Fast of Asarah B'Tevet ends Friday night at 5:00 PM
Morning Services Shabbat 9:00 am
Latest Shema 9:39 am Kiddush following services
Babysitting 10:00 am
Youth Groups 10:00 am
Tot Shabbat 10:30 am
Shabbat Mincha 12:13 pm Talmud Class 4:25 pm
Havdalah 5:10 pm Maariv 5:25 pm
TORAH READING Genesis: 44:18-47:27 p. 250 Haftarah: Ezekiel 37:15-28, p. 1144 SPEAKER Rabbi Kean will deliver a Dvar Torah Shabbat morning. Kiddush Conversation will be led by Tzvi Holt.
SIMCHA KIDDUSH This Shabbat, the Simcha Kiddush (dairy) is prepared by the Simcha Kiddush Committee, chaired by Faye Silton & Marta Koblenz.
The December Simcha Kiddush is sponsored by CBAJ, and the families listed below.
MAZAL TOV Mazal tov to Mark & Marta Koblenz on the recent bar mitzvah of their grandson, Avi Kay, in West Hartford, Connecticut.
MESSAGE FROM RABBI KEAN
Dear CBAJ Family,
On behalf of Congregation Beth Abraham-Jacob, I would like to wish you and your family a restful and meaningful Shabbat.
Firstly, I urge you to write the Albany Common Council to stop a misguided resolution that is currently being put forward to call for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Send emails to: commoncouncil@albanyny.gov Subject line: Opposition to Potential Ceasefire Resolution A short, simple message, noting that this resolution will only cause more division, and that calls for a ceasefire are misguided and will not lead to peace, will suffice. It was requested that this request only be distributed through private channels, such as email and text, rather than social media platforms.
Today is the fast of Asarah B'Tevet (10th of Tevet), commemorating the beginning of the siege of the city of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, leading to the destruction of first Beit Hamikdash (as told in II Kings 25).
Although this is not the "end," it represents the moment where Israel's fate was sealed and the exile was set in motion.
In the early years of the State of Israel, Asarah B'Tevet was established as the "Yom HaKadish Hakelali" (roughly, "General Kaddish Day"), to be a day of remembrance for all of those who were murdered but whose date of death was unknown, in particular during the horrors of the Shoah.
We should use this fast day to remember not just the Churban (the destruction of the Temples), but indeed, the many tragedies throughout Jewish history - both in the distant past and recently - may their memories forever be a blessing. May their memories be an impetus for us to live lives that honor those that lost theirs al kiddush Hashem (in sanctification of G-d's name). Am Yisrael Chai.
Tzom Kal & Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Ben Kean
SIMCHA KIDDUSH SPONSORS
Aron Cepler & Sheryl Hoffman in honor of their anniversary. Clara & Scott Roth in honor of Clara's birthday. Moishy Kudan in honor of the recent engagement of his brother, Chaim Kudan to Bassi Cunin from Reno Nevada. Mazal tov to the Kudan and Cunin families. And in honor of his sister and brother-in-law, Rabbi Avi & Miriam Berman on the occasion of a baby boy last week. The Bris took place on Friday. Mazal tov to the Kudan and Berman families. Nina Israel in honor of the engagement of her grandson Yair Sohn of Elizabeth, NJ and Dina Baharov of Hillside, NJ. Mazal tov to the parents, Emunah & Ron Sohn and Binyamin & Suri Karmel-Fox Mark & Chana Israel in honor of Mark's birthday. Jill & Howard Goldberg in honor of the birth of their grandson Naftali Yehuda Goldberg, son of Shore & Shajar Goldberg, born on November 21, 2023. Laura & Zvi Segal in honor of the birthdays of their daughter Ariella, son-in-law Eli and daughter-in-law Allie, and Laura & Zvi's wedding anniversary. Stacy & David Cohen in celebration of their children Ben & Ilana Cohen's wedding anniversary. Rabbi Paul & Faye Silton in celebration of the birth of their 29th & 30th grandchildren, twin girls Jacqueline Hannah and Jasmine May, born to Drs. Ariel Brandwein & Nava Ruth Silton.
UPCOMING EVENTS
KIDDUSH CONVERSATIONS A new season of weekly Kiddush Conversations has begun COMMUNITY BEIS MIDRASH NIGHT Sunday, 8:00 pm at CBAJ
CBAJ BOOK CLUB New book announced: Rav Kook: Mystic in a Time of Revolution (Jewish Lives) by Yehudah Mirsky
See the Adult Education Programming section below for more information about these upcoming events and other programs
YOUTH PROGAMS
Torah High2023-2024 CBAJ's Torah High meets Mondays, 7-9 pm and is open to all students in grades 8 - 12. Dinner is served. Contact Rabbi Kean with questions. Online registration available HERE Tot Shabbat The next Tot Shabbat will be January 13 For children ages 0-5 and their parents at 10:30 am in classroom 3. Please contact Joshua Schulman-Marcus (jschumar@gmail.com) if you would like to be added to the Young Families WhatsApp group. Youth Groups Kids in grades k-5 will meet each Shabbat morning at 10-11 am. Groups will be led by our youth director and teen youth leaders. For more information about attending, or if your teen wants to work as a youth leader, email office@cbaj.org
Babysitting Babysitting is available for children ages 0-5 every Shabbat morning from 10:00-11:30 am! You do not need to be a member to drop off your kids. At least one parent or guardian must be at CBAJ for the duration of babysitting. Babysitting will take place in Classroom 3. The babysitters will bring the kids to Kiddush, please remember to pick up your kids when babysitting ends! Please make sure to inform the babysitters if your child has any food allergies or restrictions. Children in diapers may participate, but babysitters will not be able to change diapers, so please check on kids in diapers.
WEEKLY LEARNING AT CBAJ
NACH YOMI Join Rabbi Kean for studying a chapter of NACH (Nevi'im & Ketuvim, the latter two sections of Jewish scripture) every weekday before Shacharit, Sunday through Friday, half an hour before the regular start time for morning services (7:30 am on Sundays, 6:10 am Monday - Friday) - in the social hall.
TORAH & TEA* Thursday mornings, 9:30 - 10:30 AM on Zoom*. Studying Kings 2. * A Theodore Strauss z"l Endowment Fund sponsored program
TALMUD CLASS Join our Shabbat Afternoon TALMUD SHIUR in-person, at CBAJ,starting 1 hour before Maariv, note: new time for standard time. We are studying Masechet Makkot.
*CBAJ ZOOM ROOM (weekday classes only) Go to https://zoom.us/join Enter meeting ID: 940 508 9347 | Enter passcode: 613518
ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAMMING
CBAJ BOOK CLUB Announcing the next book to read: Rav Kook: Mystic in a Time of Revolution (Jewish Lives) by Yehudah Mirsky The next book club meeting date to be announced
FALL SEASON OF COMMUNITY BEIS MIDRASH NIGHT This season, all sessions will be held WEEKLY on SUNDAYS at CBAJ at 8:00 pm
Independent & Guided Learning Guided learning with Rabbi Kean will meet once or twice a month. Guided learning with Rabbi Kean will not meet this week.
KIDDUSH CONVERSATIONS 2023-2024 Share Jewish experiences or ideas that inspire you! Following Kiddush on winter Shabbats. Contact Simma Kinderlehrer or Rabbi Kean to sign up
* A Theodore Strauss z"l Endowment Fund sponsored program
Stay tuned for the dates of the winter session
All sessions will begin at 12:30 pm. Lunch, catered by 518 Kosher and supervised by the VHCD, is free of charge. Please feel welcome to wear a mask during the event & take lunch home to enjoy. Please register by contacting our events coordinator Beth Liotta Tyler at 518.489.5819 x4 or beth@cbaj.org.
Prophetic Personalities A lecture series for select winter Shabbatot Jan 20 Shmuel with Rabbi Kean Feb 17 Yonah with Daniel Grossberg March 16 Huldah with Simma Kinderlehrer
THE DEE PIRKEI AVOT PROJECT
The Dee Pirkei Avot project disseminates a weekly Pirkei Avot study and discussion sheet in honor of their memory of Lucy, Maia, and Rina, z''l, who were killed in a terrorist attack this year.
“A community is too heavy to carry alone” Deuteronomy Rabbah 1:10
We are excited and honored to be partnering with 10 other local organizations in the Harold Grinspoon Foundation’s LIFE & LEGACY™ program. Please help us pay it forward and leave a legacy for future Capital District Jews. Please speak to Paula Mosher or Ellen Kaplowitzthe Life & Legacy committee chairs about partnering on this crucial initiative to ensure the vitality of Congregation Beth Abraham-Jacob for the next 200 years.
Please click HERE for an important message from our Security Committee & security partner, Community Security Service (CSS) regarding guidelines for attending pro-Israel events
COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
I Stand with Israel bracelets are available for purchase $5.00 each (cash or Venmo @SherylHoffman). Pick up at Temple Israel All proceeds will go to Federations Support Israel Efforts
Congregation Beth Abraham-Jacob 380 Whitehall Rd Albany, NY 12208
Visitors please e-mail the CBAJ office regarding registering for our services during the ongoing pandemic.
Please review and adhere to our COVID POLICY when planning your visit.
The wearing of masks will be a personal choice. This applies to both services and social activities, such as kiddish.
Fully vaccinated community members are welcome to register as "vaccinated" at this link.
If you feel sick at all, please exercise good judgment and stay home rather than attending services, regardless of vaccine status.
We still request those who are able to help our Minyan status register for weekday and Friday and Shabbat afternoon services, so that we can continue to confirm a Minyan for those times. A registration email is sent weekly.
