A big Yasher Koach to the Ladies Guild and our Youth Directors for catering our special Kiddush this week themed "My Yiddishe Mameh"
Dear [first_name]
When Sarah dies, Abraham does what any devoted husband would do - but more so. Not only does he bury her with the honour that was her due; he uses her passing to acquire the first Jewish property in Israel, the country that is called the Land of Life (Eretz HaChaim).
And immediately afterwards, he embarks upon another life-giving mission. He seeks a wife for his son Isaac to ensure the continuation of Sarah's legacy.
And continue it does - when Isaac betroths Rebecca at the end of the parasha - Sarah's tent returns to its former glory and radiance. It is as if Sarah has never died.
Not for Abraham to create a shrine for Sarah's memory - to leave her tent untouched as at the moment of her death. To think that to do otherwise would be a betrayal of her memory. On the contrary, the pall of sadness that such a shrine would cast would truly ensure that Sarah's death was final. Far from being a tribute to Sarah, it would suck the life of the future into the vortex of the past. What Abraham wanted was that the bitter taste of death should propel her life to an even more glorious future. It is for this reason that the parasha of Sarah's death is called Chayei Sarah - the life of Sarah.
It is also for this reason that although Abraham eulogized Sarah, he cried for her but a little. This is indicated in the Torah's using a diminutive letter "caf" in the Hebrew word for crying, "livcota". Miss her, he most certainly would, and so he did cry. But not for long. A far greater tribute would be to ensure that she lived on - and so he immediately got to work.
Abraham, through his personal example, has taught us the true Jewish response to death, and indeed to difficulties of any kind. It is unnatural not to mourn a loss. The Talmud describes such a person as insensitive. At the same time, however, the Talmud criticises a person who cries too much. Rather than allow a tragedy to pull us down to the past, Abraham has taught us to use it to propel ourselves into an even greater future.
May Hashem spare us from all sadness and sorrow
With best wishes for a Good Shabbos on behalf of the Rebbetzin and all of us at South Head,
Rabbi Benzion Milecki OAM
Some of the 90 people at this week's session of JLI's 'Journey of the Soul'
Youth Crew We're Here for You!
* Our CTeen Clothing Drive will take take place November 15 at South Head. Come and donate your gently used men's women's and children's clothing to help others in our community.
* Registration for Camp Shalom Summer Day Camp is now open! Camp Shalom will be held on Monday 21 - Thursday 24 December.
We are very excited to bring to you three NEW exciting adventures.
Places are strictly limited so register early to avoid disappointment. Click here to register.
* We are also very excited to announce our very first T.G.I.S for teenagers aged 13-17 years to be held on Friday night, November 13. For more info or to book please call Jacob Miller on 0421 388 220 or Yeruchem on 0431 928 608.
Wishing you and your family Shabbat Shalom and looking forward to seeing you at South Head Shul --- THE place where everyone wants to be!!!!!
Tzemach, Roli & Yeruchem
For more info on all programs: youth@southhead.org Tzemach Yemini 0412 482770, Roli Abrahams 0412 542770 or Yeruchem Lipszyc 0431 928 608
Special "Guests" of Honour Rabbi Asher Zeilingol
"In 1966, my wife and I went to Minnesota, following the Rebbe’s advice that we become Rabbi and Rebbetzin of Adath Israel Congregation in St. Paul. From the very start of our mission, we felt so tremendously supported by the Rebbe, and the stories I would like to share demonstrate how he paid attention to the smallest detail, how he never missed the tiniest thing, and how he looked after us in every way".full story
RECOMMENDED LIBRARY READING
"DOES THE SOUL SURVIVE"
A Jewish Journey to Belief in Afterlife, Past Lives & Living with Purpose, by Rabbi Elie Kaplan Spitz.
From near-death experiences to reincarnation, past-life memory to the works of mediums, Rabbi Spitz explores what we are really able to know about the question of the afterlife. He draws from Jewish texts to demonstrate that the concept of the survival of the soul is in fact true to the Jewish tradition.
Mazal Tov to Adam & Matti Hochroth on the birth of a son on 15 Cheshvan/Oct 28; together with grandparents James & Yvonne Hochroth and Bernard & Leslie Gild.
Happy Jewish Birthday to...
Friday
Adam Blumenthal
Adam Epstein
Brenda Finkelstein
Ilan Friedgut
Jaimi Krost
Joel Moss
Joshua Gishen
Melissa Cohen
Tallulah Gutman
Shabbos
Ellie Temple
Eve Friedman
Georgia Schilling
Jon Marcuson
Madison Voloshin
Maureen Mendelowitz
Stacey Kalish
Wynne Abkin
Sunday
Adam Klug
Adam Wolf
Carli Freiberg
Hannah Simons
Jacqui Chilchik
Janelle Levett
Linda Tockar
Mark Hacker
Rachelle Hacker
Richard Levine
Shelley Diamond
Tuesday
Belinda Katz
Benjamin Brock
Fred Ginsberg
Hazel Schulman
Hymie Flekser
Jonathan Dyne
Menachem Mendel Kavka
Michelle Wolf
Sam Brick
Wednesday
Arthur Kopelowitz
Dean Sher
Ivan Katz
Jaclyn Gluck
Keren Miller
Nicole Fine
Thursday
Margaret Wahlhaus
We wish "long life" to...
Friday
Rosalind Fisher for father Neil James McLean
Shabbos
Doris Wise for father Theo Westheim
Henry Lechem for mother Luba Lechem
Joel Scheftz for father David Nathan Scheftz
Lester Kalmin for mother Florence Kalmin
Michael Lewis for father Solomon Lewis
Raymond Dresdner for grandmother Rysia Trief
Sunday
Bella Wiesner for grandmother Chana Raizel Anger
Bernard Herbert for uncle Isaac Nudelman
Jakob Enoch for aunty Deborah Lea Enoch
Kim Scheftz for father David Lever
Peter Jacobson for mother Pearlie Jacobson
Stuart Sontag for father George Sontag
Yvonne Sontag for husband George Sontag
Monday
Hymie Hyman for mother Chinka Hyman
Ian Tolkin for father Bernard Tolkin
Leon Kawalsky for mother Dulcie Kawalsky
Tuesday
Charles Gordon for brother Nathan Gordon
Jack Rosenstraus for mother Elwira Rosenstraus
Jeffrey Frank for uncle David Fine
Nathan Lapidus for father Josef Lapidus
Wednesday
Gus Freiberg for mother Sarah Chava Freiberg
South Head Sandra Bransky Library & Youth Synagogue
RECOMMENDED LIBRARY READING
17 years to be held on Friday night, November 13. For more info or to book please call Jacob Miller on 0421 388 220 or Yeruchem on 0431 928 608.
