This Shabbat Shalom is sponsored by Gavin & Erin Benjamin in memory of Gavin's mother Phyllis Benjamin & Karen Bernstein & Ian Hendry in honour of their son, Mark Bernstein-Hendry on the occasion of his 31st Birthday. ~ ~ ~
Shabbat Zachor Parashat Terumah Candlelighting February 19th: 5:35 pm
Livestream Shabbat Morning Services Sat. Feb. 20 at 9:30 am Led by Rabbi Scheim, Cantor Loomer and Michael Rubin Click on: https://livemedia.biz/BethDavid.html
Havdallah with Beth DavidSat. Feb 20 at 7:00 pm Led by Senior Rabbi Candidate Rabbi Aubrey Glazer This service is sponsored by Faye Major in memory of her grandmother Fanny Zweig & Libby & Harry Kraft and Alex Borman in memory of their father Aaron Borman ✺
Quirks, Queries, and Quashiyos! - 2 minute explanations our daily liturgy at Friday morning services.
Submit your questions to Michael Rubin, at mrubin@bethdavid.com.
The Sunday, February 21st afternoon/evening minyan is sponsored by Faye Major in memory of her father-in-law Fred Major ✺ The Tuesday, February 23rd afternoon/evening minyan is sponsored by Phil Elias and Family in honour of Ruth Elias on the occasion of her 94th Birthday. ✺ The Thursday, February 25th afternoon/evening minyan is sponsored by Bernard & Cyrele Shoub in memory of Bernard's father Abraham Shoub and his mother Lottie Shoub. & Michelle and Lisa Sonshine in loving memory of their Zadie Joseph Sonshine, father Barry Sonshine and dear friend Charlotte Belz & Adele Randall and Family, in honour of Marvin Randall's 80th Birthday ✺
Morning Minyan: Sunday, February 21 at 8:30 am
Morning Minyan: Mon to Fri, Feb 22 - Feb 26 at 8:00 am
Evening Minyan: Sun to Wed, Feb 21 - Feb 24 at 5:30 pm
Erev Purim Evening Minyan: Thursday, February 25 at 6:00 pm (regular weekday evening minyan link) ~
Purim Megillah Reading Chapters 1-5 Thursday, February 25 at 6:30 pm
Purim Megillah Reading Chapters 6-10 Friday, Feb 26 at 8:00AM (regular weekday morning Zoom link) ~
"The grass is greener where you water it". This quote that I’ve seen referred to all over the internet is originally from Neil Barringham as a refutation to "the grass is greener on the other side". It is saying that where we focus our energy is where things grow. This quote is often used in relationship advice to say that strong relationships require effort, they need to be watered. I think this idea can be expanded to beyond just relationships. If we are dwelling in disappointment, it will be harder to get over, if we are putting our energy into stressing about a project it won’t get done, but if we put energy into doing the project it will grow and progress.
So this week being Shabbat Zachor, where we read this section of the Torah that tells the Israelites to “remember what Amalek did to you on your journey.” In that he would attack from behind, targeting the most vulnerable people in the tribe (those who are injured and walking slower, and children, etc). So if we are spending our time remembering these terrible things, and dwelling on the enemies Jews have faced over the generations how is that helpful? Why does our tradition set aside this time to remind us we should remember?
I believe this is actually a teaching about balance. That it can be so easy to get caught up in the tragedies and the dangers the Jews have faced over the many centuries, and the evil leaders who help bring them about. Instead here we are given a specific time to make sure we don’t forget, but also by giving us a structure it can allow us not to dwell on it at all times. It can be easy to get stuck in the negative space (I know it happens to me a lot), but this structure can actually be helpful in pushing our focus elsewhere. If we know we have time to remember and mourn and remind ourselves to be careful, then we can use other time to rejoice and find hope. The flip side to the story of Amalek is that even though Amalek attacked us from behind we still survived and thrived. We have a redemption piece of the narrative that can be easy to miss. Even though we encountered these challenges, we are still here. We are resilient, and how amazing is that?!
Going back to the idea of “The Grass is greener where you water it” we are encouraged to water the side of our resilience, of hope for the future. Shabbat Zachor makes sure we remember to be careful and to not take anything for granted, and also reminds us there is a time to focus on the tragedies, but to not let it take over and overwhelm everything else. The Jewish people have certainly faced our fair share of tragedies, and yet we are still here. Purim is a chance to celebrate that as well, to remember we can survive and thrive. We can focus on our strengths, and water them.
Shabbat shalom and Hag Purim Sameach!
Rabbi Walker rabbiwalker@bethdavid.com
We remember with reverence and love those for whom Yahrzeit will be observed this week.
Ichiya Abramov Louis Agulnik Fortunee Alami Bernie Altshuller Samuel Baker Hannah K. Baum Irving Bell Charlotte Belz Florence Benson Sarah Berelovitch Barnet Berman Nathan Besserman Bessie Besserman Meyer Blankenstein Aaron Borman Celia Burke Abraham Henry Capland Shirley Cohan Leon de Castro Nathan Dimitry George Elharrar Louis Ellison Elliott David Feldman Murray Fisher Isidor Fisher Morris Fox Gilda Freedman Carolyn Freedman Mary Gelbard Judy Gelman Bess Gelman Clara Gertler David Gladstone Morris Gold Jack Gold Esther Goldstein Abraham Goldstein Jack Golomb Daniel Goltzman Betty Goodman Maxwell Goody Sara Gorman Regina Gottlieb Sybil Graham Arthur Grant Thelma Greenblatt Frances Grossman Murray Grossman David Harris Harvey Hartsman Chayala Heller Rebecca Jacobson Louis Joseph Taubel Katz Helen Katz Molly Kazdan Carl King Howard Klein Joseph Klein Sylvia Klein Sharon Klotz Aron Kochman Aly Larson Stanley Lazar Mel Lefton Alexander Lifshitz Adele Lightman
Ernest Manuel Lightstone Miriam Luft Paul Mac Fred Major Goldie Maltz Messouda Maman Alice Maman Sima Mastey Silvia Meretsky Lionel Miller Marcia Miller-Brassel Ben Mincer David Moran Claire Morry Esther Murray Annette Myerson Wolfe Nayman Rose Newman Lois Newman Manny Norman Annie Novitsky Olga Offseyer Mircea Oprisan Samuel Pancer Amalia Panzer Dora Posner Ann Presant Alfred Press Annie Reif Lillian Romm Celia Roth Helen Rumanek Sol Rumanek Joseph Rygier Isaac Sacks Anna Schmeiser Fela Schmeiser Alodar Shanto Bayla Shaul Bella Sherman Hilda Shifman Lola Shlaferman Ida Shopiro Abraham Yaakov Shoub Samuel Slobod Joseph Sonshine Harry Stein Aaron Joseph Steinberg Chana Stricker Esther Strom Louis Swimmer Fanny Tittel Rose Tobis Sylvia Toplitsky Mina Tucker Sam Urowitz Anne Venick Ida Waine Blima Waxberg Max Weinstock Lorne Weisberg George Weiss Isadore Weisz Esther Wintre Benjamin Wosnick Harold Zacks Fanny Zweig
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