Rabbi Daniel Cohen's Weekly Message

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Rabbi Daniel Cohen's Weekly Message - "I've Got a Feeling" that March 2nd will be a really good night!

2012-02-17T12:11:00.001-08:00

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"I've Got a Feeling" that
March
2nd will be a really good night!

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Dear Friends,

On Friday night, March 2nd, Congregation Agudath Sholom is joining with synagogues throughout North America in sponsoring the 16th annual "Shabbat Across America," a nationwide effort coordinated by the National Jewish Outreach Program to share the beauty of Shabbat with unaffiliated Jews.

Our program will include a special Friday Carlebach Style Service and a tasty Shabbat dinner prepared catered by Kosh. Elana Stein Hain will be our scholar in residence, and will speak at the Friday night dinner and twice on Shabbat day.

We are grateful to Adam & Jessica Batkin for serving as event chairs and Andrew & Janet Bein for sponsoring our scholar in residence, in honor of Shabbat Across America

In the past, Shabbat Across America has been enormously successful at Agudath Sholom with 300 participants enjoying a truly beautiful Shabbat together in the social hall. This year, I hope we can equal or even surpass that total!

There are several ways to participate, and I urge everyone to be a part of this initiative.

Encourage participation in our Shabbat Across America program. Everyone has at least one Jewish friend, family member, co-worker, or someone you know who has not truly experienced Shabbat in a long time - if at all. Tell them about Shabbat Across America and urge them to participate.

We are also looking for "table hosts" to help familiarize the unfamiliar and add energy to the event. Being a host entails attending the dinner, working to establish a connection with those at your table, and sharing the beauty of Shabbat with fellow Jews, many of who want so very much to be part of the Jewish community, but have not yet felt that sense of welcome.

Can't join us? That's OK...you can still create your own Shabbat Across America in your home! While the communal event at CAS is a wonderful experience, please consider using Friday night, March 2nd as an opportunity in your home to share a Shabbat meal with those who may not ordinarily enjoy a meaningful Friday night. We all regularly enjoy the beauty of Shabbat, so let's share that beauty by opening our homes to those less familiar with the warmth of the holy day. If you're interested, I am happy to provide you with materials to help make your "Shabbat Across America: At Home Edition" the perfect opportunity for learning and inspiration.

As you can see, there is a Shabbat Across America opportunity for everyone: Whether you come to CAS, or participate at home; whether you recruit others or serve as a table host; whether you're 30 years old or 60 years old. Regardless of how you participate in Shabbat Across America, let us all commit to doing what we can to include as many people as possible in celebrating a more meaningful Shabbat on March 4th. How special it will be to fill up CAS, open our homes, and engage Jews of all ages!

If you have any questions at all or need more information, please contact me at 203-358-2200or at rabbicohen@cas-stamford.org.

or event chair, Adam & Jessica Batkin

at jess@batkin.net

Be a part of it!

Rabbi Daniel Cohen

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Rabbi Daniel Cohen

Congregation Agudath Sholom

301 Strawberry Hill Ave, Stamford, CT 06902

Phone:203-358-2200 Fax: 203 358-2323

website: www.cas-stamford.org

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Rabbi Daniel Cohen's Chanukah Message

2011-12-23T11:55:00.001-08:00

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The message below from a friend and colleague, Rabbi Ira Ebbin, rabbi of Congratoin Ohav Shalom in Merrick, NY offers a meaningful and inspiring reflection for Chanukah. Thank you to the Alexander's for forwarding the thought.

Wishing everyone a wonderful Shabbat and Happy Chanuakah!

To visit "8 Flames of Chanukah" click here!

Dear friends,

I often refer to the week of Chanukah as Jewish Pride week. It is then, more than any other Holiday, where we promote our Jewish Identity in a very public fashion. Perhaps there is an underlying complex of being overshadowed by our "younger brothers" with their Holiday paraphernalia, but especially on years like this one when the two holidays coincide, I feel the need to overcompensate and "do Chanukah" in as big of a way as I can. The public Menorah lightings, like the one we had in front of Ohav this past Wednesday, are just one of the acts that enables us to sound our voice to the world and announce "ani Yehudi" I am a Jew.

As I shared with the nearly hundred people that gathered Wednesday Night, for so many years our ancestors were not able to wear their religion on their sleeve. They kindled their religion behind closed blinds, too intimidated to let their light shine outside, too apprehensive to draw attention to their light in a world that was filled with darkness. We must never under-appreciate the opportunity we have in this country that enables us to shine our lights brightly. We should share these lights with our brothers and sisters who don't appreciate the unique value beauty of the lights of our tradition. We should sing and sing loudly, proudly declaring that the lights of our people can and will never be extinguished.

Too bad Chanukah only lasts Eight days. We have a lot of work to do.

Wishing you all an illuminating Shabbat.

Bshalom

Rabbi Ira Ebbin

Rabbi Daniel Cohen

Congregation Agudath Sholom

301 Strawberry Hill Ave, Stamford, CT 06902

Phone:203-358-2200 Fax: 203 358-2323

website: www.cas-stamford.org

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Rabbi Daniel Cohen's Weekly Message - The Dash

2011-10-28T13:35:00.000-07:00

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Rabbi Daniel Cohen's Weekly Message - The Dash

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Rabbi Cohen's Weekly Message - The Dash

On Shemini Atzeret prior to Yizkor I shared a poem "The Dash". A number of people asked for a copy of the poem. With snow on the horizon for tomorrow, the holidays may seem a distant past. G-d willing, our resolutions and reflections for the season will guide and motivate us to" live our dash". I am also sending a link for a moving visual rendition of the poem.

Click Here to View

Wishing you and your families a wonderful Shabbat!

All the best,

Rabbi Cohen

The Dash
by Linda Ellis

I read of a man who stood to speak
at the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
from the beginning...to the end.

He noted that first came the date of her birth
and spoke of the following date with tears,
but he said what mattered most of all
was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time
that she spent alive on earth...
and now only those who loved her
know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own;
the cars....the house...the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
and how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard...
are there things you'd like to change?
For you never know how much time is left.
(You could be at "dash midrange.")

If we could just slow down enough
to consider what's true and real,
and always try to understand
the way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger,
and show appreciation more
and love the people in our lives
like we've never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect,
and more often wear a smile...
remembering that this special dash
might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy's being read
with your life's actions to rehash...
would you be proud of the things they
say about how you spend your dash?

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Rabbi Daniel Cohen

Congregation Agudath Sholom

301 Strawberry Hill Ave, Stamford, CT 06902

Phone:203-358-2200 Fax: 203 358-2323

website: www.cas-stamford.org

A Reflection on 9/11 from Rabbi Daniel Cohen

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Rabbi Daniel Cohen Shabbat Message

2011-09-09T06:50:00.000-07:00

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Dear Members and Friends:

Agudath Sholom has been privileged to be a host site for the rabbinical internship program at Yeshiva University's Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. We all had the opportunity to learn from Rabbi Avi Narrow Tilonsky and mentor a talented young man at the beginning of his rabbinic career. Both he and our synagogue were enriched through this rewarding relationship.

In the year 5772, we will once again participate in this endeavor, and I am delighted to introduce to you our outstanding new Rabbinic Intern Elie Bercuson from Yeshiva University. Elie is a rabbinical student at Yeshiva University, where he is also completing an M.A. in Jewish Philosophy.

He is a proud Second Lieutenant in the Chaplain Corps of the United States Army Reserves and holds an undergraduate degree in Philosophy and Classics from Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, his hometown. He and his wife Ilana currently reside in Washington Heights.

They will join us twice a month for Shabbat and during the week. Their first Shabbat is September 23rd.

We look forward to hosting the Bercusons in our shul, homes and community and look forward to making 5772 a year of mutual growth.

All the best,

Rabbi Daniel Cohen

Day 10: 10-Year Anniversary of 9/11

Confrontation with death deepens our appreciation of life.

This weekend, our nation again confronts the tragedy of 9/11. We mourn the loss of life and can never fully recover or recapture the world before September 11, 2001.

Yet, the commemoration of the 10th anniversary also affords us an opportunity to strengthen our resolve and remain hopeful.

We are touched by stories of survival and heroism and the strength of our country.

Our forty-day journey culminates with Yom Kippur. The holiday captures the mixed emotions of 9/11.

More than any other holiday, Yom Kippur simulates the sobering experience of our own mortality. We do not eat or drink or engage in physical pleasures. The garments of the High priest on the holiest day of the year parallel the shrouds traditionally worn for burial.

However, Yom Kippur is characterized as the most joyous of days in the Jewish calendar. Is this not counter intuitive? How are we to feel on September 11th?

I believe the poem "Renascence" by Edna St. Vincent Millay provides a perspective.

The narrator complains that the world is so small, so restricting and so filled with pain, suffering and evil. She laments that there is no hunger she does not herself experience. Unable to cope with the pain, the poet begs G-d to take her from this world and she soon finds herself lying peacefully in a grave. Here, a full six feet under ground, she is finally free from the travails and pains of life.

Suddenly the rain begins to fall and the raindrops are heard pattering on her roof. She suddenly seems to love the sound far more than ever. She writes, "...for rain it hath a friendly sound to one who's six feet underground." From her grave the poet hopes she can once more see the rain again and smell the fresh and fragrant breeze that appears from the drenched and dripping apple trees. "How can I bear it, buried here, while overhead the sky grows clear and blue again after the storm?...Shall I never, never again see again! Spring-silver, autumn-gold.... O G-d, I cried, give me new birth, and put me back upon the earth!"

Suddenly, a great thunderstorm strikes the grave and she senses a fragrance only a living thing can sense. She exclaims, "I know not how such things can be; I breathed my soul back into me." Jumping up from the ground she hugs the trees and proclaims "Oh G-d, I cried, no dark disguise can e'er hereafter hide from me thy radiant identity. Thou canst not move across the grass but my quick eyes will see Thee pass, nor speak, however silently, but my hushed voice will answer Thee...G-d, I can push the grass apart and lay my finger on Thy heart."

Edna St. Vincent Millay was only 20 years old when she wrote one of the most inspiring religious poems I have ever read.

May we all possess the inner strength to enable our "brush with death" to motivate our communities and country to push the grass apart and lay our fingers on our hearts.

With blessings,

Rabbi Daniel Cohen

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Rabbi Daniel Cohen

Congregation Agudath Sholom

301 Strawberry Hill Ave, Stamford, CT 06902

Phone:203-358-2200 Fax: 203 358-2323

website: www.cas-stamford.org

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Fwd: Rabbi Daniel Cohen Shabbat Message

2011-09-06T11:29:00.001-07:00

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Power Up This Friday Night

Did you still have power? Or -- when do you anticipate getting it back?

In the wake of Hurricane Irene, which raged across the eastern part of the country, many of us are asking these questions. Slowly, power lines are being restored and life resumes back to normal...we think...

During the storm and in its aftermath, a "unique" phenomenon occurred. We returned to the 1950s. People were spending more time with their families. The absence of cable fostered more real connections. Facebook was replaced by face-to-face conversations.

I recently met with a fellow in New York City who lives in the "fast lane," as he describes it. With weekends in the Hamptons, a successful business and many friends, he may seem to be the envy of most people. Yet he expressed remorse at the shallow nature of many of his relationships. He is plugged into many people but always on the move and rarely "present."

I shared with him the idea of a Friday night dinner where the requirement for entry is to leave your PDA at the door...light a couple of candles...and reconnect in a deep way with those around you.

He loved the idea! The concept is not new but more relevant than ever in our technologically advanced society. Thousands of years ago, Judaism recognized the necessity for a weekly experience to disconnect from the pressures of the world and reignite our inner life through the institution of the Sabbath. You can explore its timeless benefits through the recently released book on the Sabbath by Senator Joseph Lieberman, The Gift of Rest: Rediscovering the Beauty of the Sabbath.

Whether your power is still down or not, use this Friday night to power up the Sabbath in your life. You will discover this special day or few hours of retreat as an inspiring way to become a better you.

Wishing you and your family a Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Daniel Cohen

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Article of Interest

Article from Erica Brown:

Neglect of widows and orphans is not a new theme in the biblical text. We are admonished in Exodus and Deuteronomy to care for the most vulnerable in our society. What do Isaiah's strong words add? Isaiah's point is a legal one. According to Rashi, the prophet is pointing a finger at a justice system where bribes are accepted our of avarice, and those unable to pay-like the widow and orphan-have their cases postponed to a later date. Because the vulnerable are not given top priority in the justice system, they stop using the courts...

An indictment of a legal system is ultimately an indictment of society. We all have moments when we ignore the urgent needs of those around us. We don't do it willfully; we assume that someone else will take care of the problem. Growing up in a democracy, we naturally assume that when agreement cannot be reached between people, a government agency will step in and adjudicate. Our tax payers' dollars will come through; a social service institution or charitable non-profit will pick up the pieces...

Every day presents an opportunity to make our lives more whole, less fragmented, more honest and less compartmentalized. We are all hypocrites in one way or another. We strive to be good but stumble. We aim for consistency but miss the mark. So instead of trying to change the whole world at once, perhaps we can make minute but meaningful steps to promote justice. Small acts of justice are the bricks of any future Mikdash.

Rabbi Daniel Cohen

Congregation Agudath Sholom

301 Strawberry Hill Ave, Stamford, CT 06902

Phone:203-358-2200 Fax: 203 358-2323

website: www.cas-stamford.org

https://jcrcny.wufoo.com/forms/petition-against-a-unilaterally-declared-palestine/

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Fwd: Rabbi Daniel Cohen Shabbat Message

2011-09-06T11:28:00.003-07:00

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Inside and Out

The upcoming Shabbat prior to to Tisha B'Av embodies the duality of the week of mourning.

We mourn the loss of the Temples in Jerusalem yet the Shabbat is known as Shabbat Chazon - Vision - an allusion of hope.

Do we lament our losses as a people or do we plan for the future?

The answer is both.

Isaiah, in the Haftorah this week, criticizes the Jewish people for sowing the seeds of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, but he offers a vision of repair and return.

In this spirit, I offer two suggestions - one inside and one out - to move from mourning to morning.

Erica Brown in her recently released book on the Three Weeks expresses a vision of joint responsibility for uplifting our community. Isiah identifies justice as the vehicle for redemption. Rather than seek answers from outside, we should seek one within. The world improves when we improve. There are no shortcuts. Please read the except below.

Further, we are called upon to speak on behalf of our brothers and sister in Israel. This past week, we launch the Israel Advocacy Project. One of the goals is to inform and mobilize our congregation to advocate effectively and in a timely way for Israel. To get involved contact me or Norine Krasnogor at nzk111@yahoo.com.

Please join me in raising your voice and signing a petition to the UN member nations encouraging them not to endorse a unilaterally declared Palestinian state should this come to a vote in September.

Here is the link:

One step at a time, we can herald an era of redemption for the Jewish people and the world.

As we mourn the destruction of Jerusalem, may we merit to envision the rebuilding of the Temple and peace in Israel speedily in our days.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Cohen

Article of Interest

Article from Erica Brown:

Rabbi Daniel Cohen

Congregation Agudath Sholom

301 Strawberry Hill Ave, Stamford, CT 06902

Phone:203-358-2200 Fax: 203 358-2323

website: www.cas-stamford.org

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Fwd: Rabbi Daniel Cohen Shabbat Message - For the Love of Israel

2011-09-06T11:28:00.001-07:00

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Shabbat Shalom

FOR THE LOVE OF ISRAEL

Dear Friend,

Our voices can be heard. Our voices must be heard.

The centrality of Israel in our lives represents one of the unifying values of Agudath Sholom and world Jewry. As Americans, we celebrate our freedom of speech and recognize the alignment between our country and the State of Israel.

Thank G-d, over the past few years our affiliation with AIPAC is growing and we led our largest delegation yet to the Policy conference in Washington DC. However, we can accomplish much more for Israel. As one of the outcomes of our Town Hall meeting at CAS and other conversations, we are committed to finding ways to further enhance our love of Israel.

In this spirit, I am excited to announce the formation of the CAS Israel Advocacy Project (IAP). The mission of the new venture is to broaden and deepen the mobilization of our membership as advocates for Israel.

Many of us wonder what we can do for Israel. Beyond financial support and of course visiting or living in Israel, the IAP recognizes that each of us can play a role in history.

Some of the initial ideas for IAP include:

Five Minute Calls to Congress at meetings
Monthly email encouraging E-advocacy and Letter Writing
Mobilize our Youth
Parlor Hosting of Iranium
Initiate "Lawfare" Project - Pro Israel Legal Advocacy

Please join us for the first gathering of the Agudath Sholom Israel Advocacy Project on Tuesday evening, August 2nd at 8:30 PM - 9:30 PM at the shul. Please RSVP your attendance or your interest in IAP directly to me at rabbicohen@cas-stamford.org or Norine Krasnogor at nzk111@yahoo.com

The success of the IAP will be up to you.

As we embark on the three week period of mourning for Jerusalem, let us remember the words of prophet Isaiah, "For the Sake of Jerusalem, I will not be silent". The future of Israel emerges not solely from G-d but a realization of our partnership in the evolving destiny of the Jewish people.

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Cohen

Rabbi Daniel Cohen

Congregation Agudath Sholom

301 Strawberry Hill Ave, Stamford, CT 06902

Phone:203-358-2200 Fax: 203 358-2323

website: www.cas-stamford.org

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Fwd: Rabbi Daniel Cohen Shabbat Message

2011-09-06T11:27:00.005-07:00

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Shabbat Shalom

Dear Friend,

We are all deeply saddened by the events in the Jewish community this past week. On Monday evening, a fire caused extensive damage to Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun on the East Side of New York. Days later, we were shocked to hear of the horrific murder of Leiby Kletzky of Boro Park. Words cannot capture our anguish. The devastation of the Kletzky family is unfathomable. Yet, I would like to share with you an email and article offering a source of reflection.

Earlier in the week, on behalf of the shul, I expressed our support to Rabbis Lookstein of KJ. He responded by acknowledging that one of our prayers to God refers to Him as "imo anochi b'tzara," I am with you in your time of distress. Our expression of support is the most important source of comfort and help that we can ask of people.

In this spirit, take a moment to write a note to Congregation KJ by emailing Rabbi Haskel Lookstein at rhl@ckj.org and offer words of Nechama to Kletzky family at leibykletzky@gmail.com.

I am also including a moving article below from Rabbi Brad Hirschfield. (see below)

May Hashem give the KJ community strength during the rebuilding of their shul and the Kletzky family comfort among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem. May we share joyous occasions together as a people in the weeks to come.

We wish a hearty Mazal Tov to Jodi and Richard Boxer and their entire family on the upcoming wedding of Nicole to Jack Jacob. May they build a bayit neeman beYisrael.

Shabat Shalom,

Rabbi Daniel Cohen

Article of Interest

From Rabbi Hirschfield

New York is still shaking and so is much of the Jewish world. Little Leiby Kletsky of blessed memory, was buried last Wednesday evening, but nothing has been put to rest. How could it be otherwise?

The details of the horrific murder of the 8 year-old child can be found elsewhere, for those who want them. But I want to focus on the powerful and insightful words of Badana Gertz, a woman in her 60s, who came from Flatbush, two neighborhoods over from Borough Park, to pick up garbage outside the building in which Leiby lived. This woman, whom I have never met, became a kind of rebbe to me and could be one for the rest of us as well - a spiritual master of Tikkun Olam, of liberating sparks of holiness in the midst of events which make even the most faithful among us question whether anything remains sacred in our world.

During the frantic 36-hour search for the missing boy, the effort involved not only the full force of the NYPD and the Shomrim, a local volunteer neighborhood security organization, but hundreds, if not thousands of regular people. They gathered and organized on the street in front of Leiby's building, and after a day and a half, there was plenty of trash. Rather than simply wait for the Department of Sanitation, at least one person, Badana Gertz, began the clean up on her own. Why she chose to do so is a spiritual lesson for anyone at any time, but especially at times like these.

Picking up napkins from the street by hand, Ms. Gertz explained to a New York Times reporter, "At least I was able to do something besides pray and pray and pray." Clearly prayer was a part of this religious woman's response, but just as clearly, so was the need to something else as well. Although we may never meet, I now count Badana Gertz as among my teachers.

Although many do at such times, she did not dismiss the importance of prayer, nor did she give up on its value. Ms. Geertz simply and sagely acknowledged that sometimes prayer is not enough - we find ourselves needing to do more.

I know that very formulation opens the door to as many questions as it answers - "more" of what? "enough" for whom? For Leiby? For God? For Ms. Gertz? I want to respond "yes" to all three of those last questions, but that is a personal matter, or one left to those who enjoy theological debates which seek a single right answer. Ms. Gertz was speaking to a more fundamental issue, one with deep roots in our tradition.

The need to make a material difference, to clean up a mess when your whole world feels dirty - this, too, is a holy need. Picking up dirty napkins, in this context at least, is a sacred act. Perhaps in its own way, it is also another form of prayer, one in which, as in the Kaddish, we attempt to argue order and goodness back into the world.

The Kaddish is written in the future tense, perhaps precisely because in the midst of loss, we acknowledge that the sacred has been diminished - that God's name is not as great as it was before the loss we have suffered. But, it is also in the future tense because we believe that through the words we say and the actions that we take, we can restore that sense of greatness and the presence of the sacred.

To clean up, to mend what is ripped, is a deeply religious impulse -- at least for Jews of pretty much every spiritual stripe.

I can't claim to speak authoritatively for other traditions (I barely claim to do so for my own), and I know that the impulse to fix things is itself part of the problem from a Buddhist perspective, but on the morning after Leiby Kletzky's funeral, there are all kinds of napkins to pick up. I am deeply grateful to Badana Gertz for reminding us that sometimes prayer is not enough and we can all begin picking up those napkins.

In the days and weeks ahead, we can all begin to pick up more napkins - to see the messes, and along with our prayers, begin to clean them up ourselves. Our actions will not fix everything, and may feel quite small relative to the challenges we face, but the very act of doing so can help restore a measure of decency and hope at a moment when we crave both so deeply.

Rabbi Brad Hirschfield is the President of Clal-The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, and the author of You Don't Have to be Wrong for Me to Be Right

Rabbi Daniel Cohen

Congregation Agudath Sholom

301 Strawberry Hill Ave, Stamford, CT 06902

Phone:203-358-2200 Fax: 203 358-2323

website: www.cas-stamford.org

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Fwd: Rabbi Daniel Cohen Shabbat Message

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Shabbat Shalom

Dear Friend,

As I prepare for a Shabbat of celebration (mazal tov to the Neuhaus family and todah rabah and l'hitraot to the Tuckers), a quick note on an important speaker at CAS on Shabbat afternoon.

I just returned from a visit to the Stamford Plaza where I met with Shani Stefansky. She and Breindy Halberstam are the founders of a wonderful organization, Samchainu, devoted to supporting and strengthening widows. I am inspired by their devotion to this one of a kind enterprise in America. This weekend they are hosting close to 300 women for a Shabbat of spirit, camaraderie and comfort.

Rabbi Paysach Krohn, renowned author and speaker, is addressing the guests and will be joining our shul on Shabbat afternoon at 7 PM for a presentation on "Living a Joyous Life - Simcha without Stress". We are hosting him in the hopes of promoting this very worthwhile organization. One of the prime mitzvot in the Torah is to support the widows and orphans among us. Although I rarely send information about a specific organization, I believe Samchainu is an exception worth noting.

Please take a moment to read about Sanmchainu in Shani's own words:

As Samchainu approaches our fourth anniversary, I would like to take a moment to reflect, together with you, on the astounding development of this one-of-a-kind organization. Four years ago Samchainu was not even in our range of vision. A group of young widows got together around a dining room table to share experiences, laughter, and life. Four years later, we have a mailing list of over 900 widows across the United States. Three hundred women attended our chanuka party in Tiferes Rivka hall. One hundred and fifty members attend monthly parties in Brooklyn. Hundreds of our regular members receive flowers on their birthdays. A weekly erev Shabbos phone call goes out to close to 800 women. Hundreds of almanos participate in our five yearly overnight retreats. The list of our events and programs goes on and on, and grows as time passes. This year we added an additional chanuka party for mothers with their children, and a children's purim carnival on shushan purim.

More than numbers and lists, the actual accomplishments of Samchainu cannot be quantified. Still a home based organization with no publicity, salaries or overhead costs,

Samchainu has succeeded in monumentally enhancing the lives of some of the most isolated and shattered individuals in klal yisroel. Our members have been dealt a devastating blow. A married person can never fully comprehend the myriad ramifications of the loss of a spouse. Samchainu provides a balm for the widow's pain by connecting her with others who truly understand her, and by giving her opportunities to have fun and enjoy life. She begins to feel once again like a member of humanity. Our parties and retreats are a much anticipated respite from the grind of daily life.

All of this has taken place only through your generosity and support. It is a testimony to the chesed of Klal Yisroel that with no public advertising whatsoever, Samchainu has continued to thrive. As our membership grows, so do our costs. Due to our tremendous growth, we now need to hire a caterer for our major events and are no longer able to home-cater. We hope to host our yearly Shabbos retreat after Pesach. Our costs approach $100,000. Please give generously so that we can continue to transform lives, one at a time. May Hashem, who is the Dayan Ha'almanos, reward you for your participation in this crucial mitzvah.

If you would like to learn more about Samchenu or offer your support, please contact me at rabbicohen@cas-stamford.org or Shani Stefansky at 646-296-2046 or tziporahm@verizon.net.

Thank you in advance for your support. You can also make checks payable to Samchainu and send to the shul and we will send them directly to the organization.

Wishing everyone in Stamford a wonderful Shabbat of both celebration and rest for the body and soul. Mazal tov to Marguerite & Ken on the bar-mitzvah of Remy and Matan. Please join us hear Rabbi Krohn as well at 7 PM followed by mincha and seudah shlishit in honor of the Tuckers.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Cohen

Rabbi Daniel Cohen

Congregation Agudath Sholom

301 Strawberry Hill Ave, Stamford, CT 06902

Phone:203-358-2200 Fax: 203 358-2323

website: www.cas-stamford.org

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Fwd: Rabbi Daniel Cohen's

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Rabbi Daniel Cohen's Weekly Message

Rabbi Cohen's Podcasts

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Weekly Message

Jump for Israel

If someone were to ask us in 1948 or 1967 if we would ride in a bike-a-thon for Israel or support the cause, I dare say we would all answer in the affirmative. In those years, we sensed the passion and pride of Israel. This coming week is the 61^st anniversary of the founding of the state of Israel. Enthusiasm wanes over time. However, our commitment to her safety and spirit must remain as strong as ever.

Although this past week, we celebrated the death of Osama bin Laden, the existential threats to Israel and democratic values endure. Last night, the Stamford Jewish community watched the film Iranium (Click here) which highlighted the challenges faced by Israel and America. This week, the treaty forged between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority creates greater uncertainties for a lasting peace in Israel.

However, we are entering a period filled with opportunities for expressions of solidarity. Here are a few:

1. Join or support the CAS Bike Team at the 4^th Annual Body and Soul Cycle Challenge Click here to register

2. Attend the Yom Hazikaron and Yom Haatzmaut event on Monday evening at 7 PM at CAS.

3. Join our AIPAC delegation in Washington. CAS will bring close to 50 members! Click here to join up

4. Welcome and join the IDF soldiers visiting our community through Tzahal Shalom and the JCC.

5. Save the dates of Tuesday eve, May 31^st for our Yom Yerushalyim event and Sunday, June 5^th for the Celebrate Israel Parade - Click here for info.

We stand in awe of the State of Israel. Our generation witnesses the miracles of our homeland every day. Our daily prayers reinforce the gift of the Jewish people's return. May our spirits stay high and may we be blessed with continued passion and appreciation for the land and people of Israel.

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Daniel Cohen

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Rabbi Daniel Cohen

Congregation Agudath Sholom

301 Strawberry Hill Ave, Stamford, CT 06902

Phone:203-358-2200 Fax: 203 358-2323

website: www.cas-stamford.org

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RABBI DANIEL COHEN'S WEEKLY MESSAGE

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"Live From Denver"

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Join in the Journey with Rabbi Cohen's
40 DAYS TO A BETTER YOU

Share your favorite High Holiday recipe and learn some new ones.
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Go to the inspirational page and share your most meaningful moment from this past year.
Click here

So get connected. Be a better you!
40 Days to a Better You website.
Experience it all!
Click here

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Rabbi Cohen's Weekly Message-Holding My Father's Hand

2011-04-04T08:09:00.007-07:00

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RABBI DANIEL COHEN'S WEEKLY MESSAGE

HOLDING MY FATHER'S HAND

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"Who is a Jew?"

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Holding my Father's Hand

When do a child's formative years begin? Might it be when the child enters kindergarten or middle school? Someone once asked this question to Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch while accompanied by their three year old child and he responded, "You missed the best three years of his life!"

Judaism teaches that from birth we create impressions on our children that shape their future. In fact, within the womb a child is learning "Torah" with an angel. The Talmud debates the youngest age appropriate for taking one's child on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Festivals. Whether the child can walk or can be carried on your shoulder, toddlers are old enough to imbibe the spiritual sounds and sights of a rendezvous with G-d and the Jewish people.

This message resonated within me in a recent conversation with my father, who as you know, moved to Israel this past week. I always reflect on my memory as a child holding hands with my father as we walked through a dark alley in the 1970's in Atlanta on our way to a Soviet Jewry rally. This formative experience infuses me with a life time sense of my responsibility to the Jewish people and my mission to create lasting memories for my children.

In this spirit, I mentioned to my father last week that Diane and I and two of our girls (who were not in camp) would drive to Newark airport to wish him and Meryl well before leaving to Israel. My father told me that he would rather I not spend three hours driving but use the time to study Torah. I responded to my father that going to the airport was not for us but for our children. Diane and I wanted our children to see their grandparents making aliyah and other families who chose to establish new homes in Israel. My father remarked, "Aha, you are right" as he knew the impact that such "trips" had on me as a child.

As we drove back from the airport after witnessing my father, step mother and other Jews leaving for Israel, we passed Mt. Vernon, NY, my father's birthplace and hometown. I wondered about his life journey from Mt. Vernon to Jerusalem and how his experiences with his own father, David Cohen, nurtured seeds of inspiration implanted within him as a child that sparked his dream of living in Israel. Next time we speak I will ask him. Next time you are with your child or grandchild, hold their hands and take them on the trip of a lifetime!

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Fwd: Rabbi Cohen's Weekly Message-Moving to Israel

2011-04-04T08:09:00.005-07:00

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Rabbi Cohen <rabbicohen@agudathsholom.org>
Date: Fri, Jul 23, 2010 at 2:15 PM
Subject: Rabbi Cohen's Weekly Message-Moving to Israel
To: robert.raymond@cas-stamford.org

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RABBI DANIEL COHEN'S WEEKLY MESSAGE
MOVING TO ISRAEL

New Podcasts:

"Love is the Answer-Vetchanan

"The Road Not Taken-Devarim

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Thanks for the overwhelming positive response the new kosher restaurant in Stamford. Please see the email below for full details. May we as a community grow from strength to strength.

Moving to Israel

Whenever I go to Israel, I am always asked by security "Do you have family in Israel?" I respond with a smile, "Yes, the Jewish people." The security agent appreciates the remark (most of the time), smiles back and allows me entry. G-d willing the next time I go to Israel, I can answer "My father and step mom". They are moving to Israel this Tuesday and will be joined by hundreds of others who are making aliyah from North America on a flight charted by Nefesh B'Nefesh (http://www.nbn.org.il/index.php ). My entire family is very excited for them but especially my daughter Sara Malka who will now have her grandparents in Israel when she is living there for a year of study.

The timing of their move is very ironic given the subject of this week's Torah portion. Moshe pleads with G-d to allow him to enter into the land of Israel. In fact, he asks G-d "Why does Joseph merit to be buried in Israel and I am not allowed to enter?" According to the Midrash, G-d answers "One who acknowledged his land is buried in the land but one who does know acknowledge his connection to Israel will not be buried in Israel." Joseph was identified as a Hebrew while in Egypt but Moshe was identified as an Egyptian and neither one denied the point of identification. Yet, the explanation is very puzzling since Yosef in fact was born in Israel and rightfully should be identified as a Hebrew and Moshe was born in Egypt.

The answer to this question highlights the depth of our relationship to the land and people of Israel. The Midrash signifies that wherever a Jew is born, he or she must always consider themselves as residents of Israel. We should see our dwelling outside of Israel as temporary, always with the hopes and aspirations of living in our Homeland. How do we identify ourselves? Yes, we are deeply grateful for America but Israel is our spiritual home. If we do live here, how are we expressing our in born identity with Israel? Are we expressing solidarity and support for the land and people of Israel? No matter where a Jew is born, as Rabbi Yehudah Halevi states, we should feel "I am in the East but my heart is in the West."

My father has been dreaming of living in Israel for a long time. My mother, of blessed memory, is buried in Israel. My daughter will be learning in Jerusalem this year. Yet, the next time I visit Israel, I hope to still respond: Yes, I have family in Israel but not only my parents but the Jewish people. All of us are bound together as one by a transcendent and eternal bond to the land and people of Israel.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Cohen

NEW KOSHER INDIAN RESTAURANT OPENING IN STAMFORD
We are very excited to announce that after many months of effort, Navaratna Vegetarian Indian Restaurant is certified kosher under the supervision of the Vaad Hakashrus of Fairfield County. The kosher certification certificate should always be present, visible and valid at the establishment.

The restaurant is located at 133 Atlantic Street (at Main St) 203.348.1070, http://www.navaratnact.com/.
CLICK HERE

Prior to their new kosher status, the New York Times featured a review of the restaurant in the July 11th edition. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/11/nyregion/11dinect.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Navaratna&st=cse
We are deeply grateful for the SKAC's (Stamford Kosher Activists Committee) legwork and to Navaratna owners Ramesh & Prakesh's enthusiastic desire to become kosher. We owe tremendous gratitude to Rabbi Zushe Blech, an international kashrut expert, for serving as a consultant to this project and to Meir Attar, Gabe Banschick and Matt Greif for their assistance to Rabbi Blech in the kashering process.

We are committed to working towards and look forward to a proliferation of kosher establishments in our community. Please contact us with any questions or comments.

Sincerely Yours,

Rabbi Daniel Cohen - rabbicohen@agudathsholom.org 203.358.2200
Rabbi Elly Krimsky - rebelkrim@aol.com 646.660.5850
Vaad Hakashrus of Fairfield County

Rabbi Elly Krimsky
Young Israel of Stamford
69 Oaklawn Avenue
Stamford, CT 06906

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Fwd: Rabbi Cohen's Weekly Message

2011-04-04T08:09:00.003-07:00

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From: Rabbi Cohen <rabbicohen@agudathsholom.org>
Date: Fri, Jul 16, 2010 at 1:16 PM
Subject: Rabbi Cohen's Weekly Message
To: robert.raymond@cas-stamford.org

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RABBI DANIEL COHEN'S WEEKLY MESSAGE

New Podcasts:

FINDING G-D ON METRO NORTH-SERMON

HEARING THE MESSAGE BEYOND THE WORDS: A TRIBUTE TO RAV AMITAL-SERMON

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WE CREATE OUR OWN REALITY

On Monday evening, Jews around the world will fast on the Ninth of Av and mourn the destruction of the Second Temple which occurred 2,000 years ago. We mourn today for an event of so many years ago because in some way we still have not rectified the spiritual roots of this terrible tragedy.

What was the cause and what is the solution?
The Talmud (Tractate Gitten 56) states that the Temple was destroyed due to the incident of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza. What happened?

In brief, a man threw a party for all of his friends and rather than invite, Kamtza, a good friend, the invitation was mistakenly sent to Bar Kamtza, a sworn enemy of the host. However, when the man's enemy arrived, the host refused to allow him to stay despite offers by Bar Kamtza to pay for the entire party.

Bar Kamtza was deeply hurt and embarrassed not simply by being thrown out of the party but by the silence of the rabbis who did not protest at the host's behavior. Bar Kamtza went straight to the Roman authorities and gave slanderous reports of disloyal behavior among the Jews. This fueled the Romans' anger, and they proceeded to attack and destroy the Holy Temple.

The Talmud links our struggles today to this incident. Jewish mysticism explains that our speech determines our reality. G-d relates to us in the way we relate to others. If we are willing to judge others favorably and see the positive in others, then G-d will see the positive in us and overlook our flaws. However, if we are quick to criticize and find fault, G-d will also evaluate us in the same way.

The leadership at the party failed to stand up for Bar Kamtza's mistreatment. Their silence served as agreement to the host's harsh view of his enemy. Instead, the Rabbis should have called on the host to allow Bar Kamtza to stay at the party and act beyond the "letter of the law". As a result, the Talmud teaches, G-d evaluated the Jewish people with justice and not mercifully which led to the destruction and exile we experience today.

Once a word emanates from our mouths, it endures forever. Everyone possesses positive and negative character traits. What do we focus on in others? Do we look for the dirt or mine for the gold? It is very easy to find flaws but so much harder to be generous in judgment. We can train ourselves, though, to be more positive. Whether a family member, friend, or someone we just meet, by sanctifying our speech and sharing a compliment we generate goodwill and the love grows.

G-d willing, the upcoming fast of the Ninth of Av will reminds us of our responsibility to rectify the spiritual roots of our exile. Through positive speech and judging others kindly, we will strengthen our communities and families and create a new reality of redemption for the Jewish people speedily in our days.

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Cohen

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Fwd: Rabbi Cohen's Weekly Message

2011-04-04T08:09:00.001-07:00

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From: Rabbi Cohen <rabbicohen@agudathsholom.org>
Date: Fri, Jul 9, 2010 at 2:50 PM
Subject: Rabbi Cohen's Weekly Message
To: robert.raymond@cas-stamford.org

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RABBI DANIEL COHEN'S WEEKLY MESSAGE

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I am excited to share that Rabbi Avi Narrow Tilonsky (Rabbi Avi) will be returning to CAS in his new position as Rabbinic Fellow. He will be joining us for Shabbos twice a month, as well as on Tuesdays afternoons and evenings. Rabbi Avi will join me and the CAS clergy team of Rabbi Walk and Cantor Wollheim. Rabbi Avi's warm personality and engaging teaching style will enhance our membership, young and old alike. In addition to sharing divrei Torah and offering classes, Rabbi Avi will spend time engaging our youth on Shabbat mornings. He will also launch the Homework Happy Hour after school in the Fall and in general, support the pastoral and programmatic initiatives of our Shul. It is great to have him back on board. To reach Rabbi Avi his email is avint2@gmail.com

Wishing everyone a Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Cohen

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Fwd: Rabbi Cohen's Weekly Message

2011-04-04T08:08:00.005-07:00

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Rabbi Cohen <rabbicohen@agudathsholom.org>
Date: Fri, Jul 2, 2010 at 4:00 PM
Subject: Rabbi Cohen's Weekly Message
To: robert.raymond@cas-stamford.org

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RABBI DANIEL COHEN'S WEEKLY MESSAGE

MOST RECENT PODCASTS; "SBNR-THE FASTEST GROWING MOVEMENT IN AMERICA"

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"Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them." - Henry David Thoreau

We live in a society seeking motivation from outside stimulation. Whether it's the newest electronic gadget, cultural craze or latest crisis, we often lack the dedication and fortitude to stay focused on our ideals and goals. In search of a "high", we sometimes have limited patience to put in the time and effort to realize our personal and national dreams.

Judaism teaches the secret to motivation. Outside stimulation may energize us for the moment but only inner inspiration coupled with struggle will enable us to sustain our initial "flash" and go far beyond it.

I was thinking of this idea in light of the fireworks this year. Due to economic considerations, some communities will not be able to afford them. Perhaps, their absence is a blessing.

Fireworks are beautiful and uplifting but they dissipate into the wind. As Americans and as Jews, we are faced with many challenges and opportunities. This July 4th, I encourage everyone to find your inner fireworks - your inner inspiration.

The Torah portion of Pinchas teaches about the daily offering in the Temple. The flame is characterized as an eternal fire burning within us at all times. We are born with Divine gifts and a unique mission in life.

May G-d give us the wisdom, strength and vision to ignite and reignite our sparks for the betterment of our country and our people.

Instead of looking this July 4th for stimulation, let's all find some deeper and long lasting inspiration!

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Cohen

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Fwd: Rabbi Cohen's Weekly Message

2011-04-04T08:08:00.003-07:00

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Rabbi Cohen <rabbicohen@agudathsholom.org>
Date: Fri, Jun 25, 2010 at 3:50 PM
Subject: Rabbi Cohen's Weekly Message
To: robert.raymond@cas-stamford.org

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RABBI DANIEL COHEN'S WEEKLY MESSAGE

MOST RECENT PODCASTS;

"BALAK-A NATION DIVIDED OR UNITED" PRE-SHABBAT TORAH TASTE CLASS

"FINDING INSPIRATION"

POWER OF THE PROPHETS CLASS

"AVRAHAM VS. BILAAM-UNWRAPPING YOUR GIFTS PARSHA BALAK" PARSHA PERSPECTIVE CLASS

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Rabbi

What would you do with an extra hour?

The headline on Wednesday in the Wall Street Journal raised this question in light of a recently released survey by the Department of Labor.

The American Time Use Survey suggests that people worked 17 minutes less time this year than last year. What did people do with the extra time? Most people slept or watched TV. Notably, the survey also indicated that there was no change between 2007 and 2009 devoted to volunteering, religious activities, exercise or education. Daniel Hammermesh, a University of Texas economist, remarked that rather than use the recession to enhance skills people are simply wasting more time.

What would we do with an extra hour?

We have three choices. We could waste the time, abuse the time or infuse the hour with blessing.

Judaism believes in the infinite potential of every day and every hour. Time is a gift. If it is unwrapped and elevated, we will maximize our lives and our actions will reverberate and be "heard" around the world.

Bilaam, the villain in the week's Torah portion of Balak, seeks to find an hour to curse the Jewish people. The Sages explain that Balaam possessed the power to curse because of the fact that he could ascertain the exact hour of G-d's anger. Bilaam harnessed the gift of time to destroy the Jewish people.

In contrast, we are reminded constantly of our opportunities to sanctify time. The mishna in Ethics of our Fathers teaches that every man has his hour and his place. The Talmud states that a person can acquire a share in the world to come in one hour. Of course, the very first mitzvah given to the Jewish people as a nation is to sanctify time.

We may be surprised to realize how much we can accomplish in one minute or one hour. I remember as a child that my father would bring a mishna to the movies (every once in awhile) so that he could study while waiting for the show to begin. Taking a few moments to learn, spend time with a family member or friend, or send a note to uplift another person or advocate for Israel can transform a wasted moment into an eternal one.

What would you do with an extra hour? This weekend take a few minutes and find out.

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Cohen

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Fwd: Rabbi Cohen's Weekly Message

2011-04-04T08:08:00.001-07:00

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Rabbi Cohen <rabbicohen@agudathsholom.org>
Date: Fri, Jun 18, 2010 at 6:15 PM
Subject: Rabbi Cohen's Weekly Message
To: robert.raymond@cas-stamford.org

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RABBI DANIEL COHEN'S WEEKLY MESSAGE

MOST RECENT PODCASTS:

"THE PRICE OF HUMAN DIGNITY" POWER OF THE PROPHETS CLASS

"KORACH: HOLDING ON"PARSHA PERSPECTIVE CLASS

"A FATHER'S WISH FOR ELISHEVA COHEN" SERMON

"THE SONG OF DAVID" PROPHETS CLASS

"CHUKAT:THE LOST GENERATION" PARSHA PERSEPECTIVE CLASS

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Rabbi

BIKE FOR ISRAEL

SUPPORT THE CAS TEAM OR JOIN THE RABBI!

We are all looking for ways to support Israel and express our solidarity with our homeland. In this spirit, I am excited to be joining many members of Agudath Sholom next Sunday, June 27th in the 3rd Annual Body and Soul Cycle Challenge sponsored by the Greater Stamford, New Canaan and Darien Federation.

This event will benefit thousands of Jews all over the world and at home who are helped by the Federation's programs. Please consider sponsoring one of the CAS riders (see list below) or if you are more ambitious being part of the ride!

The Challenge includes an easy 15 mile ride, a moderate 30 mile ride, and a challenging 62 mile ride! This year, you can also be part of this day by joining our Stationary Cycle Challenge for the equivalent of an hour of spinning, led by a certified spin instructor!

To go to the Challenge website CLICK HERE to either register to ride or sponsor a rider!

Wishing everyone a wonderful Shabbos and a Happy Father's Day!

All the best,

Rabbi Cohen

CAS Riders -registered as of June 18th)

Jim Benjamin

Claudia Brenner

Amy Breslow

Anat Chavkin

Rabbi Daniel Cohen

Steven Cohen

Eytan Coll

Ilana De Laney

David Kweskin

Nancy Mimoun

Seth Osher

Glenn Reicin

Joe Zalis

Shira Zucker

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Fwd: Rabbi Cohen's Weekly

2011-04-04T08:07:00.008-07:00

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Rabbi Cohen <rabbicohen@agudathsholom.org>
Date: Fri, Apr 16, 2010 at 1:16 PM
Subject: Rabbi Cohen's Weekly
To: robert.raymond@cas-stamford.org

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RABBI DANIEL COHEN'S WEEKLY MESSAGE

MOST RECENT PODCASTS

"The Real Deal" Parsha Perspective Class"

"To Forgive or Not to Forgive" Power of the Prophets Class

"An Interactive Funeral Seminar"

"The Life Force of Speech" Torah Taste Class

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CAS DINNER

Click here

Rabbi

A few months ago, I received a post from a friend and colleague, Rabbi Michael Broyde, whose son made aliyah and is now serving in rhe Israeli Defense Forces. I share his letter with you in the spirit of our upcoming commemoration and celebration of Israel Memoial Day (Yom Haziakron) and Israel Independance Day (Yom Haatzmaut).

Please join us at Agudath Sholom this Monday evening, April 19th at 7 PM as we invite all alumni of the IDF and families with current members of the IDF to join us for a dinner reception with Tzahal Shalom at 6 PM and register for Strides for Sderot. CLICK HERE to sign up.

Of course, do not forget to sign up for our Annual Dinner. Show your support and experience a memorable evening as we Illuminate the Individual and Kindle the Community! CLICK HERE to sign up.

Wishing you and your families a Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Daniel Cohen

A Father's Pride and Joy

Guest post by R. Michael J. Broyde

It is not my style to share my family's life events with the world, but there are certain events that seem to require some public acknowledgment. Below is a letter I wrote to my son, Aaron Broyde, on the day he commenced basic training in the Israeli army.

August 5, 2009 - Tu B'Av 5769

Dearest Aaron,

I write this letter to you on the day of your commencement of basic training in the IDF and I write as much for me as for you - but in truth, I write words from the heart to express my love and admiration of you and what you
have set out to accomplish.

You come from a family of cowards. I never even thought
of serving in the military, neither in Israel nor in America; your
grandfather picked a profession in the 1950's that was draft-exempt for a reason, and your great-grandfather (after whom you are named) bought an egg farm in Vineland, NJ in 1941 to make sure he would not serve in World War
II. But yet - running directly against a multi-generational trend - here you are starting the IDF with the rest of your hesder class of the Hesder Yeshiva of Petach Tikvah, as a member in training of the Kfir Brigade. You are the first "Broyde" to serve in any army in centuries, to be honest.

I am exceptionally proud of you and I write to express both why I feel that way and how deep my feelings are.

We raised you to be a Religious Zionist full of the vim and vigor of that wonderful ideology and movement. Whether it is through the frequent trips to Israel, near constant learning with the members of the Atlanta Torah Mitzion Kollel or ongoing exposure to religious Zionist role models - you first
met the Rosh Yeshiva of your yeshiva in our house during a shabbaton - we wanted living in Israel to be a real option for you. And it is. We are so proud of that.

That is not the choice I have made. I, like most of my own teachers and friends, have become an armchair Zionist. As involved as we might want to be in the religious Zionist enterprise, we all still seem to be living in America. The dreams that we have, we choose to keep as dreams, not daring
to fulfill them. Whatever excuses we all might have - and I have my share-in the end, they remain but (good) excuses. To have a dream perpetually unfulfilled remains very sad to me.

You, on the other hand, have chosen bravely to act and fulfill your own dreams and you moved to Israel last year at (what we think is) the tender age of 17, and have started your adult life in Israel. Your choice not to seek to shirk any of your duties as an Israeli soldier - as Americans certainly can do - is a wonderful tribute to you and your character. Your
decision to enter the IDF with your hesder class represents an ideal manifestation of what Torah and Avodah really can mean in our world: You are living a life that properly balances the various duties and obligations and many have told me that doing so in the army is difficult and stressful. Protecting Israel and her citizens is a life saving activity for the community as a whole, and reflects well on every person who does it. Even
if you fail on occasion to live up to the ideals (and who never fails?) that you set for yourself, the solution is to try again and again to be better but the mission you are on is a proper and holy one. I am so proud of that.

Certainly, there are voices - even within our own community or family -who very much talk the talk of religious Zionism, but not only do they not walk the walk, they actively discourage the flowers of our community from actually fulfilling the obligations of Israeli citizenship. You should not listen to those voices. They are the voices of falsity and temptation. Every time you hear someone say "but why would you actually volunteer to serve"you should respond with the honest courage that I have heard from you many times: "if we do not serve, how can we actually claim to be real partners?"

Indeed, sometimes the hollow and plastic nature of what passes for Orthodoxy in America is most visible in this area. American Orthodoxy, much as it engages in robust and diligent Israel advocacy and defense in America, hardly senses the centrality of military service to this process. You and I have both heard people tell you (and me) "but isn't buying Israel Bonds -joining AIPAC - visiting for Pesach - spending a year studying - the same as actually joining the fight or living in the land?" But the answer is that it is not, and there is no substitute for the courageous thing that you are doing and I admire you for doing it.

I return now to where I began. You are on the cusp of a wonderful and remarkable transformative life choice: basic training after a year of Yeshiva study, followed by many more years of service and study. Your family in America is exceptionally proud of you. We know that this will take you
to many emotional and social places that the historical Broyde family has never experienced and you will come out a different person than you entered: more Israeli, less American; more physically fit, less flabby; more communitarian, less individualistic. I am so sure that there will be so many changes that I imagine that you might almost come out a different person -but still a person that we love and cherish. And we are happy to welcome an Israeli branch in the Broyde family tree (and I personally await wonderful sabra grandchildren, all in the right time!)

I am proud and happy with what you are doing and I am sure it is a change for the better for you and for all of us.

You well know that it is not the custom or practice of the Broyde family to weekly bless our children (remember Australia?) but a letter of this type ought to end with a bracha.

Beloved Aaron: God should bless you and watch over you during your service in the IDF. Our Creator should protect you and your fellow soldiers, making certain that your missions are successful and whatever sacrifices have to be made should never be in vain. Our Lord should ensure that you leave in peace and return in peace.

With love from your father who admires you,

Dad

P.S. Of course, we always miss you and love you and we will miss you even more during basic training when even phone calls are restricted But remember, there are now direct flights from Atlanta to Tel Aviv (and even the reverse) and we look forward to visiting with you - Dad

Michael Broyde is a law professor at Emory University, a dayan in the Beth Din of America and the founding rabbi of the Young Israel in Atlanta.

This email was sent to robert.raymond@cas-stamford.org by rabbicohen@agudathsholom.org.

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RABBI DANIEL COHEN'S WEEKLY MESSAGE

FINDING G-D ON BEDFORD STREET-

ONCE A YEAR MITZVAH MOMENT

MOST RECENT PODCASTS

"Shemini-A Strange Fire and the Parameters of Passion"

Quick Links

CAS DINNER

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Rabbi

FACT OR FICTION?

WHAT YOU THOUGHT YOU KNEW ABOUT A FUNERAL.

JOIN RABBI COHEN ON SUNDAY, APRIL 11TH AT 9:30 A.M.

EXPLORE THESE AND OTHER QUESTIONS IN AN INTERACTIVE FORUM HERE AT CAS

This week we have the opportunity for a once a year blessing. Judaism teaches that we have a mitzvah to recite a blessing during the month of Nisan (last day is Wednesday) on seeing the first buds of a fruit tree. Last year, Shalhevet and I went to the home of Michael and Debbie Berg who invited me to recite the blessing at their apple tree. The experience was moving and a meaningful way to connect with the Divine presence in the world.

This year you have a chance to seize a mitzvah moment. Visit http://fruittrees.citykol.com/ to find out the details of the blessings and the locations of fruit trees across the USA. In our own backyard, Michael and Debbie invite the entire community in the next few days to stop by their apple tree (1906 Bedford Street Apt. 1 - in the back, the aravah (willow tree) is in the front) for an opportunity to maximize the mitzvah moment.

Speaking of a Mitzvah Day - Save May 2 and support Strides for Sderot (http://sites.google.com/a/cas-stamford.org/strides/) in the morning and our Annual Dinner (http://sites.google.com/a/cas-stamford.org/annual/) in the evening!

Wishing you and your families a Shabbat Shalom

All the best,

Rabbi Daniel Cohen

This email was sent to robert.raymond@cas-stamford.org by rabbicohen@agudathsholom.org.

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RABBI DANIEL COHEN'S WEEKLY MESSAGE

MOST RECENT PODCASTS

"AN EMPTY SEAT AT YOUR SEDER: A SIYUM ON MAKOT"

"OUR EDDIE JACOBSON MOMENT: THE PRE-MIDNIGHT PASOVER MIRACLE (AIPAC REFLECTION)"

Quick Links

NEWRabbi Cohen's Passover Website

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New CAS Passover Site Now UPDATED

Pesach marks the birth of the Jewish nation. This year, I decided to give birth to a new idea to spread the joy and the information you need for Passover.
Click here to visit the new site.

Check out the Ask the Rabbi blog for your Passover Q&A. I'll update this as I receive more questions

Shabbat shalom,

Rabbi Cohen

PASS OVER NO ONE THIS PESACH

Click here to donate to the CAS Passover Fund

In the hours before the seder will start, please consider these three ideas to enhance your Passover experience.

1. The Empty Chair - I remember sedarim as a child, when we would set an empty place for our Soviet Jewish brethren. Fortunately, we are long past the need for that. I know that many have continued this custom, setting aside the empty place for victims of terror attacks in Israel or the Israeli soldiers who are missing in action. Prayer for the MIA's

This year may we have in mind St. Sgt. Ilan Sviatkovsky of Rishon Letzion, and Maj. Eliraz Peretz of Eli (whose brother, Uriel, was killed by Hizbollah in 1998). They were killed by Palestinian terrorists this past Friday night in Gaza. Due to the holiday, their families may only observe an abridged shiva, which has already ended.

2. The Pesach Personality Plays - Yeshiva University produces Pesach to Go Booklets which contain many wonderful ideas. The 2006 version (see http://www.yutorah.org/togo/pesach/articles/Pesach_To-Go_-_5766.pdf) contains a series of Pesach interviews with Biblical personalities as in a talk show which is a great way to create an interactive expereince at the seder. You can even ask the kids to get dressed up or walk through a pan of water, as we do, to reenact the splitting of the Red Sea.

3. The Counting of the Omer - The period of time between Pesach and Shavout affords us not only a opportnity to count the days but to make them count. Sign up for Rabbi Simon Jacobson's omer reminder (www.meaningfullife.com) as he provides new insights into harnessing the capacity of each day for spiritual growth. Bring his insights to the seder on the second night as we begin the counting of the Omer.

Diane and I wish you and your families a happy and healthy Pesach and the fullfilment of the blessings at the end of the retelling of the story of the Exodus -

May G-d enable us to celebrate other festivals in peace and happy in the reconstruction of Jerusalem. May G-d who has brought us from slavery to freedom, from anguish to joy, from mourning to festivity bring us from darkness to great light.

Chag Kasher Vesameach!

Rabbi Daniel Cohen

This email was sent to robert.raymond@cas-stamford.org by rabbicohen@agudathsholom.org.

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