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Vayakhel Pekudei HaChodesh
 Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky 

Dear Shaare Family,

Last year, Purim and March 17 coincided, leading to a spate of green and Irish-themed costumes (I wore a green tie to the Purim Seudah). Purim seems to have been a dispensation for what would otherwise certainly fall under the category of chukkat akum, the prohibition against behaving in ways associated with gentiles; celebrating a Christian holiday certainly would fall under that heading. But if a Jew is not allowed to celebrate St. Patrick’s day, it doesn’t mean that the rich Jewish heritage of Ireland should be forgotten- especially in the realm of Rabbinic leaders. 

Perhaps the best known Chief Rabbi of Ireland is Rav Dr. Yitzchak Isaac HaLevi Herzog, later to serve as Chief Rabbi of Mandatory Palestine. Born in Poland and raised in Paris, he was a talmudic genius with a brilliant Halachic mind who was revered by those he led and held in the highest regard by his colleagues. He was Rabbi in Belfast from 1916-1919, and then as Rabbi in Dublin from 1919-1922. From 1922-1936, he served as Chief Rabbi of Ireland, after which he emigrated to Palestine. Apparently, he spoke Gaelic fluently, and was a supporter of the Irish Republican cause during the Irish War of Independence; later, he supported the Irgun as well. 

Two occupants of the role of Chief Rabbi of Ireland went on to become Chief Rabbis of the United Kingdom. Lord Rabbi Dr. Imanuel Jakobovitz served as Chief Rabbi of Ireland from 1949-1958, after which he assumed the position of founding Senior Rabbi of the Fifth Avenue Synagogue in Manhattan, and then as the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the British Commonwealth from 1967-1991. Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis, about whom we’ve spoken in this space in the past, was Chief Rabbi of Ireland from 1985-1992. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention another Rabbi who held that position- Rabbi Dr. Yaakov Pearlman, from 2001-2008. Rabbi Pearlman is a native of Manchester who studied in Beth Medrash Govoha, the Lakewood Yeshiva, and served several decades as a congregational Rabbi and teacher in Rochester, New York- where he was my Rebbe in elementary school and a formative influence on my life.  

Aside from great Chief Rabbis, Ireland has produced native sons as well who were prominent Torah teachers. Rabbi Dr. Yehuda Cooperman revolutionized the field of Torah education for women as the founder of Michlalah Jerusalem College for Women. He taught thousands of students who have reached the highest levels in every field of endeavor, all in a thick Irish brogue. Another was Rabbi Cooperman’s first cousin, Rabbi Isaac Bernstein, an electrifying and unforgettable Rabbi and teacher of Torah in London, who served a four year stint as Rabbi of The Jewish Center in Manhattan from 1977-1981. Rabbi Bernstein possessed a sharp wit and a lyrical baritone, and he loved to sing. Unfortunately, Rabbi Bernstein passed away at the young age of 59, but his Torah classes can still be accessed through the OU’s All Parsha app and website each week and I highly recommend them. 

All of this is remarkable considering that the Irish Jewish community has been in a decline for decades. Last week, the Dublin Orthodox community announced that it would be putting up its only synagogue building for sale and moving to smaller quarters. 

Rabbi’s Recommendations

I highly recommend that you come to the annual Kosher Chili Cookoff, and vote for Shaare. It’s time for us to win…again!

Last Week’s MSOTW

The synagogue is named after the legendary banker philanthropist, who died in 1999 in an arson incident in Monaco. Mr. Safra paid for the refurbishment of many shuls across Europe, and for the construction of many others. Some other synagogues named for him include:

The Edmond J. Safra Synagogue in Monaco- as you can see, it is almost identical to the one in Manhattan

Edmond J. Safra Synagogue, Deal, New Jersey

Synagogue Edmond J. Safra in Paris

Edmond J. Safra Synagogue, Aventura, Floria

The Edmond J. Safra Synagogue, Tel Aviv

The Edmond J. Safra Synagogue, Rio De Janeiro

This Week’s MSOTW

The Rabbi’s Resources will be going on hiatus until Parshat Tazria, a week after Pesach. I will leave you, therefore, with a difficult question:

Name as many shuls or institutions outside of Italy that you can think of, that have an Aron Kodesh removed from defunct Renaissance and Baroque-era Italian shuls (I know of at least four). 

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky

Rabbi's Resources    |    Parshat Terumah 5783    |    Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky 

Dear Shaare Family,

This coming Tuesday, with God’s help, I have the privilege of traveling to Miami to attend the 20th anniversary Yarchei Kallah for Rabbis under the auspices of RIETS, from which I am honored to be ordained. It will be several days of intensive sessions, but will  also represent an opportunity to reconnect with friends serving around the world; for example, our Scholar in Residence, Rabbi Zsolt Balla, will also be in attendance. It will also be an opportunity for the Rabbinic community to show Hakarat HaTov to Rabbi Dr. Jacob J. Schacter, who has presided over these Yarchei Kallah experiences annually. In Rabbi Schacter’s honor, the participants put together a book whereby various Rabbis contributed sample speeches for lifecycle and other events. I was blessed to be among the few who could contribute a speech in honor of a building dedication, and am honored to have done so.

Rabbi’s Recommendations

In the past, I have compiled a playlist for the Yamim Noraim, and one for Pesach, and now I am honored to share with you my playlist for Purim. Drawing heavily from Chassidsh music and music from the Ashkenazi yeshiva world, with a Sephardic flavor as well, it will get you in the Purim spirit!

Mystery Shul Of The Week 

The outside of this landmark  Israeli shul has been expanded and remodeled several times, its architectural style changing completely in the century it has been in existence. The neighborhood has changed, too, and the fortunes of the shul have fluctuated with it, and now it is used especially for Jewish lifecycle events. Recently, a concerted effort has been made to revive the shul, and a campaign was approved to return it to its original appearance. Name the city, and the shul.  

Last Week’s MSOTW

While I may have been stumped by Stuart Wernick, our member Harel Rush texted me the answer within seconds of seeing the picture. With good reason, too- in 2019, he lained the Megillah there on Purim! I urge you to find Harel (and meet him if you haven’t already) and hear the story from him.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky

Rabbi's Resources    |    Yitro 5783    |    Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky 

Dear Shaare Family,

We are deeply saddened by the earthquake  in Turkey and Syria, and the astronomic numbers of casualties- over 15,000 as of this writing, and many hundreds of thousands of lives forever changed. When there is suffering in the world, our mandate is to set an example with our caring, compassion and kindness. A few weeks ago, we had the privilege of hosting Eli Beer of United Hatzalah of Israel, whose representatives are always first on the ground when there is a catastrophe like this, and this earthquake is no exception.  Please have the people of Turkey and Syria in your prayers.

In other news…

Our sages tell us that Yitro’s unique merit was that he caused an entire section to be added to the Torah (and is one of the few people with a Parsha named after them) because he counseled Moshe to create a tiered legal system in which he was not doing all the work himself. Failing to do so would lead, Yitro said, to burnout and ultimately to the perversion of justice. Indeed, organizing a legal system is one of the seven Noahide laws binding on all humanity. In this spirit, many of you (especially the women of Shaare) doubtless recall the appearance, at Shaare Tefilla, of Judge Ruchie Freier in November of 2019 (aka “The Before Times). She held us spellbound with stories of her path to the bench from the Chassidish community after starting college at age 30, law school at age 40, founding Ezras Nashim, a female volunteer EMT service,  and then being elected as a Civil Court Judge. This week, it was announced that Judge Freier has been named Acting Supreme Court Judge, the first Chassidic woman ever to fill the post. As she was appointed to fill a vacancy, she will have to run this summer for the position she currently occupies.

Hakarat HaTov Corner

Once again, I am grateful to the leadership of Congregation Shaar Hashomayim in Montreal for the opportunity for us to partner with them on a lecture series, in the context of their Shaar Learning Center. The title of the series is Bold, Brilliant and Banned, a discussion of controversial and groundbreaking books that were banned in their day. The classes will take place virtually for the next two week on Wednesday nights at 7 PM - I hope you can join us (the registration link is in the original email). 

Rabbi’s Recommendation

The Ten Commandments contain the prohibition against coveting - Lo Tachmod- rendered by our sages as the prohibition against coercing others to part with items they own and cherish because you want them. In some communities, there is a piyyut recited on Shavuot that describes the prohibitions surrounding each of the ten commandments. The legendary Chazzan Yossele Rosenblatt set the text to words with a choral accompaniment, performed here by the Lemmer brothers- Cantors Yanky and Shaare Tefilla favorite Shulem. 

Last Week’s Mystery Shul Of The Week

Congratulations to Perrin White for correctly identifying this as the Aron Kodesh of Congregation Zichron Eliezer of Cincinnati, a shul named after the legendary Rav Eliezer Silver zt”l, a talmudic genius from Lithuania who served as the city’s Chief Rabbi from 1931 until his death in 1968.

​​​​​​​Many of the city’s institutions, like the Cincinnati Hebrew Day School and Vaad Ho’Ir, were founded by him. Rav Silver was the President of the Agudath HaRabbonim and the Vaad Hatzalah, through which he saved the lives of thousands of Jews during the Holocaust. Chief Rabbi  whose Yahrtzeit was observed this past week and who was heavily involved in rescue efforts during WWII. 

Rav Silver was the grandfather of my Rebbe, Rav Ahron Silver of Yeshivat Kerem B’Yavneh (whose son is named Eliezer after him), and was the great-great grandfather of Donny Morris zt”l, who was killed in the Meron tragedy. 

Shabbat Shirah Shalom,

Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky

Rabbi's Resources    |    Bo 5783    |    Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky 

Dear Shaare Family,

A few years ahead of me in high school, there was a student with a gregarious personality and huge heart named Ben Chafetz. He never met a stranger, and had a way of making anyone feel comfortable within moments of meeting them - staying in touch over long distances and periods of time. I didn’t keep up with Ben as I should have, but every now and then I’d hear from different sources that he was living in Cleveland, was a successful entrepreneur and a devoted family man. Tragically, many, many people found out about Ben last weekend. 

Ben was, apparently, an experienced pilot and he and his friend Baruch Taub were traveling back from JFK to Cleveland on Thursday evening in a small plane, returning from a funeral in New York. A combination of severe weather, low cloud cover and engine problems led to Taub calling for urgent assistance even though they were only about a mile away from Westchester County Airport.  They lost contact immediately thereafter; an open field landing was impossible given the lack of visibility and the heavily wooded area. The plane, and their bodies, were recovered much later that evening. Ben sent a message to his wife and seven kids asking them to daven for him, and telling them that he loved them - a message that went out to his shul’s whatsapp group instead. 

At the heart wrenching funeral, and in social media posts afterward, we learned more about these two men - pillars of the Cleveland community who lived to help others. Baruch Taub was a mechanic who was known for his scrupulous integrity and deep humility; he had donated a Torah scroll to a shul nearby his auto shop - which he had built between two shuls to make it easier to attend minyan - but refused any recognition for his donation. Ben was dedicated to every aspect of the Cleveland community (he was, for example, a member of the Chevra Kadisha) who offered generous financial support to many local institutions. In fact, he also supported Torah institutions in other cities where he did business or visited, such as Las Vegas and Orlando, and the Chabad House in Bangalore, India, where he visited every six months. Ben was a passenger on the famous El Al flight that got diverted to Athens on account of Shabbos, and wrote about his experience here. In subsequent years, he led a fundraising effort to help Chabad of Athens build a Mikvah, as a gesture of gratitude for the unforgettable Shabbos they facilitated. In more recent years, he had begun arranging his daily schedule to allow for morning and evening Torah study. Dan Eleff, a Cleveland resident and the proprietor of Dan’s Deals, wrote poignantly about Baruch and Ben in these posts. 

The ever present and unanswerable theological challenge of the death of the righteous, especially at a young age, certainly rears its head when confronting these stories. It would be disingenuous to say that I miss Ben; I hadn’t spoken with him for close to 25 years. However, his big heartedness was evident even when I knew him. The world in general, and Jewish Cleveland in particular, is a better place because he was in it. May his and Baruch Taub’s memories be for a blessing, and may the lives their families continue to live be sterling tributes to the legacy left behind by their remarkable fathers and husbands. 

Mystery Shul Of The Week

This landmark shul was built in a unique architectural style by Polish and Russian Jews, who wanted a place to feel comfortable in contrast to the formal and stodgy shuls that already existed in this city. It has experienced a gas explosion, and, in rapid succession, dynamiting by the Nazis and attacks by far right revolutionaries within a few weeks in 1941. Name the shul, the city in which it is located, the architectural style and, for extra points, supply a photo. 
​​​​​​​

Last Week’s Mystery Shul Of The Week

The first synagogue in the British Commonwealth to be issued an official Coat of Arms is Congregation Machizkei Hadass, of Ottawa, Ontario, led for decades by the legendary Rabbi Reuven Bulka. Here is a picture of the sanctuary, with the Coat of Arms on the parochet.

For more information about the Coat of Arms, click here.

Kudos to Elli Brodbaker for being the first to identify the shul, though in all fairness, it was the shul where he davened throughout medical school…

Rabbi's Resources    |    Shemot 5783    |    Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky 

Dear Shaare Family,

As part of this year’s New Years Honours, King Charles bestowed a knighthood on Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis, for his work on behalf of the Jewish community especially in interfaith relations. Rabbi Sir Mirvis is the fourth consecutive Chief Rabbi to have been knighted; his predecessors- Rabbi Sir Israel Brodie, Lord Immanuel Jakobovits and Lord Jonathan Sacks all were as well (the latter two being elevated to a life peerage several years after their knighthood). While he hasn’t been formally knighted yet, Rabbi Mirvis has already been called in public by his new title- when he received the final bracha under the chuppah of a close friend of mine this past week!

Kudos to the many members who answered last week’s MSOTW, and correctly identified the shul(s) with which Rabbi Mirvis was affiliated - Elli Brodbaker was first in identifying the Finchley United Synagogue, known as “Kinloss,” the shul Rabbi Mirvis served before being named Chief Rabbi.

Special recognition to Perrin White who identified all the shuls Rabbi Mirvis served, the Adelaide Road Synagogue (below right)  in Dublin (now defunct), and the Western Marble Arch Synagogue In London. 

But my favorite answer (no offense to the others) came from Shelley Weiss, who attached the picture of the Beit Midrash in Yeshivat Kerem BeYavneh, where Rabbi Mirvis studied from 1973-1976, and where I studied 24 years later.

This Week’s MSOTW:
You can find a minyan any time of day or night at this landmark Jerusalem shul. On Friday nights after dinner, a legendary Rabbi used to deliver speeches on the Parsha that drew capacity crowds. Name the shul, and the Rabbi. 

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky

Rabbi's Resources    |    Shabbat  Parshat Vayigash    |    Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky 

Dear Shaare Family,

This Tuesday, we observe the fast of Asara BeTevet. In two plac   es in Tanach, (Melachim II 25:1, Yirmiyahu 52:4), the 10th of Tevet was the day on which Jerusalem was laid siege by the Babylonians, leading to the breach that happened months later on the 17th of Tammuz, and the destruction on the ninth of Av. In the book of Zechariah (8:19), it is identified as a fast day. For an excellent presentation of what Asara BeTevet is about,  see this short talk from Rivky Stern of Aleph Beta.

It is easy to overlook Asara BeTevet in the northern hemisphere; it is a short fast day (in the Southern hemisphere, it is the longest one), ending in Dallas at 6:11 PM. But to ignore Asara BeTevet would be a mistake; it is one of the most stringent of fast days, in some ways even more than Tisha B’Av. For example, normally, one is not permitted to enter Shabbos while starving or afflicted (Eruvin 41a), so one is not usually permitted to fast on Friday. Under our calendar system, Tisha B’av cannot fall on a Friday, yet if it did, it would be rescheduled to another day for this very reason. However, Asara BeTevet can and does fall on Friday, and it is observed on that day. As an aside, an interesting calendrical anomaly is that in certain secular years, Asara BeTevet does not occur at all, like in 2022. It will occur twice in 2023- on January 3, and December 22.  Even if you are not usually careful about the observance of fast days, if you are well enough to skip two meals, Asara BeTevet is a good day to start (obviously, if you are not, please speak to me and your physician). 

Hakarat HaTov Corner

A special thank you to Rabbi Howard Wolk for organizing last week’s kiddush luncheon and for sharing meaningful words of Torah on Shabbat morning, all in honor of our 36th anniversary. Thanks as well to Lowell Michaelson and Simcha Kosher Catering for a delicious spread, and to all those who sponsored and attended! 

Last Week’s MSOTW

Congratulations to Jeremy Hollander and Perrin White who correctly identified this shul as the The Lederman Shul in Bnei Brak. This is the shul where the Steipler Gaon, Rav Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky (1899-1985) davened, as did his son, Rav Chaim Kanievsky (1928-2022). Perhaps more famously, it was the shul where his daughter in law, Rebbetzin Batsheva Kanievsky (1932-2011) davened every single morning, often surrounded by women who came to receive blessings from her. The Steipler’s brother in law, Rav Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz (also known as the Chazon Ish) (1878-1953) was opposed to the use of the Israeli power grid on Shabbat, because of the difficulty of running a power plant under Shabbat-compliant guidelines. Furthermore, he asserted that even if a power plant could run permissibly, using its electricity would be forbidden, as the secular workers there do not respect Shabbat and using their electricity would show public approval of their actions. In Bnei Brak, many people still follow this ruling, and the Lederman Shul adheres to it strictly, following the directives of the Steipler and Rav Chaim Kanievsky. Indeed, Rav Chaim only permitted air conditioners run on generator power when it was brought to his attention that, in summer months, the lack of air conditioning was causing people to faint and presented a pikuach nefesh situation. Another interesting fact about the shul is that the windows have diagonal cross bars, and not perpendicular ones, because the Steipler was exceptionally careful to avoid forming a shape that resembles a cross. 

MSOTW

This prestigious shul used to be located in a different part of the city in which it is found, under a slightly different name, and was a center of Jewish life in that city. A changing neighborhood and the move of the city’s Jewish population to the suburbs led to its near closing. A rousing Rosh Hashanah speech by its senior Rabbi led to its relocation, and resuscitation. Name the shul, the city in which it is located, and, for extra points, the original name of the shul. 

Rabbi's Resources | Vayishlach 5783 | Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky 

Dear Shaare Family,

I am excited for an action-packed Shabbat and weekend at Shaare Tefilla! I know some of you have actually spent Shabbat in China, but for those who have never had the privilege, this weekend will give you a taste of the unexpectedly rich Jewish history there. Early Shabbat allows us to take advantage and I will be delivering my talk titled Safe Haven: The Amazing Story of The Mir Yeshiva’s Escape to Shanghai after davening, before dinner. This is a fascinating and riveting episode in Jewish history- I highly recommend attending, even if you are familiar with the story or some aspects of it. The riveting story will whet your appetite for our congregational Chinese dinner, and for author Waina Dai Randel’s talk on Shabbat morning about Jewish life in China. After serving a Chinese dinner on Friday night, find out on Shabbat afternoon between Mincha and Maariv what Jewish law says about Chinese food as Rabbinic Intern Yehuda Rosenberg delivers a shiur titled Chinese Food (On December 25th): Jewish Tradition or Halachic Problem?

Rabbi’s Recommendation

In preparation for this Shabbat, I’ve been reading Jonathan Kaufman’s book The Last Kings of Shanghai, about the two Jewish families, the Kadoories and the Sassoons, that controlled commercial life in Shanghai and helped save the lives of tens of thousands of Jews, as well as hundreds of thousands of Chinese. No doubt, Waina Dai Randel will speak more about these families on Shabbat morning.  I thank David Radunsky for making me aware of (and lending me a copy of) this fascinating book. 

Hakarat HaTov Corner

I am grateful to HKB”H that my most recent bout with COVID last week was a comparatively mild one, and that He brought Jessica into my life. Among her many other amazing qualities and wonderful things she does, she shouldered the immense task of running a busy household with, B”H, high spirited kids entirely by herself while I was in isolation. I am also grateful to HKB”H that this illness visited me on a week that wasn’t either the Shabbat of Song or Ariel Davis’s Bar Mitzvah!

MSOTW

This synagogue is the flagship synagogue of a robust and significant community of immigrants. Its Aron Kodesh is a replica of that of another well-known synagogue nearly 6,000 miles away. Name the synagogue, the city, the community of immigrants and, for extra points, the synagogue whose Aron Kodesh this one replicates. 

MSOTW from Two Weeks Ago

Congratulations to Perrin White, who correctly identified this as the “Soldiers’ Synagogue”  in Rostov-on-Don, Russia. It was constructed by Jews who had been conscripted into the Czar’s Army, and is the only synagogue left there after Rostov dozens of synagogues in its prime. In 1916, the rebbe of the Lubavitch Hasidic movement, Sholom Dov Ber Shneerson- the Rebbe Rashab- settled there with his family; in 1920, his son, Yosef Yitsḥak Shneerson, moved the Tomchei Temimim Yeshiva from Lubavitch to Rostov. The town remained a center of Lubavitch activity until 1924.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky

Rabbi's Resources | Vayera 5783 | Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky 

Dear Shaare Family,

This past week marked the 84th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the night marking the destruction of thousands of German Synagogues and Jewish-owned businesses. On the evening of November 9, 1938, the upper echelons of the Nazi leadership participated in a festive gathering in the Munich Town Hall, celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Beer Hall Putsch. At about 10:30 PM, a group of the revelers left the hall, and headed toward the Ohel Jakob Synagogue in Munich, setting it on fire. The synagogue was completely incinerated, including Torah scrolls and sacred objects. Joseph Goebbels records in his diary that he tried to alert the fire department that the synagogue was on fire (likely because of the risk the conflagration posed to non-Jewish property), but was unsuccessful. It seems that the order to destroy the synagogue (and so many others) originated either directly or implicitly from Hitler himself. The Jewish community had to pay for the cost of clearing the rubble of the synagogue afterward. 



The Ohel Jakob synagogue was the hub of the more traditional, Orthodox community in Munich, which broke away from the Grossgemeinde (the umbrella community) when they began to adopt more liberal practices associated with the nascent Reform movement. The synagogue was completed in 1892; despite its majestic appearance, it was relatively small- the sanctuary seated 150 people. There was a school attached to the synagogue, and the community was led by the revered Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Dr. Chanoch Ehrentreu, for over 40 years, until his passing in 1927. 

68 years after Kristallnacht, in November of 2003, the cornerstone was placed for a new Synagogue in Munich with the same name/ Funded by the City of Munich, the State of Bavaria and funds from the Jewish community, the magnificent structure was the result of an architectural competition won by Rena Wandel-Hoefer and Wolfgang Lorch. It seats 550 people, and is accessed, for security reasons, by an underground tunnel. The complex of the synagogue includes a kosher restaurant as well. Congratulations to Steven Bock for being the first to identify it as last week’s Mystery Shul Of The Week.



Rabbi’s Recommendations

On June 2, 2009, a remarkable event took place at this synagogue. Two Rabbis- Zsolt Balla and Avraham Radbil- became the first Orthodox Rabbis ordained in Germany since before World War II. They studied at Yeshiva Beis Zion- the Berlin Rabbinical Seminary. Rabbi Balla is now the state Rabbi of Saxony, and in 2021, he became the first Rabbinic Chaplain of the Bundeswehr, the German Military, in over a century.

I have gotten to know Rabbi Balla over the years, and I am pleased to tell you that he will be our Scholar in Residence on the weekend of February 24-25, 2023. He is a talented Torah scholar (with a lovely voice, too) who has many fascinating stories to tell and great insight into the state of Jewish life in Germany today. I hope you will be able to join us!

Mystery Shul Of The Week



When the shul where this stained glass window is located was built, a critic decried it as the sign of “a society that cannot tell the difference between beauty and extravagance.” Identify the shul. 

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky

Rabbi's Resources | Noach 5783 | Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky 

Dear Shaare Family,

Yesterday, Rosh Chodesh Marcheshvan, marked the 400th anniversary of the publication of a fascinating work- Hashirim Asher Lishlomo by the composer Salamone Rossi, or Shlomo Min HaAdumim. Rossi was a groundbreaking and innovative figure whose music straddled the period between the Renaissance and Baroque eras. His polyphonic music  (meaning that it featured many voices singing in harmony) sounds a great deal like his contemporaries, like Claudio Monteverdi- except that the text was all from Tehillim, or prayers from the Siddur. Nothing like this had been done in the world of synagogue music. Joshua Jacobson, Director of the Zamir Chorale, produced a lecture in honor of the occasion, with fascinating biographical information and amazing musical examples of Rossi’s output- it is well worth watching. 

Mystery Shul Of The Week



This shul is a replica of another shul on a different continent. A moving ceremony took place a few months ago, adding several special stones to the facade of the building. Name the shul and where it is located, the shul it is a replica of and the origin of the stones that were added. 



Last week’s Mystery Shul Of The Week

Last week’s clue was:

This shul was designed by architect David Casuto, and features an Aron Kodesh brought from the Jewish community in Soragna, Italy. Initially, there was some opposition to the construction of this shul, but now, it is a part of daily life even for people who are regularly in opposition (hint). 

Perrin White correctly identified it as the shul in the Knesset.



It was originally the target of opposition by Emanuel Friedman, the planning and implementation coordinator for the Knesset building, because there was no plan to construct a church or a mosque for Christian or Muslim Members of Knesset. With elections in Israel looming on Tuesday, it is worth seeing a place where those who oppose one another, vehemently and passionately, gathering together to pray to the same God. 

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky

Halachic PSA: What to Do With Shemittah Etrogim?

Dear Shaare Family,
 
This year, we were fortunate to use Etrogim for Sukkot that were even holier than usual, as they grew during the Shemittah year. As such, they are endowed with Kedushat Shevi'it, sanctity inherent in produce that grows in Israel during the Shemittah year. 
 
Fruits and vegetables that grow during Shemittah should be treated differently than those that grow at other times- one is not allowed to destroy them, or hasten their demise. Practically, this leaves us with two options regarding etrogim:
 
1. Do nothing with the shemittah etrog and passively allow it to become inedible. This is what people usually do when they let their etrog dry out. It Should not be thrown out before it has reached this stage. 
 
2. Eat the etrog (turning it into jam, for example), sometime before mid-April, which is the time of bi'ur, when the regular growth season of an etrog concludes (note that according to some authorities, there is no such season for etrogim because they don't stop growing as long as they aren't picked!) According to Ramban (Hashmatos Mitzvas Aseh 3) one performs a mitzvah when consuming shemitah fruit.  Eating the Shemittah etrog is a rare opportunity for the Diaspora Jew to perform the mitzvah of eating fruits of the Shemittah year. . By purchasing an Israeli etrog and properly eating it after Sukkot, one supports Jewish farmers, fulfills his mitzvah of daled minim with an object that has already been used for a mitzvah and has the opportunity to fulfill the mitzvah of eating Shemittah fruits. For Etrog recipes, click here.
 
Note: For a long time, I thought that the FDA treats Etrogim as botanicals and not produce, and as such, many more pesticides are allowed than they would be on regular fruits and vegetables, thus mitigating against eating them. A colleague informed me that this is inaccurate- the FDA's rules governing etrogim are the same, re. pesticide use, as any other produce imported into the US. 
 
Chag Sameach,
 
Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky

Congregation Shaare Tefilla | Rabbi's Resources

Dear Shaare Family,

Once again, I am full of gratitude and awe at the amazing Yom Kippur experience we had together. Every person who was in shul made them special by your presence, but there were also people who worked especially hard to make these days run smoothly. Because the thank you's were on the other side of the flier advertising the upcoming Shabbat of Song with Shulem Lemmer, it’s possible not everyone saw their names, so I’m reproducing the list here. Once again, I ask forgiveness of anyone whose names I accidentally omitted. 

Gil Abramov
Mindy Appell
Ezra Burstein
Jimmy Davis
Adam Davies
Pinchas Englander
Ben Fine
Bill Finkelstein
Joe Fischer
Rabbi Maury Grebenau
Jules Greif
Danny Guttman
Mordecai Klein
Wayne Lampert
Mordechai Langer
Robert Liener
Wayne Linksman
AJ Magid
Robyn Rovinsky Mirsky
Itzik Moyal
Karen Olivas
Mikey Oster
Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky
Joe Ravitsky
Michael Rutner
Steve Rosenberg
Eric Safern
Eric Schramm
Morti Tenenhaus
Rabbi Yaakov Tannenbaum
Justin Tucker
Sara and Natan Verschleisser-Pittinsky
David Waks
Stuart Wernick
Joan and Bernie White
Gavi Wolk
Rabbi Howard Wolk
Mike Zucker
And a special thank you to our youth leaders:
Jordyn Denn
Tehilla Kabilio 
Deena Lampert
Dalia Lampert
Ezra Ohayon
Lily Rael
Kayla Rutner
Avigail Saltzman
Griffin Schwarcz
Evie Schwartz
Joe Schwartz
Matan Tsaroya 
Talya Tsaroya 
Joie Tucker


Last week’s Mystery Shul Of The Week

Yasher Koach to all those who correctly identified the mystery shul of the week last week as Congregation Ezra Bessaroth of Seattle, founded in 1914 by Jews from the Island of Rhodes. 








Mystery shul of the week:

This shul/community center/minyan factory/popular wedding venue has a seasonally appropriate name. Name the shul, and the city in which it is located.


 

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach,

Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky

Congregation Shaare Tefilla | Rabbi's Resources

Dear Shaare Family,

I am grateful to all those who replied with the answer to last week’s shul of the week. It got more responses than any previous shul! The shul of the week was Congregation Shaar Hashomayim in Montreal, childhood shul of Leonard Cohen, who recorded the Grammy-winning single You Want It Darker with Cantor Gideon Zelermyer and the Shaar Choir. Last Motzei Shabbat, the synagogue held a special service celebrating its 100th anniversary in its current location, and dedicated the synagogue in memory of its Rabbi Emeritus, Rabbi Dr. Wilfred Shuchat z”l, who served as Rabbi and Rabbi Emeritus for a remarkable 71 years, until his passing in 2019 at the age of 98. 





Rabbi Shuchat


​​​​​​​A fact I didn’t mention is that Congregation Shaar Hashomayim in Windsor, Ontario is an exact replica of this synagogue. 

The winner is David Yalovsky, whose high school graduation was in the sanctuary of The Shaar, and sent me pictures of Lilly and Jake in the sanctuary as well. There were many, many runners-up, too many to mention, B”H!

Rabbi’s Recommendations

Shaar Hashomayim is one of the few synagogues left with a Cantor and Choir that regularly officiate. Even if cantorial music is not your style (though I hope you keep an open mind), I think you will enjoy it if you Click here for a playlist of their High Holiday Experience. 

Mystery Shul Of The Week

This shul, celebrating its 120th anniversary this year, was founded by three brothers from a prominent Iraqi Jewish family, and was named in memory of their mother. Originally following the Iraqi nussach, it now incorporates a hybrid of both traditions to reflect the changing ethnic origins of the synagogue’s members from around the world. In 1998, the shul received a major award for a massive two-year project it undertook. 

Name the shul, its location, its founding family, the project and the award. 

This is the last communication of 5782! I have enjoyed this immensely, and I appreciate all your feedback more than you can imagine. I have especially enjoyed compiling the Mystery Shul Of The Week feature, and am so glad so many of you have enjoyed it. I’m learning a lot, too!

Wishing you and yours a healthy, peaceful, fulfilling and successful year of connection to God, Torah and, yes, to shul!

Shabbat Shalom and Shanah Tovah,

Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky

Congregation Shaare Tefilla | Rabbi's Resources

Dear Shaare Family,


The world is mourning the passing of Queen Elizabeth II earlier today. We are not British subjects, but the Jewish community all over the world owes her a debt of gratitude for her support of and friendship with the Jewish community for seven decades. As a new era begins with the accession and Coronation of King Charles III, we wish him long life in his reign-may he follow in the steady and principled footsteps of his illustrious and beloved mother.

This week, I am grateful for all the people who came together to make the AYA New Teachers Shabbaton happen this week at Shaare. This was a collaborative effort and there are many names to thank, but at the risk of inadvertently omitting anyone, the following individuals deserve our gratitude:

Rebbetzin Julie and Rabbi Wolk, Rabbi Chananya Englesman, Terri Rohan, Sara and Natan Verschleisser Pittinsky, Emily Prengler, Stephanie and Jimmy Davis, Gil and Dahlia Abramov, Malka and Rabbi Maury Grebenau, Talia and Gavi Wolk and Rebbetzin Dr. Jessica Rackovsky. Special thanks as well to AYA for sponsoring the Kiddush. In the spirit of the month of Elul, if I omitted anyone, I ask in advance for your forgiveness. Join us for an unforgettable Shabbos, hearing words of Torah and joining in Tefillah with the new teachers at AYA, Rachel and Rabbi Adiel Nachshoni, and Chen and R’ Evyatar Ifergan, and their families. 

Rabbi’s Recommendations

1. This week, we began studying the second chapter of Masechet Bava Metzia in our daily Mishnah study between Mincha and Maariv. For this, we netted major “parsha points”  because the mishnah deals with the laws of returning lost objects, which is also discussed in this week’s Parshah (Devarim 22:1-3). I highly recommend that you take a few moments and read this truly amazing story by my colleague Rabbi Akiva Males of the Young Israel of Memphis, about the potential far-reaching ramifications of returning lost items (you may recall that I told this story six years ago at the Bat Mitzvah of Sydney Denn). 
2. Our Sephardic brothers and sisters have been saying Selihot for nearly two weeks (my Sephardic friends say they prefer a month of their Selihot to a week of ours!). One of the reasons I think the Sephardim enjoy their Selihot so much, and why so many participate in them, is that the text is identical, every day- and every tefillah is highly tuneful and interactive. This is a link to a complete Selihot service on the eve of Erev Yom Kippur from the Kotel, led by the legendary Sephardi Hazzan Moshe Habusha (actual Selihot begins at about 21 minutes).

Shul Trivia of the Week





Last week’s winner is Perrin White, who correctly identified the mystery shul as the splendid Great Synagogue of Basel, Switzerland, site of the first Zionist Congress of 1897, and the 125th of 2022. Runners up include Susanne Goldstone Rosenhouse, Moshe Levi, Ruth Solomons and Rabbi Mike Friedman. 

Some of you have felt reticent being declared winners when you simply performed a Google Image Search. I appreciate that, but the goal is not necessarily to stump people- but to encourage learning about so many amazing shuls all over the world. However, in order to increase the “thrill of the hunt,” I am going to employ a different method from time to time-including this week. I will give some clues, but will not include a picture- identify the mystery shul based on these. The winner, and a picture of the shul, will be included in the following week’s Rabbi’s Resources. 

Mystery Shul of the Week:

This shul was the site of the first-ever chapter of NCSY, and what may be the largest work of hand-painted synagogue art in North America. Name the city and the shul.
​​​​​​​
Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky