Patriots and Blessings

Patriots and Blessings

At Jewish Newport

By Aaron Ginsburg

April 25, 2020

Thank you to Rabbi Marc Mandel 

and at

https://www.facebook.com/groups/jewishnewport/

Hello everyone!

I hope you are in good health and being safe. 

Welcome to Shabbat. Let’s do the best we can to step away from the current crisis.

Monday was Patriots’ Day in Massachusetts and in three other states. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts established the holiday in 1894. It commentrates the Battles of Lexington and Concord, and the Battle of Menotomy (Arlington, Massachusetts), the first battles of the American Revolution. The battle of Menotomy was the bloodiest. 5100 militia men from Middlesex and Essex Counties hid in houses, stone walls, fields and barns. In one house 11 militiamen died. Watch the video!

If you have a sister in Lexington, as I do, you will have gone to the town common at 6:00 AM to see the Lexington part of the Battle re-enacted. This year the re-enactment was replaced by a video which is both fun and moving. When watching, consider going into the settings ( a cog wheel) and going viewing it at 2x. Do you see my sister Beth Levine in the video? It’s nice to have a star in the family. 

Did I mention that Patriots’ Day is also Boston Marathon Day?

Rabbi Marc Mandel shared a brief Torah message with us,

“While the world searches for a vaccine for Covid-19, there are other things that we can do that don't require a prescription or have side effects. We can pray. Jews have always had prayer in their tool kits - why should things be different now?  There have been several new prayers that have recently been composed for our current situation. Here is one below.”

The poem was written by Rabbi Peretz Rodman who lives in Jerusalem and edited by Ze’ev Kainan. Rabbi Rodman is a New Englander, whose grandparents lived in Bristol. I met him when I was picking up my son at Camp Ramah in Palmer, Massachusetts. When I go to Israel, we make a point of getting together. 

תפילה לרפואה בעת הזאת

רוֹפֵא חוֹלִים, רְפָא נָא לָנוּ.

הַגְבֵּר אֶת רוּחֵנוּ וְטַע בָּנוּ חֹסֶן

ֹשֶיַּעֲבִירֵנוּ בַּמַּגֵּפָה בְּשָׁלוֹם.

רְפָא-נָא לַגּוּף ֹשֶל כָּל מִי ֹשֶהֻכָּה בַּנְּגִיף

וּרְפָא נָא לַנֶּפֶֹש ֹשֶל כָּל מִי ֹשֶסּוֹבֵל.

רְפָאֵנוּ וְנֵרָפֵא, הוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ וְנִוָֹּשֵעַ, כִּי גוֹאֵל חָזָק אָתָּה.

מַתִּיר אֲסוּרִים, עָזְרֵנוּ בִּימֵי הֶסְגֵּר.

בְּעֵת נְעִילַת ֹשַעֲרֵי בָּתֵינוּ, פְּתַח לָנוּ אֶת ֹשַעֲרֵי לִבֵּנוּ.

ֹשַחְרְרֵנוּ מִכָּל פַּחַד וַחֲרָדָה.

מוֹרִיד הַטַּל, בָּרְכֵנוּ בְּאָבִיב רַךְ, בַּאֲוִיר צַח,

בְּחַלּוֹנוֹת פְּתוּחִים עַל יַד הַדְּלָתוֹת הַסְּגוּרוּת.

בַּעַל גְּבוּרוֹת, מִי דוֹמֶה-לָךְ? מֶלֶךְ מֵמִית וּמְחַיֶּה וּמַצְמִיחַ יְֹשוּעָה.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה, בַּעַל הַגְּבוּרוֹת וְרַב לְהוֹשִׁיעַ.

                                           חיבר: פרץ רודמן, ערך: זאב קינן

A Prayer for Healing in the Current Situation

Healer of all who are ill, grant us healing.

Strengthen our spirit, and plant within us resilience

that will carry us through this plague in peace.

Heal the body of everyone struck with the threatening virus,

and heal the souls of all who suffer.

Heal us and we shall be healed, save us and we shall be saved,

for You are a mighty rescuer.

You who free all who are bound up, help us in these days of quarantine.

As the gates of our homes are shut, open for us the gates of our hearts.

Liberate us from all fear and anxiety.

You who bring down the dew, bless us with a soft spring, with fresh air,

with open windows beside the closed doors.

Master of mighty deeds, who is like You?

You are a ruler who brings us both death and life

and makes our salvation flourish.

Praised are You, master of mighty deeds and abundant salvation.

- translation of a Hebrew prayer composed by Peretz Rodman and edited by Ze’ev Kainan

Shabbat Shalom from Jewish Newport!

A Life of Blessing

A Life of Blessing

At Jewish Newport

April 18th 2020

by Aaron Ginsburg

With thanks to  Rebecca Beit-Aharon and Rabbi Marc Mandel

Also at https://www.facebook.com/groups/jewishnewport/

Dear Friends,

Pizza in Cairo Egypt photo
by Aaron Ginsburg

I hope you had a sweet Passover, and that you enjoyed your first post-Passover meal.

Touro Synagogue usually has three opportunities for us to meet together virtually each week to learn, to pray and to hang out. If you need information please contact me at aaron.ginsburg@gmail.com.

On Monday, April 20 at 7:30 PM, we will join together for a virtual Yom Hashoah.

—

Rabbi Marc Mandel of Touro Synagogue, Newport, Rhode Island shared a short message and a prayer with Jewish Newport:

“The Shabbat before the start of a Jewish month (Rosh Chodesh) is known as Shabbat Mevarchim, ‘the Shabbat when we bless.’ On this day, during the synagogue service, we recite a special blessing for the new month and announce the timing of Rosh Chodesh. 

“This Shabbat is Shabbat Mevorchim, and due to our current health crisis, we should have special concentration when we recite this prayer, especially since we won't be saying it in a regular Minyan. Shabbat Shalom!”

Here is the Rosh Chodesh blessing:

“May it be Your will, the Eternal our God, to grant us long life, a life of peace, a life of good, a life of blessing, a life of sustenance, a life of vigor of the bones, a life in which there is fear of sin, a life free from shame and embarrassment, a life of riches and honor, a life in which we may be filled with love of Torah and awe of Heaven, a life in which You will fulfill all of our hearts’ desires for good.” 

יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ. שֶׁתְּחַדֵּשׁ עָלֵינוּ אֶת הַחוֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לְטוֹבָה וְלִבְרָכָה. וְתִתֶּן לָנוּ חַיִּים אֲרוּכִים. חַיִּים שֶׁל שָׁלוֹם. חַיִּים שֶׁל טוֹבָה. חַיִּים שֶׁל בְּרָכָה. חַיִּים שֶׁל פַּרְנָסָה. חַיִּים שֶׁל חִלּוּץ עֲצָמוֹת. חַיִּים שֶׁיֵשׁ בָּהֶם יִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם וְיִרְאַת חֵטְא. חַיִּים שֶׁאֵין בָּהֶם בּוּשָׁה וּכְלִמָּה. חַיִּים שֶׁל עשֶׁר וְכָבוֹד. חַיִּים שֶׁתְּהֵא בָנוּ אַהֲבַת תּוֹרָה וְיִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם. חַיִּים שֶׁיְּמַּלֵא יְהֹוָה מִשְׁאֲלוֹת לִבֵּנוּ לְטוֹבָה בִּזְכוּת תְּפִלַּת (רַב) רַבִּים. אָמֵן סלה

—

During these difficult days it is hard to get away from the Corona pandemic that grabs our country and the world. I have traveled to the area many times and am in shock.

On Monday, I learned that Dokshitsy, Belarus, neighboring Parafyanovo, Belarus, and Minsk, the Belarusian capital, are also experiencing major coronavirus outbreaks. 

Many Newport families—including Friedman, Adelson, Shapiro, Markman, Rosoff, Mendel, Rosoff, Kraut, Teitz, Kusinitz, and Ginsburg—trace their roots to this area. I have met many people in the Dokshitsy District, and there are Kusinitz relatives in Minsk. Please include them in your prayers for life and health.

Shabbat Shalom from Jewish Newport.

The Big Sleep

The Big Sleep

At Jewish Newport

by Aaron Ginsburg

April 3, 2020

aaron.ginsburg@gmail.com

Also at https://www.facebook.com/groups/jewishnewport/

Rabbi Marc Mandel of Newport’s Touro Synagogue sent a brief message to our readers:

“The Shabbat which precedes Passover is called Shabbat haGadol, the Great Sabbath, for many and varied reasons. In some Sephardic communities, it is customary, when greeting one another on this Shabbat, to add the title of the day: Shabbat haGadol Mevorach, a blessed Shabbat HaGadol. This year especially, this seems like an excellent custom for us to do. May we all have a blessed Shabbat Hagadol.”

But why is it called Shabbat haGadol (the great or the big Shabbat)? At our session today at 4:PM Rabbi Mandel quoted an article from Wikipedia but focused on the haftarah from the prophet Malachai which ends, 

וְהֵשִׁ֤יב לֵב־אָבוֹת֙ עַל־בָּנִ֔ים וְלֵ֥ב בָּנִ֖ים עַל־אֲבוֹתָ֑ם פֶּן־אָב֕וֹא וְהִכֵּיתִ֥י אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ חֵֽרֶם׃

[הנה אנכי שלח לכם את אליה הנביא לפני בוא יום יהוה הגדול והנורא]

“He shall reconcile parents with children and children with their parents, so that, when I come, I do not strike the whole land with utter destruction. Lo, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before the coming of the awesome[Gaddol], fearful day of the LORD.”

Passover brings children and parents together. We open our doors to see if Elijah is coming, since that would mean the Messiah was coming. Most commentators say this passage in Malachi is where the Shabbat Hagodol gets its name, but there are other possibilities, or more likely they are a but of sarcasm directed at the big ones in more recent times.

Wikipedia tells us that it is customary for the rabbi to give a long sermon during the afternoon of Shabbat Hagadol. Zedekiah ben Abraham Anav (1210 – c. 1280) who lived in Rome said it is called “Hagadol” because of the length of the sermon, which drags on and drags out the day along with it.

There is nothing new about falling asleep while the rabbi speaks. In the midrash, Bereishit Rabbah 58,3 we read, 

רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא הָיָה יוֹשֵׁב וְדוֹרֵשׁ וְהַצִּבּוּר מִתְנַמְנֵם בִּקֵּשׁ לְעוֹרְרָן אָמַר מָה רָאֲתָה אֶסְתֵּר שֶׁתִּמְלֹךְ עַל שֶׁבַע וְעֶשְׂרִים וּמֵאָה מְדִינָה, אֶלָּא תָּבוֹא אֶסְתֵּר שֶׁהָיְתָה בַּת בִּתָּהּ שֶׁל שָׂרָה שֶׁחָיְתָה מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים וָשֶׁבַע וְתִמְלֹךְ עַל מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים וְשֶׁבַע מְדִינוֹת. 

“Rabbi Akiva was once sitting and lecturing, and the community [his students] was falling asleep. To arouse them, he said: How could Esther rule over one hundred and twenty seven provinces? It should be that Esther, a descendant of Sarah who lived to one hundred and twenty seven, to rule over one hundred and twenty seven provinces.”

And what does that mean? If Esther ruled 127 provinces, she didn’t have time to waste a second. If we want to accomplish anything, we should not waste our limited time on this world.

Fortunately in Newport we don’t have to worry about falling asleep during a long speech from Rabbi Mandel. He speaks so briefly there is not enough time to catch even forty winks.

Shabbat haGadol Mevorach from Jewish Newport!

Upcoming programs at CJI (If you need a link, send an email message to aaron.ginsburg@gmail.com):

Monday, April 6 at 7:30pm 

Newport Passover Memories

Tuesday, April 7th at 7:30pm

Virtual Search For Chametz With Rabbi Mandel

Wednesday, April 8th at 5:30pm

Virtual Model Seder With Rabbi Mandel

@tourosynagoguenewport

A New Month and a New Year

A New Month and a New Year

At Touro Synagogue

March 27-28, 2020

Also at https://www.facebook.com/groups/jewishnewport/

By Aaron Ginsburg

aaron.ginsburg@gmail.com

Thanks to Rabbi Marc Mandel

Earlier this week we celebrated the first day of the month of Nissan. In Jewish life there are several first months of the year. Nisan was the first month in Assyria, and when Israel was under Assyria influence, it followed Assyria’s calendar. 

Rabbi Marc Mandel, of Newport’s Touro Synagogue sent a message about Shabbat,

“This Shabbat, we find ourselves in a pattern of newness. A new book is beginning in the Torah, the Book of Leviticus. And we are in the new month of Nisan. At this time, we also find ourselves in a new experience, one that we did not anticipate. But we should learn from the Jewish calendar that, just as the calendar teaches us to start new, and find hope in new challenges, so too, should we find hope and inspiration for a better future, as we deal with the current crisis. The month of Nisan is the month of redemption and let us hope and pray that we will see the Redemption of the entire world from the current situation.”

At our pre-shabbat  learning and prayer meeting we had at least 21 sign-ins, representing about twenty-three people.Among them was Naomi Kabak who lives in New York. Rabbi Mandel spoke of our concern with the  current situation in New York.

 Rabbi Mandel discussed the first sentence of Leviticus:

וַיִּקְרָ֖א אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיְדַבֵּ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֵלָ֔יו מֵאֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵ֖ד לֵאמֹֽר׃ 

The LORD called to Moses and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying: 

In the Torah, the aleph that concludes the first word is written smaller than the other letters. One commentator said, “When Moses wrote the Torah down, he made the aleph smaller out of modesty. This changes the word to be less formal and more general. Moses was modest, and didn’t want to stand out by having God call directly to him.” Another commentary said that God was specifically calling Moses, and did not include Aaron, who was included on a previous occasion. 

Rabbi Mandel mentioned that there was a lot of discussion about the cloud that God was in, and drolly told us that being in the cloud was not new! I know I have my head in the cloud most of the time.

There was commentary on the last word in the phrase, “saying (lemor).” This could be read as two words, “Lo amor!” meaning “Do not say!” This makes the word a double entendre. When someone tells you something, it is private unless the speaker gives permission to repeat it. This is a way of recognizing that some matters are confidential, including both personal and business information. In the context of the Torah, when God wanted Moses to relay a message to the children of Israel, he would make it clear, as he did in verse 2 of Leviticus,

דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם אָדָ֗ם 

Speak to the Israelite people, and say to them: 

After our Friday evening learning, we sang excerpts from the Psalm and Lecha Dodi. Rabbi Mandel discussed Lecha Dodi with a friend, and decided that although it welcomes Shabbat, Shabbat starts with the next reading, the Psalm for Shabbat.

https://reformjudaism.org/blog/2016/03/18/torah-haiku-vayikra

During our new situation we meet online instead of in person. Congregation Jeshuat Israel sponsors several opportunities to meet, Next week we will have three opportunities in addition to Friday pre-shabbat. For information email me at aaron.ginsburg@gmail.com

CJI Virtual Program Schedule For Next Week.

Monday, March 30 at 7:30pm 

A Virtual Tour of Jamestown with Delia Klingbeil.

Delia Klingbeil lives in Jamestown with her husband Ralph.

She is an amateur photographer, and also serves as the secretary 

of the Jamestown Historical Society. 

Tuesday, March 31 at 7:30pm

Reuniting Families Through Genealogy With Aaron Ginsburg

Aaron has 25 years of experience in genealogical research. He has spoken before the Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Boston, at the annual convention of the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies, and before Jewish groups in the United States and Ukraine. He has helped several clients with their genealogical journeys and created a shtetl community to help restore a Jewish cemetery in Belarus.

Wednesday, April 1 at 7:30pm

Virtual Torah Class With Rabbi Mandel

Passover and the Bible 

Chazak, Chazak

Chazak, Chazak

At Touro Synagogue
Newport, RI

March 20-21, 2020

Also at https://www.facebook.com/groups/jewishnewport/

By Aaron Ginsburg aaron.ginsburg@gmail.com

Thanks to Rabbi Marc Mandel

Today is a special Shabbat, Shabbat Hachodesh, that is the shabbat before Rosh Chodesh Nissan, before the month of Nissan.

Friday at 4 PM with Rabbi Marc Mandel

To prepare for Shabbat, at 4:00 PM on Friday several of us participated in learning with Rabbi Marc Mandel. He discussed the special torah reading,  Exodus 12:1-20 using Sefaria https://www.sefaria.org/texts  a source for Jewish texts and commentary. He reviewed the first two verses:

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֣ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֔ן בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם לֵאמֹֽר׃ 

The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt:

הַחֹ֧דֶשׁ הַזֶּ֛ה לָכֶ֖ם רֹ֣אשׁ חֳדָשִׁ֑ים רִאשׁ֥וֹן הוּא֙ לָכֶ֔ם לְחָדְשֵׁ֖י הַשָּׁנָֽה׃ 

This month shall mark for you the beginning of the months; it shall be the first of the months of the year for you.

Rabbi Mandel pointed to Rashi’s commentary which asked, “Why did God speak to Aaron rather than Moses?” Rashi pointed out that Aaron was just

as involved in the miracles of Exodus as Moses.

Although we like to think the Torah was given at Sinai, the command about “this month” was given before that, while the Israelites were still in Egypt. Rabbi Mandel explained that one of the first things a nation does is to create its own calendar. Israel had used the Egyptian calendar for over 400 years.

Sefaria includes Jewish liturgy. Using a sephardic siddur, we read and sang several Psalms from Kabbalat Shabbat. Three quarters of our prayers come from Psalms. We omitted Lechah Dodi, which accepts the Shabbat. It was too early for that. Rabbi Mandel will consult with his colleagues to decide which prayers are appropriate. 

When you paint a room, a lot of the work is in the preparation, cleaning or washing the walls, moving the furniture, and using a drop cloth to protect the floors and carpets. 

photo caption:The Golden Haggadah preparing for Passover ca 1320. top Left, the leader ordering distrubuiting Matza and haroset, top left, Miriam with timbrel and maidens with musical instruments, Bottom left, sheep are slaughtered for Passover and untesils are purified, bottom right man with candle searchinf for hametz, woman and children cleaning house.

During Nissan, we celebrate Passover, which also takes a lot of preparation, shopping, cleaning, cooking and studying including the study of new and old tunes. The preparations are worth it so we can experience the joy of being in a newly painted room or joining a seder.

Although we will not be in shul, Rabbi Mark Mandel shared some words of Torah, 

“This week we are scheduled to read the last two Parshas in the Book of Exodus. That means, we would say, ‘Chazak, Chazak, V'nitchazek’ at the end of the reading, which means, ‘Be strong, be strong, and Be Strengthened.’ How fitting that we say this now, as we face a crisis that challenges all of us. We say to each other, ‘Be strong - we can get through this.’”

To face the current crisis, part of what we do involves preparation. Both as individuals and as a community, we need to think about having enough food and sundries, about how to keep busy, and how to avoid getting sick or getting other people sick. We also need to think how we can spread our wings to help people who are alone or vulnerable. 

In spite of our best efforts things may not work out. There might be drips on the wall or roller marks on the ceiling, seders may be marred by minor or major problems, and preparations for Corona may fail to protect lives.

And so we say together, ‘Chazak, Chazak, V'nitchazek’

Shabbat Shalom from Jewish Newport!