The Jewish Community of Kobe and Kansai
078-221-7236 phone line for the synagogue office;078-242-7254 fax and phone line for the rabbi’s home
080-6144-0652 is Rabbi Strausberg’s cellular phone
MIKVEH - for appointments please contact our Rabbanit, Tova Strausberg, by cellular phone: (81) + (0)90-8456-8924
Rabbi Strausberg’s email is rabbi.strausberg@gmail.com
We hope to see more visitors from around the world this Shabbat!
Fri.-Sat., May 16 (candle-lighting 18:35) and 17 (Shabbat ends 19:48), 2008 / Iyar 12, 5768
Parshat Behar (Vayikra / Leviticus chapters 25~26 verse 2; Haftorah: Jeremiah ch. 32 verses 6-27)
Arvit begins after sundown; Shacharit in the morning at 8:45.
Looking ahead, Iyar 18, the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer, known as Lag b'Omer, will begin at sundown Thursday, May 22nd and last all day Friday the 23rd until dark and the onset of Shabbat Bechukotai.
The Community warmly thanks (1) Noam Manory for his painstaking construction and dedicated
ongoing maintenance of this website, and wishes him a safe settling-in; he has just recently
moved; (2) the co-sponsors for the meals this past Shabbat, Hagay Blumenthal and an
anonymous donor; and (3) everyone else who contributes in any way, great or small, to our
communal worship.
The eighth aliya, after saying "ha-gomeil" in thanks for his safe return by air from Israel to
Japan, davened Haftorah Emor for us. This is someone who has long learned, and with
kavana (from the heart) has taught anyone who cared to listen, "the difference between the
holy and the common,"
and "cause[d] them/us to discern between the unclean and the clean." (Ezekiel ch. 44 v. 23, part
of this Haftorah, sets out the duties of "the priests the Levites"; while by lineage he is neither
a Kohen nor a Levi, he exemplifies us as "a kingdom of priests".)
Also assisting with davening from the bimah were Amir Suisa and Rafael Strausberg. Joining
us for the first time was Meir Yonatan (his two given names) of Costa Rica. It was a joy to
be able to again welcome a faithful, dedicated supporter of our Community, Aziz Besaleley /
Menasha ben Elisha of New York.
On Friday evening a question was asked about whether animals can be sacrificed today as they
were at the First and Second Temples. The Encyclopedia Judaica was consulted and so,
later on, was the Rabbi. Apparently, once the Second Temple was destroyed, there was
neither any physical nor spiritual wherewithal to be bringing sacrifices: along with the
structure (save the Western Wall), lives were ruined and livestock probably killed or scattered,
and all one could ask was to survive.
Once the Temple Mount was returned to Jewish hands with its capture in June, 1967, the
restoration of sacrifices was discussed but the authorities were not nearly ready to approve.
The Arabs claimed the Temple Mount; there was no way to procure the ashes of a red
heifer, required for purification; and there was no way to guarantee that the Kohanim of today
were in fact descended from those in charge of the avodah in 70 C.E.
Correction (Newsletter Emor): the Israeli Ha-Zikaron, Remembrance Day, and Yom Ha-Atzmaut,
Independence Day, do not necessarily fall on the 4th and 5th of Iyar; this year, i.e. last week,
they were on the 2nd and 3rd, Wednesday and Thursday, May 7 and 8. One had been
tempted to write: "HaShem is looking after us by having 5 Iyar fall on Shabbat during these times
of high oil prices because the customary parades and flyovers cannot take place."
Personal thanks to individuals who, from Kobe, China, Canada, and the USA have sent words of
encouragement in response to the two newsletters sent last week.
Words of encouragement from here to at least one who, between jobs and with birthday
approaching, incurred an injury as a result of passing out from intense pain; and to yet another
who, under the weather, was forced to stay at home Friday evening but looked and sounded
blessedly better by day.
This week, to read a d'var Torah in English on your computer, a recommended source is
on the week's Parsha. Of course, not to be missed are those to be given, b'H, by Rabbi
Strausberg at Ohel Shelomoh each Shabbat evening and noon.
Donation information
Donations within Japan can be made with a postal transfer form known in Japanese as “Yubin Furikomi”. The account number for Ohel Shelomo is 00900-8-189531. Feel free to call for further information at 078-221-7236 to contact the synagogue if you want to sponsor a kiddush.
Payments can also be mailed or, except on Shabbat or Yom Tov, brought directly to the following snail mail address: The Jewish Community of Kansai/Japan – Kitano-cho 4-12-12 Chuo-Ku, Kobe, Japan 650-0002. Cash payments within Japan need to be sent “genkin kakitome”, cash registered mail. As the fee for this is much higher than for the postal transfer form and one must send either type of payment from a post office, the transfer form is highly recommended.
Here is another way to make payments if you are currently outside of Japan : wire transfers can be made directly to Kobe, Japan , as follows:
Bank Name:Citibank
Address:
95 Edomachi Imon Kowa Building Chuo-ku,
Kobe , 650-0003, Japan .
Tel: 81-78-392-1422
Attn: Nakamura - San
Multi-Money Account:958-18057
Account Name:Jewish Community of Kansai
SWIFT Code:CITIJPJT
Donations can also be made by check through Friends of Ohel Shelomo. For those interested in making donations within North America please contact David Moche at the following address:
S. David Moche
1700 York Avenue
New York City , New York 10128
Mobile : 917.331.2567
Skype: sdmoche email at sdavid@moche.com
Shalom and Peace to all!!! We hope to see more visitors from around the world this Shabbat!!