Parshat Vayishlach

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December 10, 2011 10 Kislev, 5772

Torah

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks on Parshat Vayishlach

many ideas and associations: peace, serenity, inwardness, meditation, calm, acceptance, bliss. Often faith has been conceived as an alternative reality, a "haven in a heartless world," an escape from the strife and conflict of everyday life. There is much to be said for this idea. But it is not Judaism. Judaism is not an escape from the world but an engagement with the world. It is not "the opium of the people," as Karl Marx once called religion. It does not anaesthetize us to the pains and apparent injustices of life. It does not reconcile us to suffering. It asks us to play our part in the most daunting undertaking ever asked by G-d of mankind: to construct relationships, communities, and ultimately a society, that will become homes for the Divine presence. And that means wrestling with G-d and with men and refusing to give up or despair. make mistakes. We have moments of weakness. You are right: we have much to feel bad about in our lives. But we are your children. You made us. You chose us. So forgive us. And G-d forgives. Judaism is a religion of repentance and confession, but it is not a religion of guilt.

It is the moment the Jewish people acquired its name. Nothing could have Haftorah been more unexpected or Artscroll, 1141 mysterious. Jacob is Hertz, 137 about to meet the brother he had not seen for 22 years - Esau, the man AUFRUF who had once vowed to Yosef Polakoff kill him. Alone and afraid at the dead of night, he is assaulted by an unnamed Times stranger. They wrestle. Time passes. Dawn is Candle Lighting 4:10 pm about to break:

Friday Mincha Hashkama Parsha Shiur Main Minyan Beit Midrash Teen Minyan Gemorah Shiur Mincha Shabbat Ends Sunday December 11 Mincha Late Maariv Mon./Thurs. Mon. Thurs. Tues., Wed. Fri

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Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak." But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go until you bless me." The man asked him, "What is your name?" "Jacob," he answered. Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with G-d and with men and have overcome."

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So the people Israel acquired its name, surely 4:15 pm the strangest and most 8:15 pm haunting in all the religious experience of mankind. - these words conjure up

6:45/7:45 am Religion, faith, spirituality

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Wrestling with men: since the days of Abraham, to be a Jew is to be an iconoclast. We challenge the idols of the age, whatever the idols, whatever the age. Sometimes it meant wrestling with idolatry, superstition, paganism, magic, astrology, primitive beliefs. At other times it means wrestling with secularism, materialism, and consumerism. There were times, in the Middle Ages, when Europe was largely illiterate and Jews alone practiced universal education. There were others - the twentieth century, for example when Jews became the Wrestling with G-d: that is what Moses and the prophets targets of Fascism and did. They said, in effect: G-d, Communism, systems that your demands are great but worshipped power and we human beings are small. desecrated the dignity of We try, but often we fail. We the individual. Judaism is Bima Flowers are sponsored by Anida & Edwin Rosman in honor of their Co-Honorees for Saturday nights 60th Anniversary Celebration of Great Neck Synagogue

Next Shabbat Vayeshev Candle Lighting Mincha 4:11 pm 4:15 pm

Kiddush is sponsored by Great Neck Synagogue

Seudah Shlishit Is sponsored by Rabbi Dale & Ellen Polakoff in honor of Yosefs Aufruf and upcoming marriage.

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

Shabbat Announcements Parshat Vayishlach 5772

a religion of protest - the counter-voice in the conversation of mankind. Jacob is not Abraham or Isaac. Abraham symbolizes faith as love. Abraham loved G-d so much he was willing to leave his land, home and father's house to follow him to an unknown land. He loved people so much that he treated passing strangers as if they were angels (the irony is: they were angels. Often people become what we see them as. Treat people like enemies and they become enemies. Treat them as friends and they become friends). Abraham dies "at a good age, old and satisfied." A life of love is serene. Abraham was serene. Isaac is faith as fear, reverence, and awe. He was the child who was nearly sacrificed. He remains the most shadowy of the patriarchs. His life was simple, his manner quiet, his demeanor undemonstrative. Often we find him doing exactly what his father did. His is faith as tradition, reverence for the past, continuity. Isaac was a bridge between the generations. Simple, self-contained, pure: that is Isaac. But Jacob is faith as struggle. Often his life seemed to be a matter of escaping one danger into another. He flees from his vengeful brother only to find himself at the mercy of deceptive Laban. He escapes from Laban only to encounter Esau marching to meet him with a force of four hundred men. He emerges from that meeting unscathed, only to be plunged into the drama of the conflict between Joseph and his other sons, which caused him great grief. Alone among the patriarchs, he dies in exile. Jacob wrestles, as his descendants - the children of Israel - continue to wrestle with a world that never seems to grant us peace. Yet Jacob never gives up and is never defeated. He is the man whose greatest religious experiences occur when he is alone, at night, and far from home. Jacob wrestles with the angel of destiny and inner conflict and says, "I will not let you go until you bless me." That is how he rescues hope from catastrophe - as Jews have always done. Their darkest nights have always been preludes to their most creative dawns. Zis schver zu sein a Yid, they used to say. "It's hard to

be a Jew." In some ways, it still is. It is not easy to face our fears and wrestle with them, refusing to let go until we have turned them into renewed strength and blessing. But speaking personally, I would have it no other way. Judaism is not faith as illusion, seeing the world through rose-tinted lenses as we would wish it to be. It is faith as relentless honesty, seeing evil as evil and fighting it in the name of life, and good, and G-d. That is our vocation. It remains a privilege to carry Jacob's destiny, Israel's name.

Beginning Monday night, December 5th, please remember to add Vetein Tal Umatar in your Shemoneh Esrei.

FLAGS OVER THE WARSAW GHETTO BY MOSHE ARENS

Great Neck Synagogue Shabbat Activities Program

Dale Polakoff, Rabbi Ian Lichter, Assistant Rabbi Dr. Ephraim Wolf ,zl, Rabbi Emeritus Daniel Schwechter, Rabbinic Intern Zeev Kron, Cantor Eleazer Schulman, zl, Cantor Emeritus Mark Twersky, Executive Director Avraham Bronstein, Program Director Joseph Hecht, President Harold Domnitch, Chairman of the Board

It is still possible to obtain an autographed and personalized copy of Flags Over the Warsaw Ghetto by Moshe Arens. Send your check for $25.00 to GNS Mens club with the names you wish to have inscribed, to the synagogue office. You will be notified when your book arrives from Israel.

FAMILYSHABBATDINNERSERIES Friday,December16 GuestSpeaker: RABBIMEIRMITELMAN Instructor,HofstraUniversity RabbinicEducator,HofstraHillel Specialchildren'smenuandprogram! $30/adult$20/teen$10/child $100familymax. ReservationsRequired LimitedSeating RSVP:516.487.6100

NEWPROGRAM! "SourcesoftheSiddur" withRabbiAvrahamBronstein

Beginning: Shabbat,December10,10:00am JoinusonShabbatmorningfora fascinatingexploration ofthehistoryandmeaningofourliturgy. Wewillpeelbacktheprintedsurfaceofthe siddurtorevealthedramaticand oftensurprisinginnerworkingsbeneath.

ANNOUNCEMENTS
SISTERHOOD PRE-CHANUKAH BOUTIQUE AND GOLD SALE The Sisterhood invites everyone to shop till you drop at our upcoming Pre-Chanukah Boutique at Great Neck Synagogue on Wednesday evening, December 7th from 5:00pm to 9:00pm. There will also be wine tasting courtesy of Lakeville Wine & Spirits. We are grateful to Lisa Kagan for organizing this wonderful event! We also invite you to turn your gold into gelt that evening. Buy-Bye Bling will be there to pay you cash on the spot for your old, broken and unwanted gold and jewelry. A percentage of their sales will be donated to the Sisterhood. For further information, please contact Susan Sheena at Susan@Buy-ByeBling.com or(516) 353-6158. CHALLAH BAKING EVENT All ladies are invited on Thursday evening, December 15th at Great Neck Synagogue, to a Challah Baking Event to discover the beauty and spirituality inherent in the mitzvah of challah baking. Each women will make their own challah to bake at home and all supplies will be provided free of charge. You must RSVP in order to reserve a spot for this event. Space is limited to the first 100 women who reply. Please contact Farla Frumkin at wfrumkin@optonline.net to make a reservation or if you are interested in sponsoring this wonderful event! Thank you to the non-for-profit group Challah Event Planners for arranging this opportunity for us! SAVE THE DATE The Sisterhood and Men's Club invite you to meet author Lorraine Lotzof Abramson on Wednesday evening, January 11th at 7:30pm in the Braun Youth Center when she discusses her book "My Race: A Jewish Girl Growing Up Under Apartheid in South Africa." SAVE THE DATE Back by popular demand, the Sisterhood will be having a Shalom Bayit Dinner and Lecture with Rabbi Dale Polakoff on Wednesday evening, February 1st. Details to follow Thank you very much to Susan Sheena for organizing this event. RABBI REISMAN Saturday nights at 7:30 pm in the Weinstein Center. THANK YOU VERY MUCH The Sisterhood would like to thank Nadine Shatzkes for a wonderful cake decorating demonstration. A fun time was had by all learning how to make cakes and cupcakes look beautiful. Our next Sisterhood meeting is Wednesday, January 18th at 7:00pm and if you would like to volunteer to perform a demonstration immediately following that meeting, please contact Diane Rein at drein@verizon.net. THANKSGIVING AT THE SENIOR CENTER A huge bouquet of thanks to all those who contributed to making this years GNS Hunger Initiative Thanksgiving program for the seniors at Arrandale a resounding success. We were able to serve a hearty and delicious Turkey dinner from Mazurs to nearly 50 residents and their aides. Our intergenerational volunteers, who ranged in age from the single digits (aged 2) to their seventies, made cards, ladled food, served as waiters, staffed tables, and chatted with the seniors. Special thanks to our talented members who played musical instruments and sang. As one volunteer said, These young people are so nice and respectful. They could have been doing other things today, but they wanted to be here! To round out the joy of the day, leftovers were delivered to the local volunteers firefighters. May all those who contributed their time and donations have the strength to continue to do their good works. Special thanks to the Sisterhood for their generous support. MIKVAH The Keylim Mikvah at Great Neck Synagogue is closed for draining and cleaning and will be closed for several weeks. If you have lost anything in the Mikvah, please call the synagogue office, 516 487 6100. DECEMBER CHESED In preparation for Chanukah, we will be collecting Menorahs, Candles, Games and Toys, for Chai Lifeline and Families in need. Please drop your items off at the Lichter Residence, 76 Berkshire Rd, on Monday, December 12th or Thursday, December 15th. There will be boxes inside the garage located on Marlot Ave If you have any questions, please contact Katie Lichter at 516 829 0048.

Within Our Family

Mazal Tov to Rabbi Dale & Ellen Polakoff on the upcoming marriage of Yosef to Shoshana Hulkower, daughter of Reggi Salzberg & Ben Hulkower. Mazal Tov to Rona & Myles Mittleman, Anida & Edwin Rosman and Vivian Kron on being honored Saturday night at the GNS 60th Annual Dinner.
GNS SHIDDUCH GROUP December 13th will be the next meeting of the Great Neck Shidduch Group. The purpose of the group is to help connect our members, single relatives and friends. Those interested in being part of the group should come to the meeting with a profile sheet filled out for each single person they wish to present to the group. The group will then review the candidates and try to make sensible matches between the singles presented. To ensure a balanced and successful meeting, if you are bringing names of female candidates you should also do your best to bring the same number of male candidates to present to the group. All discussions during the group meetings will be considered confidential. Please email shidduchgroupgn@gmail.com for a copy of the profile sheet, or Katie Lichter, katielichter@gmail.com or Malka Ismach at malkaismach@gmail.com. The meeting will take place December 15th at 8:30 at the Geller Residence, 15 Gould Street. RAFFLE PRIZES We are looking forward to the GNS 60th annual dinner on Saturday evening, December 10th and we invite everyone to donate raffle prizes of goods or services. Some ideas to consider donating include: jewelry, spa packages, air miles, hotel accommodations, electronics, gift certificates, tutoring services, and theatre tickets. Please contact David and Diane Rein at drein@verizon.net or Zachary Mittleman. Thank you. MENS CLUB AND DOS YIDDISH VORT On Sunday, December 18, 2011, the Mens Club and Dos Yiddish Vort are having a bus trip to NYC for the annual Yiddish Theatre and supper outing, to see Shlemiel the First (a very enjoyable Yiddish play in English). The cost for the bus trip, theater tickets and supper is $65.00 per person. Please call Ros Wagner 487-9795 for tickets. Checks to GNS Mens Club.

FYI Pia Shlomo has just published a book for the first time. The name of the childrens book is "Thank You For Everything A Book About Thanking Hashem." Also available at Judaica.

Joseph Shor and family wish to extend a heartfelt thank you to our wonderful community who supported us during the Shiva for his beloved sister, Shula Degenpour.
Saturday, 14 Kislev Martin H. Sokol for Sadie Sokol Lili Weiss for Hanah Krendel Sunday, 15 Kislev Lev Dynkin for Aryeh Leib Shifman Semyon Dynkin for Aryeh Leib Shifman Marvin Greenwald for Emanuel Greenwald David Lax for Zeev Rosenberg Barry Maher for Faizollah Maher-Afarin Monday, 16 Kislev Lillian Chubak for Malvina Graf Margery Libin for Florence Mandell Tuesday, 17 Kislev Eliezer Noy for Ahron Ben Yitzchak Risa Pulver for Bernie Shapiro Wednesday, 18 Kislev Pearl Ginsburg for Irving Helfman Gedale Horowitz for Abraham Horowitz Rita Silverman for Harris Schwartz Thursday, 19 Kislev Gail Mizrahi for Rosalind Sussman Morris Nasser for Tova Djemal Israel Rosenzweig for Jacob Bladow Ellen Siegel for Marnie Bluestein Friday, 20 Kislev Debbie Furst for Dora Kaminer Raymond Sandler for Abraham Sandler Rose Weiss for Kalman Fajg

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