office 487-6100 or email [email protected] for further info. Martin Brownstein for Florence Brownstein In conjunction with UJA for this event, we will be collecting personal Ruth Shalit-Apelbaum for Simcha Shevili care and toiletry items to donate to families in need.

Y A H R Z E I T