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LAST CALL
TO RSVP!
GRJC MEN'S CLUB
PRESENTS
WHITEWATER
RAFTING
on the
Lehigh River!
SUNDAY
AUGUST 30
carpooling from GRJC at 8:15 am
Kosher BBQ lunch on site
$50 per person
adult or child
$45 per person
for Men's Club
members and their families
Contact Rob Weiss
or
201-612-0674
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Temple Beth Sholom of
Fair Lawn runs a Couples Bowling League at
the Fair Lawn Lanes. The league meets once
per month on Saturday nights. Please contact
Rob Weiss if you are interested in
participating.
Rob Weiss
or
201-612-0674
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HIGH HOLIDAY VOLUNTEERS NEEDED --
HALL MONITORS DURING
YOUTH SERVICES
The High Holidays are approaching and we
need help during the youth services and
program time on Rosh Hashanah mornings and
Yom Kippur morning as well.
We'll have two one hour shifts on each of
the three days, 10-11 and 11-12. If you can
help us by volunteering for a half hour or
hour shift, please contact the office at
office@grjc.org.
Thank you!
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ON ROSH HASHANAH, EVERYONE
SHOULD BE ABLE TO HEAR THE SHOFAR...
Please let us
know of anyone who is home-bound or in
hospital, rehab, or nursing care so that we
can send a mitzvah shofar blower to help them
feel part of the High Holiday experience.
Please email
to
rabbi@grjc.org and we'll make sure that
everyone can hear the shofar as we prepare to
welcome the new year of 5770 in September.
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Shabbat,
August 21-August 22, 2009
2
Elul 5769
Torah portion:
Shoftim (Deut. 18:6-19:13)
BNAI MITZVAH OF MORIEL AND EZRA LEVY
We light our Shabbat candles at 7:27
pm
Shabbat evening services begin at 8 pm
----------------------------------------------------
Saturday morning services will begin
at 9 am
Shabbat
ends at 8:28 pm on Saturday.
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 THE
ISRAEL TRIP IS ON!
After a successful opening meeting, we're
moving forward with the Israel trip that's
scheduled for February 6-16, 2010. We
have the proposed itinerary available as
well as the costs.
A general interest
meeting will be held at GRJC on Thursday
evening, Sept. 10 at 7:30 pm. All are
welcome!
In the meantime, please contact Rabbi
Tow ( rabbi@grjc.org)
or Roann Rubin ( roann@grjc.org)
to learn more about this exciting Israel
opportunity!
This trip offers a maximum Israel
experience at the most affordable price
available today--a unique opportunity!.
*See Tel Aviv, Haifa, the Golan, the
Galilee, Jerusalem, Masada, the Dead Sea
and more...
*Participate in an archaeological dig
and planting a tree in Israel
*Dinner with members of a Masorti/Conservative
congregation in Rehovot.
*Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial
*Wine tasting in the Golan Heights
Winery
*See where King David lived
*And so much more...
Join us on our Israel adventure!
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She'elah u'Teshuvah, Q & A, with Rabbi
Tow
Q:
Selichot is an event that helps us
prepare for Rosh Hashanah. What else
happens during the month preceding
Rosh Hashanah to help us prepare for
the New Year?
A:
Jewish tradition teaches us that it
takes time to prepare to pray. The
Talmud describes the way that
worshippers would take one hour to
make sure that they had the
concentration and focus necessary to
offer tefillot (prayers). We find a
similar phenomenon in the way we
prepare for the High Holidays.
The
month preceding Rosh Hashanah, which
corresponds to the 1st day of the
Hebrew month of Tishrey, is known as
Elul. Elul began yesterday night.
Our tradition teaches us the letters
of Elul in Hebrew (Aleph, Lamed, Vav,
Lamed) stand for Ani L'dodi V 'dodi
Li, the verse from the Song of Songs
that means, "I am my beloved, and my
beloved is mine." During the month of
Elul, Rabbi Yisrael Meir ha'Kohen
elaborates on this creative reading of
the word Elul to say that our hearts
are ready to be close to God, our
beloved, and God is ready to accept
our teshuvah/repentance. The four
final letters of Ani L'dodi V'dodi Li
(each word ends in "yod") add up to 40
that is the number of days from the
first of Elul through Yom Kippur. All
these days are special and together
are days of potential renewal for us
all.
Sefardi custom as recorded in the
Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law) is
that, at sunrise from the first of
Elul through Yom Kippur, communities
recite penitential prayers, selichot.
Ashkenazi custom calls for blowing the
shofar every morning of Elul except
Shabbat through the second to last
morning before Rosh Hashanah.
Ashkenazi custom also differs with
regard to the schedule of reciting
selichot. Penitential prayers begin
early on the Sunday before Rosh
Hashanah. Here at the GRJC, we will
gather for a program and selichot
service Saturday evening September 12
at 10pm.
Another custom that we have is a
cemetery visit prior to Rosh
Hashanah. This custom is recorded in
the name of the Maharil, Rabbi Jacob
ben Moshe Halevi Molin based on the
book of customs he wrote in 1556. The
custom, then, even precedes the
writing of the book. The custom is
that we offer prayers in the cemetery
and also give tzedakah to those in
need. We will hold our annual
cemetery service at Cedar Park, 10 am,
Sunday September 13.
In
addition to the customs and practices
mentioned above, Elul is also a time
for cheshbon ha'nefesh, taking an
accounting of our soul. Cheshbon
ha'nefesh is a process of active
awareness of what we have done, and
not done, in the past year, as well as
what we have thought and how we have
related to other people and to God.
It is an opportunity for honest
reflection and for preparing ourselves
to ask forgiveness from those whom we
have wronged. Asking for forgiveness
and pursuing reconciliation are
difficult, and we must not pursue
these efforts until we are mentally
prepared to do so. The Elul season
helps us to remember that despite the
difficulty, we should not put off
seeking and granting forgiveness or
pursuing reconciliation any longer.
Wishing everyone a meaningful month of
Elul,
Rabbi
Tow
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ATTENTION
All
GRJC Families with College Students
The GRJC wants to
keep in touch with its young men and
women
Please email
your student's
college snail
mail and email addresses to
or call College
Outreach Chair
Robin Rubinstein
202-652-6680
We'd like to start with
delivery of a 5770
High Holiday package
so please don't delay!
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