MAZAL TOV Kate & Eric Englander on the birth of their daughter Samara

Fran & Jonah Kupietzky on the marriage of their granddaughter, Danielle Wildes, of Scarsdale to Joey

Silverman of New Rochelle

CONDOLENCES Wilf and Stein Families on the passing of our long time

member, Shifra Epstein

THANK YOU TO OUR USHERS Gilda Chodosh and Len Berman

Thank you to our CSS members whose efforts help maintain a

safe shul for our community.

Four opportunities to study this Shabbat include:

● Hashkama Shiur with Rabbi Noach Goldstein (9:15AM): The Commandment That Does Not Die: Yaakov, Yosef, and Kibud Av Va-Em ● Shabbat Morning Sermon with Rabbi Zirkind (10:45AM): Seventeen Years of Silence: From Ivan Krylov to Yaakov Avinu ● Muktzah 101 with Rabbi Zirkind (between Mincha and Maariv) Kavod HaMet and Kavod HaShabbat: Halacha and Minhag ● Seudah Shlishit with Ora Weinbcah (between Mincha and Maariv) To Shechem and Back Again: Yosef's Journey in Life and Death

The Jewish Center - The Modern Orthodox Center for Jewish Life and Learning 131 W. 86th Street, New York, NY 10024 • www.jewishcenter.org • 212-724-2700

DECEMBER 22, 2018 • 14 TEVET 5779 • PARSHAT VAYECHI

The Jewish Center SHABBAT BULLETIN

WOMEN’S TEHILLIM GROUP: Monday, December 31, 7:15PM Contact Joyce Weitz for more info. at 212-877-1176

Sunday Dec. 23 7:45AM Daf Yomi 8:30AM Shacharit 4:20PM Minchah

Monday Dec. 24 7/8AM Shacharit 7:45AM Daf Yomi 4:20PM Minchah

Tuesday Dec. 25 7:15AM Daf Yomi 8:00AM Shacharit 4:20PM Minchah

Wednesday Dec. 26-Thursday Dec. 27 7/8AM Shacharit 7:45AM Daf Yomi 4:20PM Minchah

Friday Dec. 28 7/8AM Shacharit 7:45AM Daf Yomi 4:17PM Candle-lighting 4:25PM Minchah

DAILY SERVICE TIMES

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS SHABBAT SCHEDULE

EREV SHABBAT 4:13PM Candle-lighting 4:20PM Minchah 5:00PM Young Leadership Kabbalat Shabbat (1st floor) SHABBAT 7:45AM Hashkama 8:30AM Rabbi Israel Silverstein Morning Midrash with Rabbi Dovid Zirkind 9:00AM Shacharit 9:15AM Hashkama Shiur with Rabbi Noach Goldstein, The Commandment That Does Not Die: Yaakov, Yosef, and Kibud Av Va-Em 9:12AM Sof Zman Kriat Shema 9:30AM Young Leadership (1st floor) 10:00AM Youth Groups 12:25PM Early Minchah (4th floor, Beit Midrash) 2:45PM Bikkur Cholim/Bikkur in the Home (meet at 730 Columbus Ave.)

4:10PM Minchah Daf Yomi Muktzah 101 with Rabbi Dovid Zirkind Seudah Shlishit Speaker, Ora Weinbach, To Shechem and Back Again: Joseph's Journey in Life and Death 5:14PM Shabbat Concludes THANK YOU TO OUR KIDDUSH SPONSORS: Hashkamah Kiddush: Miryam & Amos Alter to mark the Yahrzeits of Ya’akov Avinu and Yosef HaTzadik Community Kiddush: Eve & Marc Karstaedt in commemoration of the 9th Yartzeit of Eve's beloved sister, Shele Danishefsky Covlin Fran & Jonah Kupietzky in honor of the marriage of their granddaughter, Danielle Wildes, of Scarsdale to Joey Silverman of New Rochelle The Rowen Family in memory of Ruth Halle Rowen Cindy & Jacob Worenklein in commemoration of the Yahrzeit of Jay’s father, Abraham Worenklein Seudah Shlishit: Michelle Chrein in commemoration of the Yahrzeit of Michelle's father, Moshe Ben Shimon Halevi Meira & Tobie Tugendhaft in commemoration of the yahrzeit of Tobi's mother, Rivka Miril Tugendhaft

The Jewish Center is proud to partner with shuls around the country in marking Parshat Vayechi as TEAM SHABBAT: This initiative is spearheaded by the National Association of Chevra Kadisha (NASK) that supports The Jewish Center Chevra and Chevrei Kadisha around the country. The Shabbat is dedicated to addressing important end-of-life issues and raising awareness about Jewish tradition and the sanctity of life, here and hereafter.

To learn more about this initiative, pick up a copy of the TEAM Shabbat materials in our lobby or visit nasck.org

JEWISH CENTER UNIVERSITY FALL SEMESTER RUNS THROUGH DECEMBER

For more information visit our website or contact Rabbi Dovid Zirkind at dzirkind@jewishcenter.org

TUESDAY Talmud Class Rabbi Noach Goldstein 7:45am–8:30am Nosh and Drash With Dr. Adena Berkowitz 10:15AM-11:30AM Tanach 101: Athens vs Jerusalem: War in Tanach and The Iliad Rabbi Noach Goldstein The Sadye and Henry Bayer Tanach Class at 8:00 PM *will resume next semester

WEDNESDAY An Introduction To The World of Mussar: The Writings of Rav Eliyahu Dessler Rabbi Dovid Zirkind at 11:00 am Talmud 101 Ora Weinbach, Community Educator at 8:00pm. Will resume for our winter semester on January 9, 16, 23, 30

SHABBAT

Muktzah 101 Rabbi Dovid Zirkind Shabbat Afternoons Between Minchah and Maariv in the main sanctuary

Seudah Shlishit with Rabbi Menachem Leibtag

Shabbat January 5th "From the Seder to the Siddur"

The centrality of Egypt in the story of Israel

A Tour of the extraordinary and popular Holocaust Tapestry Series of Shoshana Comet (z"l).

Tour given by Ted Comet. January 6 at 10:30AM-12:00PM

Coffee and pastries will be served.

Shelly Rudoff Memorial Lecture

with Rabbi Yitzchack Gettinger

Monday, January 14th, at 8:00PM

Tu Beshvat: What is its Meaning and

Relevance Today?

SAVE THE DATE

AIPAC Policy Conference 2019 Sunday March 24-26, 2019 in Washington, DC Registration for the conference costs $599, but if you purchase a ticket through The Jewish Center, you will pay $399, a $200 discount. Contact the Jewish Center office for more information and to purchase your ticket. Only 7 tickets left!

Rabbi Jung Fund Appeal Thank you to all those who have already contributed so generously to our Rabbi Jung Fund Appeal. If you have not already done so, we encourage you to participate before the end of the year. Checks to the fund may be mailed to The JC office or you may contribute online by visiting our website. Please be sure to earmark your donation to the Rabbi Jung Fund.

End of Year Check List: � Contribute to the Rabbi Jung Fund appeal � Renew your membership or join The JC � Enroll in our One Gift program � Register for AIPAC's policy conference

Teen Boys vs. Clergy Basketball Game In another wild entry in the JC basketball history books, the Teens emerged victorious from a tense showdown with the Clergy, winning 61-58 in overtime. With an energized crowd on hand, the Clergy started strong on fresh legs but labored towards the end of the first half as the Teens, led by Charlie Eden's 11 points and 9 from Ben Platovsky, outran the Clergy and showed off their superior long-range shooting skills. Ultimately, the Teens were up by 6 at the break thanks to a crushing buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Alex Berman. But the drama was just beginning. After a rousing pep talk from coaches Alexis Goldstein and Rachel Wolf, the Clergy came out firing, paced by youngbloods Gavriel Metzger and Rabbi Goldstein, who had 27 and 8 points, respectively. Some big rebounds and post play from Avi Schwartz and Ami Eden gave the Clergy a 5 point lead with just a few minutes to go. However, the Clergy couldn't put the game away, missing key free throws to set the stage for MVP Sam Tuchman who scored 13 points, none more important than his clutch 3 with less than a minute left and his game-tying layup with under 15 seconds left. The wheezing Clergy couldn't rally in OT and the Teens escaped with another W in thrilling fashion. The Teens won this battle but know that they need to watch their backs because the Clergy is coming for that crown next year!

Thank you to our sponsors: Marnie & Scott Black, Lori Zeltser & Len Berman, Rachel Stone & Robert

Bernstein, Rachel Wolf & Andrew Borodach, Dana & Adam Fine, Evelyn & Moshe Fruchter, Rochelle Tarlowe & Seth Jonas Leslie Cohen & Jeffrey

Lang, Paulette & David Meyer, Chani & Mark Segall, Avi Schwartz, Carol & Joseph Tuchman

Yosie Levine Rabbi

Dovid Zirkind Associate Rabbi

Noach Goldstein Assistant Rabbi

Chaim David Berson

Cantor

Ora Weinbach Community Educator

Eliezer Buechler William Fischman Rabbinic Intern

Aaron Strum

Executive Director

Batsheva Leibtag Director of

Programming and Communications

Sarah Cromwell Youth Director

OFFICERS Andrew Borodach

President

Mark Segall First Vice President

Len Berman Vice President

Aliza Herzberg Vice President

Michael Jacobs Vice President

Scott Black Treasurer

Daniel Solomons Assistant Treasurer

Naomi Goldman Secretary

LOCAL RESOURCES

Yoetzet Halacha Shiffy Friedman

nycyoetzet@gmail.com 646-598-1080

Jewish Center Chevra Kadisha

212-724-2700 x555

UWS Mikvah 212-579-2011

Hatzoloh 212-230-1000

Eruv Status 212-724-2700 x4

At the very end of Sefer Breishit, the Torah recounts the overwhelming quantity of mourning in response to Yaakov’s death. His children, grandchildren and even the elders of Egypt eulogize him! Yet perhaps the greatest tragedy in our parsha is not the death of Yaakov, but the brothers’ reaction to it. Upon returning to Egypt after the burial, the brothers fear that Yosef will finally get back at them for selling him into slavery all those years ago. The brothers lie to Yosef, telling him that Yaakov commanded Yosef to forgive them. Yosef responds in tears, clearly pained that his brothers had thought that this whole time he hated them for selling him into slavery. He responds, “’Do not fear, for am I instead of God? While you meant evil towards me, God meant it for good, so as to bring about at this very time keeping many people alive. And so, do not fear. I will sustain you and your little ones’. And he comforted them and he spoke to their hearts (50:19-21).” In these verses, Yosef assures his brothers that he bears no grudge, for he recognizes that all of their actions ultimately led to a positive outcome. Had he not been sold, he ultimately could never have saved his family and all of Egypt from the famine. Yet according to Gemara Megillah, in ‘speaking to their hearts,’ Yosef alludes to something deeper. Rabbi Binyamin bar Yefes said in the

name of Rabbi Elazar; “This teaches that he spoke to them words that are accepted by the heart [i.e. reassuring words]. He said: ‘If ten lights could not extinguish one light, how can one light extinguish ten lights (16b)?’” The Maharsha points out that this particular metaphor alludes to a metaphysical aspect, as a light or flame is analogous to the soul. Just as a candle can only increase, never diminish another’s brightness, so too a person can only increase another’s spiritual greatness. Clearly, the brothers did not initially share this perspective. They were concerned that Yosef recalled only the physical threat they posed to him. In comparing them to lights however, Yosef observes the spiritual dimension. In this perspective, he cannot feel threatened by them, as they could only add to, never diminish, his spiritual greatness. We encounter many trying experiences and people in life, who seem to threaten or drain our physical and emotional capacity. Yosef reminds us that it’s all about perspective. When we see each encounter as light instead of danger, an opportunity to support our spiritual growth instead of a threat to our finite resources, we are blessed with the capacity to grow continuously. May we all aspire to Yosef’s enlightened perspective and in doing so merit a portion of his spiritual greatness.

The Flame and the Spirit Parshat Vayechi

Ora Weinbach, Community Educator

ISRAEL UPDATE December 21, 2018

Israel Calls for International Action Against Hezbollah Tunnels Hezbollah has committed “an act of war” by digging tunnels under Israel’s border with Lebanon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday, calling on the United Nations to halt what he called a “grave violation” of Israel’s sovereignty. Speaking at a news conference ahead of a United Nations Security Council discussion about the tunnels, Mr. Netanyahu demanded that Lebanon take action and called on the council to order the United Nations peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon to “deepen its operations,” The New York Times reported. The Security Council discussion pushed by Israel and the United States and the news conference were both part of a campaign by Mr. Netanyahu’s government to attract international attention to the issue. For more than two weeks, an Israeli military operation has exposed and blocked tunnels dug by Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite militia that is backed by Iran. Israel has portrayed this as part of a broader regional effort to curb Iran’s influence. “This is not merely an act of aggression. It’s an act of war,” Mr. Netanyahu told reporters at Israel’s Parliament. “It is part of a war plan, I would say,” he added, referring to Hezbollah’s suggestions that its fighters would try to infiltrate Israel in a future conflict. Our synagogue partners with AIPAC, America’s pro-Israel lobby, in educating our community on issues affecting the U.S.-Israel relationship. We encourage you to learn more by contacting AIPAC at (202) 639-5200 or by visiting www.aipac.org.