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Welcome To TheFiveTowns e-Newsletter
Today is Friday
August 26th, 2016
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Parashat Eikev
Candle Lighting- 7:18
Shabbat Ends- 8:16
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Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis, and...
By: Suri Davis-Stern
This week we experienced the loss of one of modern Judaism's greatest representatives and gifts, Esther Jungreis. She was a Rebbetzin, the world leader of Hineni International, a kiruv organization, a mother and lecturer. She was a Holocaust survivor.
My earliest memories of Rebbetzin Jungreis was as a child, listening to my mother talk about her. I grew up in the '70s, an era of cults, and parents were losing their kids to cults as the kids experimented with drugs and alcohol. The Rebbetzin took on the cults, head to head, or I should say, heart to heart, for she understood that at the core of the cult search was really a search for love and meaning in life.
Rebbetzin Jungreis spoke to their heart. And they listened. And she worked to de-program these children after recapturing them from the cults. The cults were a strong influence, the Rebbetzin, was more powerful. She reclaimed Jewish youth, and showed them the beauty of Torah and Judaism, and until a few months ago, she stayed on her lecture circuit, inspiring millions all over the world.
With the death of Rebbetzin Jungreis, we lost an asset, a diamond, which is felt worldwide.
My thoughts went to another female Holocaust survivor I recently met. She is a Professor of Holocaust studies at the University of Maryland. I asked if I could ask her a question, she said certainly. I asked her how as an Orthodox survivor she was able to say the words in the first paragraph of Bentsching/Grace after meals:
"He (God) gives nourishment to all flesh...we have never lacked, and may we never lack nourishment...and He prepares food for all of His creatures..."
After all, in the Holocaust, she saw such deprivations, including food deprivation, how can she say these words after her Holocaust experiences. She answered that there were times when she needed extra food and knew where the scraps were leftover from the guards' meals and she could find more...
And then I reread the first paragraph and I submit to you a different reading of the first words:
"Blessed are You, Hashem, our God, King of the universe, Who nourishes the entire world, in His Goodness, with grace, with kindness and with mercy." The simple meaning is that G-d provides us with food out of His kindness. But I submit that maybe the alternative reading is that He nourishes us not [merely] with food, but He nourishes us with grace, kindness and mercy, He fills the world with these positive attributes.
Those who remained Orthodox in the Holocaust feel that they survived by G-d's grace, kindness and mercy. They sustained themselves with the belief that He was still up above helping them to survive each day.
It must have been very difficult sustaining hope during the Holocaust. The Jews were targeted because they were Jews. It must have been hard after the Holocaust to "market" Judaism, the world's historically greatest target. Not only did Rebbetzin Jungreis survive with her emunah/faith/belief in tact, it was so very strong, that she could market Judaism to those searching for love and meaning, and revealed to the world that indeed G-d is still very much present and continues to nourish the world with His grace, kindness and mercy.
Shabbat Shalom.
-Suri
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WE THE FIVE TOWNS.COM...
A DECADE STRONG
Ten years ago, there was no community website.
I came up with the idea of uniting the different segments
of our community, and together we have built a
community website with over 750,000 readers
in over 160 countries!!!
TO CELEBRATE,
Today we come up with our third generation website,
with all the Five Towns information on one easy to
read page. Community and national news, Mazel Tovs
and Funeral Notices
secular and Jewish news, and all up to the moment,
so you know the Five Towns traffic and weather,
when it is time to light shabbos candles, we have
archived our articles from Slovie Wolff, Rivki Rosenwald
and myself and much more.
We would love your feedback at
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Sweet or Bitter?
Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS
The bitter sweet joy of a wedding.
Some may say, for the parents making the wedding it's a bittersweet event-having a child move out, verses gaining another child.
I say there are much more immediate pulling forces at play. Admittedly, they are more superficial forces, but, many are bittersweet for the person making the simcha, as well as the guests that attend.
For example - as the wedding day approaches there is the anticipation of a meaningful , fun, party. But it is daunted by the need to make "THE overwhelming seating plan"! I would say this is the moment of greatest tension. Try and seat approximately 500 friends and strangers next to one another in such a way that they will enjoy the table that they are at and feel they are in correct proximity to the dance floor yet placed enough distance from the band. Also do it as close to the actual wedding, trying not to count one extra person, yet, making sure not to leave out one person who is actually coming either! And then -do it all while the caterer is calling every 20 seconds to say "I need your count or the room won't be ready on time for your affair "!!!!!
Another pulling force at work is wanting the most laibadik music playing for the dancing, but, still wanting to hear anyone talking to you or preserve your hearing at all.
Here's a perpetual challenge: wanting to try to taste every single item at the smorgasbord, verses having only the ten minutes you arrived in, before the ceremony, to do it in!
And -Do any of these speak to you?:
Welcome!
By Rabbi Eli Scheller
You shall love the proselyte for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. (Deut. 10:19)
Aaron was very nervous. He had just moved to a new community and wasn't sure what it would be like. Would he fit in? Would the people be nice? He walked in to Shul nervous and tense; it was his first time attending. He looked around hoping someone would come over but no one said a word to him. He found an empty seat and sat down. A minute later a man walked over and tapped him on the shoulder. Aaron felt excited that finally someone would make him feel at home.
"I'm sorry," the man said, "but you're sitting in someone's seat. Please vacate it."
Aaron stood up and remained in the aisle; feeling extremely uncomfortable...
Although converts are included in the commandment to love one's fellow Jew, the Torah nevertheless added an additional mitzvah to love the convert who is a stranger to his new environment. The Chinuch broadens this commandment to include all strangers, such as a newcomer to a neighborhood, a new student in a school, or a new employee.
When someone is in a new situation he feels insecure and uncomfortable. Just doing a small thing such as approaching him with a warm smile and asking him his name may help him in a big way. "Although to the world you may be just one person, but to one person you may just be the world!"
One Source
By Adam Lieberman
In this week's Torah portion, Moses tells the Jewish people that after they enter the Land of Israel they must:
"Take care lest your forget the Lord, your God ... and you build good houses and ... you increase silver and gold ... and everything you have will increase ... and you will forget the Lord, your God, who took you out of ... Egypt from a house of slavery..." (Deuteronomy 8:11-14)
A LIFE LESSON
Moses made an emphatic plea to all of the Jewish people never to forget that God is the true and only source of everything - including all of the monetary success they ever have. Why was it necessary for Moses to drive this point home with such intensity?
The reason is that human beings habitually feel that when things go well, it was their doing and not God's. But if things go poorly, then it's God's fault and not theirs. We tend to take personal credit for things that go well in our lives and blame others if they go poorly. Think about it.
When something isn't going right in our lives (and if we believe that God exists and has the power to give us anything) we usually ask God to make things better. Whether it's through formalized prayer or a heartfelt request, we really do instinctively recognize the true and only source of everything and will ask the One who can instantly make something change. And although it might not be exactly what that you asked for or in your time table (because only God knows what's truly best for you), God usually answers our prayers. The fact is, God delivers time and time again.
Moses knew this all too well. But he also knew human nature just as well. So, he pleaded with the Jewish people that when "everything you have will increase," don't forget for one second who gave it to you.
Sadly, we forget this over and over again. We look at our newfound changed circumstances and somehow take personal credit for what we now have. If you're going to "blame" God when things don't go your way and ask Him to make things much better for you, simply saying "Thank God" when things get better isn't enough. Because unless you live with the reality that it was God Who made things better, then you will have missed an enormous opportunity to get closer to the One who controls all.
It's amazing just how often we quickly forget that it was God who we had just been praying to. Yes, He wants us to put in the effort to show to Him, ourselves, and those around us that we really do want something. And we have a Torah obligation to put forth this effort. But in the end, it is God who delivers and not us and He wants us to fight our inbred desire to take credit for something that we were actually given.
Don't forget Who the only source of your blessings is. In the same way you don't take credit for your sparkling blue eyes, the picturesque sunset, or the gorgeous multi-colored rose bush, so too, don't take credit for your monetary success. Know that the same source of "nature" that surrounds you is the same source of everything else you have. If you can live with this reality, know that you'll literally be walking with God.
WEATHER IN THE FIVE TOWNS
This Afternoon
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 90. Heat index values as high as 96. Southwest wind 8 to 11 mph.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with a low around 73. West wind around 8 mph becoming north after midnight.
Saturday
Sunny, with a high near 86. North wind around 9 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.
Saturday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 71. Southeast wind 6 to 8 mph.
Sunday
Sunny, with a high near 83. Southeast wind 6 to 8 mph.
Sunday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 71.
Monday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 85.
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COMMUNITY EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
CEDARHURST AND LONG BEACH
SUMMER CONCERT SERIES INFO
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Bnai Brith Lodge Update
Forthcoming AARP Defensive Driving Sessions with Prof. Asher J. Matathias
*Wednesday, September 14, all day, 9:30am-3:30pm, Peninsula Public Library, 280 Central Avenue, Lawrence, NY 11559 516-239-3262
**Thursdays, October 6 & 13, 6:30pm, Peninsula Public Library, 280 Central Avenue, Lawrence, NY 11559 516-239-3262
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Wednesday, November 16, all day, 9:30am-3:30pm, Peninsula Public Library, 280 Central Avenue, Lawrence, NY 11559 516-239-3262
*Tuesday,
December 6, all day, 9:30am-3:30pm,
Peninsula Public Library, 280 Central Avenue, Lawrence, NY 11559 516-239-3262
Our dear Gloria (Pomerantz), In the course of setting up for this month's Defensive Driving class, I learned of your decision to conclude a 50 year stellar career as our Peninsula Public Library's exceptional public face to our community in the post of outreach coordinator! My reaction was mixed, of course: astonishment to amass your remarkable record of accomplishment, while not begrudging your deserved retirement, in your chosen time, which will permit you more time with Bernie and the extended family. For me, you shall be missed as the understanding, encouraging voice of my endeavors in our broader community
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Specializing in Multi-State and International NY/Israel Probate
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