Jewish NDG - Toldot
Transcription
Jewish NDG - Toldot
THIS WEEK @ CHABAD TONIGHT FRIDAY Shabbat Prayers @ 6:00pm SATURDAY Shabbat Prayers & Lunch @ 10:00am Easy-to-follow, clearly explained, small community makes our Shabbat morning prayers very special. Followed by scrumptious lunch. NEW SATURDAY Shabbat Morning HEBREW SCHOOL 10:30am-12:30pm Come join us for a family friendly Jewish experience, every Shabbat morning in your neighbourhood! Well-rounded, fun and interactive kids program run by Chayale Hershcovich, filled with Jewish cultural educational games and songs. Each week we play, laugh and learn as we hear stories from the Torah, sing jewish songs, create edible food projects, play games and learn our Alef Bet. Plus, We have a great new prize system! Snacks and lunch are served. NEW SATURDAY Shabbat Morning Torah Discussion for Women 11:00am-12:00pm Join Sara Bernath for an informative and stimulating discussion just for women. NEW SUNDAY Tefillin and Tai Chi 9:30-11:00am Join us for a short meditation and prayer followed by Tai Chi from 10:00-11:00 hosted by Dr. Elliot Kravitz. NEW TIME TUESDAY November 18 Halacha Class @ 6:00pm Join Rabbi Bernath for an in-depth look of the practical laws of Judaism. COMING TUESDAY November 18 Kabbalah of Balance @ 8:00 pm Join Rabbi Yisroel Bernath for a unique and transformative discussion. DETAILS COMING SOON SATURDAY DECEMBER 20 - CHANUKAH MONTREAL The Most Anticipated Young Jewish Event of the Year. KIDDUSH LUNCH MAZEL TOV SPONSORED BY Louis Glazer and Severine Coen in honour of their engagement. Aylon and Sarit Wisbaum and Family in honour of the birth of their daughter. HAPPY BIRTHDAY THANK YOU Aylon and Sarit Wisbaum on the birth of a girl. Jenny & MaJhew Pekofsky on the birth of Dovid Shaya. Louis Glazer & Severine Coen on their engagement. Benny & Tali Lasker on the birth of a girl. Daniel Fleischer & Melissa Myers on their wedding. Eyal Illouz, Joseph Wajcberg, Max Finder, Matan Ohayoun and Brian Bendek Iris Marchena for her help in the kitchen. Sharon Schmerer, Sheryl Beller-‐Kenner and Laurie Gossack for their help in the office. Eric Klein for taking care of the centre. Jewish NDG NOVEMBER 21, 2014 | ROSH CHODESH KISLEV 5775 | PARSHAT TOLDOT THURSDAY DECEMBER 18 - CONCORDIA JEIWHS CULTURAL NIGHT @ THE HIVE The Students of Concordia will unite for an unforgettable Chanukah Event. THURSDAY DECEMBER 11 - LOAVES OF LOVE @ 5:30pm NDG Jewish Community wil come together to braid, bake and deliver Challahs to needy families and elderly in the community. VOL.1 ISSUE 4 LIGHT CANDLES 4:00 PM 70 Young Adults enjoy First Fridays Shabbat Dinner with Celebrity Chef Iris Marchena The clinking glasses and sounds of laughter could be heard the entire evening. Over 70 Young Adults were treated to a delectable Meditteranean Feast. Chef Iris Marchena who has served some of Quebec’s rich and famous created a Shabbat dinner like none other. “This was my first time doing Kosher.” Iris admitted in an interview with Jewish NDG. “I was excited for this challenge and it was a great experience.” Jewish NDG is published weekly by CHABAD of NDG & LOYOLA CAMPUS 4020 HINGSTON AVE. MONTREAL, QUEBEC H4A 2J7 (514) 507.8800 [email protected] www.facebook.com/chabadndg Editors: Rabbi Yisroel Bernath, Chloe Landry, Dr. Sheryl Beller-‐Kenner and Rabbi Zvi Hershcovich "We hope you enjoyed reading this as much as we enjoyed wri]ng it." Hi Derrick! Please email your comments to: [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you soon. ˇ Shabbat songs filled the air and Chayale Hershcovich, director of family programming at Chabad NDG led a fun ice breaker while Mitchell Simon served some incredible drinks. First Fridays was created 2 years ago in honour of the 1st anniversary of the passing of Mitchell’s mom, Jo Ann Frank Simon. Jo Ann loved the kitchen and inspired this incredible Chabad NDG tradition. Jeremy S. joined First Fridays for the first time. “I was not too sure what to expect beforehand, as I had never been to one of these events before.” Jeremy S. admitted, “I was really glad I went. I have a chance to meet up with some old friends, enjoy the delicious food, and just have a comfortable Jewish experience. Everyone was friendly and welcoming to me, even though I am not necessarily very observant.” Many of the Young Adults present were surprised how diverse the crowd was. Lisa R. a Concordia Student was there for her second time. “I had an amazing time at the dinner. Everyone was so warm and easy to talk to. I really loved how we were assigned to sit with strangers, it allowed me to come not knowing anyone and meet some great people. I really enjoyed the conversation and the food was amazing!” r eally l oved h ow w e w ere a ssigned t o s it “ I with s trangers, i t a llowed m e t o c ome n ot ” knowing a nyone a nd m eet s ome g reat p eople. Rabbi’s Thought How similar are you to your parents? Isaac resembled Abraham This week's Torah portion starts out speaking about the similarities between Abraham and Isaac. Rashi explains that G-d made a miracle and the physical appearance of Isaac mirrored that of Abraham. Don't children look like their parents? At first glance, this doesn't seem to be much of a miracle. Don't most children resemble their parents? Biologically, We share similar DNA and psychologically our personality is shaped by our experience in the home. Similarity it would seem is the order of the day, not a miracle. Each of the forefathers had a different mission Abraham's mission was kindness, Isaac's was setting boundaries, and Jacob's was a synthesis of the two. The miracle now can be better understood. Even though, their mission was entirely different, the forefather's shared an underlying similarity. Joke of the week A teenager had just gotten his driving permit. He asked his father, who was a Rabbi, if they could discuss the use of the car. His father took him to his study and said to him, "I'll make a deal with you. You bring your grades up, study a little torah, and get a hair cut, then we'll talk about it." After about a month the boy came back and again asked his father if they could discuss use of the car. They again went to the father's study where his father said, "Son, I've been real proud of you. You have brought your grades up, you've studied Find your own mission This is a lesson to us all. On one hand we must resemble our parents. The lifelessons and culture that they live by give shape and meaning to our lives. On the other hand, it is very important that each of us find the mission that best fits who we are. One must walk a delicate balance between charting your own path and following in our parents footsteps. Blessing I give you a blessing that you follow the example of Isaac. Follow your own unique path and in doing so resemble your parents. Parsha in a nutshell A glimpse of this week's Torah portion Quiz... What does this picture have to do with this week’s Torah PorOon? diligently, but you didn’t get your hair cut!" The young man waited a moment and replied, "You know Dad, I've been thinking about that. You know, Samson had long hair, Abraham had long hair, Noah had long hair, and even Moses had long hair..." To which the Rabbi replied... "Yes, and they WALKED everywhere they went!" In last week's portion, Chayei Sarah, we learned of the wedding of Abraham’s son Issac to Rebecca. Our Sages say that Rebecca was only three years old when she was consecrated to marry Isaac. Aliyah #1 For twenty years after Isaac and Rebecca were married, Rebbeca had trouble conceiving a child. They used to stand at opposite ends of the room and pray to G-d for children. In this week's portion, Rebbeca becomes pregnant. She has a very difficult pregnancy. She eventually gives birth to twin boys: a hairy, reddish boy named Esau, and a second boy, holding on to the first one's heel, named Jacob. Esau becomes a hunter, while Jacob dwells in schools of Torah. One day, Esau comes in hungry and exhausted from the field, sees his brother Jacob cooking lentils, and begs Jacob for some of the food. Jacob agrees to give it to him if Esau will sell him his birthright as firstborn. Esau agrees. (Our sages say that this took place on the day Abraham passed away and the food Jacob was cooking was to feed his bereaved father Isaac.) Aliyah #2 There is a famine in the land, and Isaac is tempted to go down to Egypt, where his father, Abraham, had gone under similar circumstances. But G-d tells Isaac since he was sanctified as an offering to G-d when he was brought to the akaida, he is therefore not fit to leave the holy land of Israel. Issac settles near King Abimelech, and, like his father Abraham, he lets the men of the town think that his wife is really his sister. King Abimelech notices that Rebecca is actually his wife and issues a decree that no one touch them. The Torah says that while in this place, Isaac harvested a hundred times what he planted because G-d had blessed him. Aliyah #3 Isaac becomes extremely wealthy and great in the land of the Philistines, and they ask him to leave. He moves a distance away, and again digs some of the wells that his father Abraham had dug, but which were filled in by the Philistines. His servants dig new wells but the Philistines fight with them over these wells also. He finally moves somewhat further and finds peace. Aliyah #4 G-d blesses Isaac that he should not have fear, and know that G-d is with him and will bless him and multiply his seed. After that Abimelech comes after Isaac and says that he recognizes that G-d is with him, and wants to make a peace treaty with him. Isaac prepares a feast for him and his men, and they part peacefully. Aliyah #5 In this aliyah we find the famous story of Isaac, now old and nearly blind, attempting to bless his firstborn son. Isaac asks his son Esau, to fetch some meat and cook it nicely, and Isaac will bless him. But Rebecca hears all this and wants Jacob, the younger twin, to get the blessing. So she prepares some meat the way Isaac likes it, gives it to Jacob to take to his father, and dresses Jacob in Esau's clothes. Jacob goes to his father, and when his father asks him if he is truly Esau, he says that he is. Isaac asks to touch Jacob; he is confused. "The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are Esau's hands." Finally, he is convinced that it is Esau who has come to him, and he prepares to bless him. Aliyah #6 Isaac gives the blessing of the firstborn to Jacob. Just as the blessing ends and Jacob leaves and Esau comes in. Esau announces to his father that he is back with the food he requested and has come to collect his blessing. Isaac wonders out loud, "Who was that whom I just blessed?" Esau gets very angry, and Rebecca sends Jacob away to Charan, both to be safe from his brother's rage, and to look for a wife. (They want Jacob to marry a girl from Rebecca's brother Laban's family and not marry a Hittite woman, as Esau has done.) Aliyah #7 Esau, who already has two Hittite wives, takes another wife, this time, a daughter of Ishmael. Rashi says that after Jacob departed from his father and mother he went straight to the Yeshiva of Aiver, the great-grandson of Shem (one of the three sons of Noah), and studied Torah for 14 years.ˇ