Shabbat Announcements, June 20, 2009

Shabbat Parshat Shelach Torah Artscroll, 798 Hertz, 623 Haftorah Artscroll, 1184 Hertz, 635

Bar Mitzvah Samuel Berk Mevorchim Chodesh Tamuz Rosh Chodesh Monday & Tuesday Molad is Monday evening 8:35:4 pm

Times Candle lighting

8:11 pm

Mincha

7:00 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

7:00 pm

Mincha

8:00 pm

Shabbat Ends

9:19 pm

Sunday

7:30 am 8:30 am

Mon., Tues., &Thurs.,

6:35 am

Wed., & Fri.,

6:45 am

Second Shacharit Minyan (Daily)

7:45 am

Mincha (week of June 21)

8:10 pm

Latest times for Shema/Shmoneh Esrei June 20

9:09/10:25 am

June 27

9:11/10:27 am

Next Shabbat - Korach Candle lighting

8:12 pm

Mincha

7:00 pm

June 20, 2009 28 Sivan 5769 GNS TEFILLA DIGEST: A Weekly Discussion about the Fundamentals of Jewish Prayer By Rabbi Brahm Weinberg – Rabbinic Intern

This inspiring article about tefillah is sponsored by Diane and David Rein in memory of Diane’s mother, Helene M. Fink z”l. Issue # 46 – Philosophy of Prayer (Part III) As part of the last few issues of the Tefilla Digest, I would like to present some of the main points of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s Philosophy of prayer gleaned from his various writings on the topic. I think that his approach to prayer can be very meaningful and relevant for many of us. We, of course, are still starting out with the essential question laid out in the last few articles of how to make prayer a personal and meaningful experience when it seems to be an experience that is the same for everyone and stifling to our personal autonomy and individualism. By understanding the nature of prayer according to Rabbi Soloveitchik we will come to understand just how personal it can be.

Rabbi Soloveitchik explains that prayer is an outgrowth of a person’s basic need awareness and a means for us to sharpen our understanding of those needs. Someone who is unaware of their basic needs in life will not call out in prayer; that person will not pray because he or she experiences none of the existential suffering that stems from the awareness of a disparity between where he or she is in life and where he or she would like to be. A slave may cry out in physical pain, but he takes his enslavement and torture for granted. The slave is unaware of his need for freedom and liberty. Once the slave becomes aware that freedom is a real possibility, he will feel the need for freedom and cry out in a primordial prayer called tzaaka.

the most basic human awareness of a need. The more developed form of prayer comes once a person is ready to gain greater need awareness, analyzing what his or her need is and why it is meaningful for him or her. For Rabbi Soloveitchik, prayer is the natural outgrowth of an existential tension that we feel when our needs are unfulfilled. At the very same time prayer can serve not only as the vehicle for the expression of that need awareness, but also as the means to better understand the need. Prayer allows us to clarify our self-image, our needs, our vision of ourselves and the disparity between them.

Rabbi Soloveitchik’s view of prayer as a means to changing oneself is not unprecedented in the history of Jewish thought. In fact, there is a school of thought amongst the medieval Jewish philosophers that also claims Rabbi Yehuda Amital has argued that the reason why the prayer transforms the self. Both mishna in Bava Kama refers to Rabbenu Bahya Ibn Pakuda in numerous places throughout his man as mav’eh, from the root Chovat Halevavot and Rabbi ba’y – to pray, is because Yosef Albo in his Sefer Hahuman nature is such that a Ikkarim explain that prayer is not person always feels like he is lacking something and, thus, he meant to change G-d, but to change the individual. Albo naturally calls out in prayer. Primordial prayer, or Tzaaka, is explains in great detail how prayer is meant to change the

Kiddush is sponsored by Yana Shamaev Berk In honor of the Bar Mitzvah Of her son Samuel

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

individual almost in to a new being that is more prepared to receive G-d’s bountiful blessing, shefa, that He tries to shower upon man (Albo, IV:18). It is the discovery and analysis of one’s needs that can make Rabbi Soloveitchik’s philosophy of prayer particularly meaningful to us. Rabbi Soloveitchik explains that modern man naturally seeks a life of change, a life of the quick fix and the satisfaction of here and now. We often seek a life of limitless experiences that we can change at will because we want to ensure that we will constantly have a new fix, something different that will appeal to us once our old experiences can no longer fulfill our needs. The problem with this approach is that we often do not pause to scrutinize why our experiences have not fulfilled our needs or to think about exactly what experience to seek in order to fulfill that need. Instead, we just look for the most superficially exciting choice that will give us a temporal high until we find something new and more exciting. The drive to constantly move on to new things, to change life’s experiences at will is unrealistic because life is naturally cyclical and repetitive. The result is that people often become bored with life; the multiplicity of options that they make available to themselves eventually runs out and people find themselves bored and unfulfilled. Modern man attempts to escape boredom in the wrong way seeking superficial excitement and entertainment rather than meaning in the repetitiveness of life. The person who has the ability to autonomously choose those quick fixes that seem superficially exciting may seem to be self reflective constantly evaluating what gives him or her pleasure. That person may think he or she is autonomous and self- serving, but in reality he or she is not because that person has not gained enough distance from his or her own self to judge, objectively, what that self needs. That person may be guided by false perceptions and lack of understanding of their own being and thus cannot possibly understand what their deeper needs really are. In order to engage in real self-reflection a person needs to disengage from themselves so that they can objectively gaze upon their “self” almost from the outside. Psychologists have found that humans naturally 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

Shabbat Announcements Parshat Shelach, 5769

tend towards personal growth. When a person has an inaccurate picture of their own self and they pushe towards the actualization of that perceived self while their true inner self pushes in a different direction it causes frustration and neurosis: What Rabbi Soloveitchik might call The Crisis of Boredom. When making choices in life, we often include information in the decision-making process that doesn’t belong, or exclude information that does belong because of past experiences, fears, or learned responses. This yields untrustworthy choices and behaviors. Put more simply by Rabbi Abraham J. Twersky notes, people “are so bombarded by the many stresses of everyday needs and activities that they lose sight of what their life is or should be all about” (Twersky, 2001, p. 19). The solution, according to psychologist Carl Rogers is to gain an undisturbed awareness of who you are and what you are experiencing in the world without distorting it because of the way that you think that you are. Stay tuned for next week’s article where we will discover how prayer, according to the philosophy of Rabbi Soloveitchik, can help us to understand who we really are. Thought to Ponder Have you ever gained clarity about something that you needed or thought you needed by having some quiet time to reflect upon it? Think about how prayer can afford you that opportunity.

GREEN TIP OF THE WEEK Article 31, THE RIGHT TO WATER: Everyone has the right to clean and accessible water, adequate for the health and well-being of the individual and family, and no one shall be deprived of such access or quality of water due to individual economic circumstance. There is a growing privatization of the world's dwindling fresh water supply with an unflinching focus on politics, pollution, human rights, and the emergence of a domineering world water cartel subsidized by huge corporations funding the bottled water industry. These private water labels are taking our fresh water supply for FREE and selling it in a$400 billion industry. Over a billion people across the planet lack access to clean and potable water and that millions die each year as a result, it is imperative to add one more UN article, the Right to Water. Call upon the United Nations to add a 31st article to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, establishing access to clean and potable water as a fundamental human right. IN addition, avoid buying water bottles. Instead purchase a stainless steel reusable bottle and fill with filtered tap water. The world will be a better place when the Right To Water is acknowledged by all nations as a fundamental human right, and that this addition to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights represents a major step toward the goal of water for all. Please sign the petition to adopt Article 31: Water is a right, not a privilege. http://article31.org/

SUMMER LEARNING PROGRAM Dear Friends, Each year our Summer Learning Program is run through the generosity of sponsors. It is to the credit of our sponsors that the voice of Torah is strengthened each summer. Sponsorship is one hundred dollars. Please call the office to be included in this noble effort. We will once again be including a sponsor’s list in the Shabbat Announcements. If you would like to sponsor a “Day of Learning” at an additional cost, in honor or in memory of someone, please call Mark Twersky and let him know. Thank you for helping support Torah. Very cordially yours, Rabbi Dale Polakoff

Rabbi Shalom Axelrod Philip Machnikoff

SALLY & SEYMOUR OLSHIN ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAM

GREAT NECK SYNAGOGUE SUMMER LEARNING PROGRAM

Roshei Yeshiva Lecture Series July 1, 2009 (following Maariv) Rabbi Dovid Hirsch July 8, 2009 Rabbi Baruch Simon July 15, 2009 Rabbi Daniel Feldman July 22, 2009 Rabbi Shmuel Maybruch Professional Lecture Series August 12, 2009 Rabbi Dr. Edward Reichman August 19, 2009 Rabbi Dr. Aaron Levine

ANNOUNCEMENTS HIGH SCHOOL PIRKEI AVOS CLASS There will be a Pirkei Avos shiur for High School students every shabbos afternoon approx. 40 minutes before mincha given by Cary Schwechter in the GNS Youth Center. CHAI LIFELINE SHABBATON On June 27th, together with YIGN we will welcome children from Chai Lifeline who will be in Great Neck for a Shabbaton. They will be at Great Neck Synagogue Saturday afternoon for Seudah Shlishit and Mincha. We thank the following for sponsoring this event: Lilly & Gary Chubak, Jacqueline & Stan Fischer, Sarita & Ben Greszes, Alisa & Michael Hoenig, Addie & Avi Markowitz, Florence & Irvin Spira, Orly & Alan Steinberg, Michele & Howard Wolf, Shellie & Steve Zuckerman, Michelle & Norman Rutta, Ed & Brenda Parver, Mordechai & Nurit Weiss, and Anne & Harvey Brenner. We are in need of housing! For more info please see Arthur Kirsh. THANK YOU VERY MUCH The Sisterhood of GNS would like to thank Debbie Wang Etzion for organizing a wonderful evening and presenting the documentary “Always Remember Where You Came From: The Life of Samuel Hersch Wang” which was a moving tribute to her father, and an inspiration to the entire community.

WITHIN OUR FAMILY Mazal Tov to Yana Shamaev Berk on the Bar Mitzvah of her son Samuel. Mazal Tov to Michael Berk on the Bar Mitzvah of his son Samuel. Mazal Tov to Beth & Gary Orbach on the Bar Mitzvah of their son Jacob. Mazal Tov to Sarita & Ben Greszes on the Bat Mitzvah of their granddaughter Juliana daughter of Michelle & David Gershbaum. Yeshiva Har Torah's 9th Annual Golf Outing The Golf Outing will be held at the North Shore Country Club this Monday, June 22nd. To RSVP and for further info Please see Alan Steinberg. SAVE THE DATE YU Women’s Organization are holding its annual Spring Ballet Swan Lake Wed., June 24th, 2009 at Lincoln Center. For info and to RSVP call 212-960-0855 or see Sydelle Slochowsky. SAT TRAINING July and August, 6-7:30pm at GNS given by David Rabinowitz. Mondays: Math, Tuesdays: Verbal, Wednesdays: Writing, Thursdays: Misc. review of material from the previous three days. For more info call 998-6621.

UPCOMING SISTERHOOD EVENTS *Please Note that our Sisterhood event for Wednesday, August 5th at 8pm, Ladies Night Out to see “Menopause the Musical” at the Landmark on Main Street in Port Washington has been CANCELLED.

LOST AND FOUND If anyone finds a multi-colored tallis, or has taken it by mistake, please return it to the Synagogue office ASAP! If you have lost a Ladies Brown 3/4 down coat, please contact Rona Jutkowitz at 659-9228.

KOL DITZRICH Cleaning up for the summer? We can re-use your old stuff! Please bring: Eyeglasses, Hearing Aids, Cell Phones (with chargers), Children’s Books (Jewish & Secular), DVDs and Videos, Drop all items at the shul office or bring to the coat lobby on Monday June 15th, 6-8pm. These items will be donated to people who can use them, including: New Eyes for the Needy, Domestic Violence Shelters, Cell Phones for Soldiers, Hospitals, and other worthy organizations. For further info, call Ellie Werber 487-4745.

NETWORKING EVENT Sunday, June 28th, 9:30-11:30am the second networking event will take place at Temple Israel. Please tell your friends and colleagues about this event. People who are looking to hire from a very talented pool of people should take advantage of this opportunity.

DOS YIDDISH VORT Dos Yiddish Vort will be sharing letters in Yiddish from ‘yener tseiten’ on Wednesday, June 17th at 1:30 pm in the Chalfin room. If you have any old letters you would like to share, bring them along. For more info call Roz Wagner 487-9795.

NSHA’s 6th ANNUAL GOLF & TENNIS CLASSIC Monday, July 13th, NSHA invites you for a day of golf (noon shotgun), tennis (ladies at 9:30am & men's at 2:30pm), ladies card games/mahjong lessons (for those who don't play golf or tennis from 10:30 am to 5pm), brunch, lunch, BBQs and a sunset cocktail party & million dollar Jet Blue Challenge followed by a buffet dinner and our Charity Texas Hold’Em Tournament starting at 7:30pm until 11:30pm. Brochure/registration has been mailed. For info. please call Arnie Flatow at 487-8687 ext 133.

SAVE THE DATE Sat., June 20th, the Annual Sharon Sokol Heisler Family Luncheon will take place. Gary Rosenblatt of the Jewish Week will be the featured speaker. More details to follow. The Youth Luncheon will also take place that day. BLOOD DRIVE Semi-annual Men’s Club blood drive will be on Sunday morning, June 21st, 8:15 am to 1:30 pm. GNS GRADUATION AND CONGREGATIONAL KIDDUSH Saturday, June 27th, celebrate all of your smachot with us! Births, Bar & Bat Mitzvahs, graduations, weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, or commemorate a loved ones yahrzeit. To participate, call the synagogue office, or send your info to [email protected]. MEN’S CLUB EVENTS Sun., July 26th 10am Bus Trip to the NYC Eldridge Synagogue and Center for Jewish History. Cost including lunch is $60 per person. Call Dave Wagner 487-9795, Hilly Milun 597-0320, or Al Leiderman at 482-0628. Sun. Oct 18th, 1pm Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv vs New York Knicks at MSG. All proceeds are donated to Migdal Ohr. Mid-court tickets at $105 each. For tickets call Steve Blumner 4873859, Hilly Milun 504-0320, or Paul Brody 466-5412 SAM AHARONOFF MEMORIAL SHIVTEI TORAH CAMPAIGN On Nov. 22nd, The NSHA and the NSHAHS, in conjunction with the greater Great Neck Jewish Community, will hold a historic campaign that will involve the dedication and commissioning of 12 new Sifrei Torah. All proceeds go to the Sam Aharonoff Memorial Scholarship Fund to help offset tuition costs for dozens of needy students. For info: www.shivteitorah.org, or Arnie Flatow 487-8687 ext 2. GIVE OLD MAGAZINES A NEW LIFE Please drop off your current used magazines to the Synagogue office to be donated to NSUH. Please cut off labels, do not tear.

Y A H R Z E I T

Saturday, 28 Sivan Herschel Flax for Joshua Pasvolsky Mary Flax for Joshua Pasvolsky Richard Lillien for Sol Engelhard Benjamin Lunzer for Shoshana Lunzer Sally Olshin for Sara Weinberger Sunday, 29 Sivan Myles Mittleman for Philip Mittleman Monday, 30 Sivan Albert Benak for Jacob Benak Kitty Justin for Jolan Nagel Alon Mogilner for Leonard Joseph Mogilner Gerald Nathel for Daniel Nathel Richard Reiser for Freida Reiser Zahava Slonim for Mordechai Kukelkah Tuesday, 1 Tamuz Phyllis Marcus for Irving Kalchman Wednesday, 2 Tamuz Jacques Aboaf for Albert Aboaf Lev Dynkin for Zalman Dynkin Ebrahim Gabbaizadeh for Jack Shaw Halina Greenwald for Psachje Salpeter Joan Hope for Ann Hope Thursday, 3 Tamuz Anton Fischman for Magdalina Fischman Joseph Fischman for Magdalina Fischman Sharon Janovic for Valerie Meltz Henry Katz for Fred Katz Frederick Shaw for Bernard Shaw Mitchell Siegel for Isadore Siegel Elaine Wolf for Hinda Wolf Friday, 4 Tamuz Miriam Bader for Samuel Bader Herbert Eckstein for Elchanan Fisch James Frisch for Laszlo Frisch Ruth Klapper for Chaya Rivka Goldberg Ellie Werber for Michael Preis