°e ° Rosh HaShana 2015 5776 National Edition INw DY THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL INW YONT IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL 29 oy INIWw NWN ACCORDING TO THE TORAH OF ISRAEL FROM THE DESK OF THE Mizrachi Organization of Canada 296 Wilson Avenue: Toronto, Ontario M3H 188 Tel: 416.630.9266 Fax: 416.630.2305) Email: mizrechi@rogers com vwww.mizrachiica yea NATIONAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Dear Friends, would Itke to take you Rosh Hash is opportunity to bring Jn greetings. The accomplishments of nization this past year, together our larger Mizrachi Canada family have been many, Our local efforts strengthen Religio srael philanthropy through support of Torah and educational institutions, social welfare ganizations and victims of terror, Mizrachi en true to its goals through our mission statement of "Am Yisrael, B’Eretz Visrael, Al Pi Torah Yisrael - The People of israel, in the Land of Israel, According to the Torah of Israel.” Our recent newsletters continue to highligh ourvibrant youth activities in Bnei Akiva, and ‘their exceptional summer camps, Moshava Bair Toronto anc Camp Moshava Ennismore, cempus outreach and Isreel advocacy through Yavneb, and daily Torah study and classes with our YU Torah MiTzion Beit Midrash Zichron Dov ‘ogram. The greatest pride that Mira owever, isin you our members. You your unwavering suppor i times of greatest 1nd for that we are grateful. |am also asking, unabashedly, th 3B this new year you sha /our neighbours, frends and relatives, the good work of our organization, and ask them to join us in our mission, by becoming members and supporting our programs as well Jur membership and community are invited altend cur Gala Dinner taking place on September 8th, honouring the me: Neinbaum, z'l, through a memorial cholarship fund for study in Israel, honouring rank & Florence Dimant and Mendy & Marilyn theiryears of outstandi ship, devation and generosity t State of Israel and the Jewish People. For Reservations and ad journal contributions P Shaindy Cohen at 416-879-2068. ppreciate Mishkhan Shalom in see our national website at www mizrach.ca orcal ourofice at 416. formore nformation and the benefits ofa Mizrachi May the Almighty bless each of you and you families with a sweet New Year filled with health, happiness and joy, may we me year of peace and security in Eretz israel for Am Yisrael and may we look forward to year filled with personal and communal mplishments. Shanah Tovah) Rabb: Pein Rosenberg National Executive DirectorEARNING GREATNESS R’ Mordechai Torezyner toreayner@torontotorah.com Rosh Beit Midrash Yeshiva University Torah Mirzion Beit idrash Zchron Dov of Toronto Leading rabbis of pre-war Europe spent the period between Tisha biAv and Elul atthe spas of Europe, taking the cure” and building uo strength for the coming year. At one such spa, Rabbi Chaim Ozer, ahalachic giant of international stature, met the Rebbe of Ostrov, one of the great chassidic rebbeim Rabbi Ozer asked the Rebbe to share a Torah thought. The Rebbe demurred, and asked Rabbi Ozer to go first, Rabbi Ozer insisted, "No, you go first; you're a gavro rabbah (great man)” Atthat, the Ostrovizer Rebbe replied, "You don't know what a gavra rabbah is!" And he proceeded to explain what constitutes greatness, The Ostrovizer quoted a passage from the Talmud (Makkot 22a-b) regarding the lashes issued by 2 rabbinical court to a person who intentionally violates Torah lave The Torah says, “Strike him forty times, do not add,” but the Talmud explains that we strike a maximurn of 39 times, and never 40, And the Talmud adds, “How foolish are people who stand fora Torah scroll, and don’t stand for 2 Torah scholar! The Torah scroll seems to say 40, but the Torah scholars so great that he understands it should be 39!" The Ostrovizer Rebbe then asked The same sort of lesson about the authority of sages appears earlier in the Torah, regarding the mitzvah of counting the Omer, The Torah says to count fifty days, but the sages explain that we count forty-nine. Why does the Talmud use lashes, rather than the Omer, to illustrate rabbinic authority? Answering his own question, the Ostrovtzer explained: The Talmud does not call a sage “great” because of rabbinic authority. Rather, the Talmud's points that the sage mercifully reduces the burden of the sinner, as in the case of lashes, ‘This lesson is counter-intuitive. A person who receives lashes was warned about the sin he was about to commit and the punishment he would receive, and yet he replied to the warning, “I know, and I'm doing ition that condition!” And yet, this is the person who deserves our mercy; we are taught to have mercy upon every individual, regardless of their personal righteousness Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz noted an extreme example of this counter intuitive mercy: Bilam. When Bilam found himself face-to-face with an angel, the angel said, “Had the donkey avoided me, | would have Killed you and let the donkey live” To this, a midrash (Bamidbar Rabbah 20:15} comments that the angel instead let Bilam live, and killed the donkey, “So that people won't say that thisis the donkey that defeated Bilam with his rebuke, such thet he couldn't respond. Hashem had mercy ‘on the honor of Blam, His creation” Hashem had mercy on Bilam, regarding whom the Talmud says, “if you can think of anything terrible to read into Bilam’s actions, say” because itis likely true. Bilam, who tried to destroy us! This s the one upon whom we have mercy, killing the donkey just to prevent him from being embarrassed? Yes, even Bilam. As the Ostrovtzer said, a gavra rabbah worries about every human being We canall be great; we can look to help out those around us, regardless of personal level. The Talmud (Shabbat 1516] teaches, “Hashem is merciful to those who are merciful to others” May this theme of merey inspire our actions in the coming weeks, and may our help for others merit a blessing from Hashem, to inscribe and seal all of us for a great year.HIGHLIGHTS | OF THE YEARur community sustained a great loss with the untimely passing of Yitzhak (lsaac) Kurtz a'r Yitzwas arare and special man, 'e stood 6 fect, 6 inches tal, but he was 2 giant in more than just the physica sense. He was born and raised in Toronto. His fether, Binewman (Yumi) Kurtz ah also an engineer, was also from Toronto. itz’ ate Shani a'h, was from New York, She was a teacher here for many years. Vitz had two sisters: Riva and Hindy, b large femilies ang living in Israel Vitz attended Eitz Chaim Schools, Or Chaim Yeshiva and Camp Moshava, He went on to learn at Yeshivat Har Etzion and then ned degrees in engineering from the University of Toror Yitz was a lifelong learner and teacher of Torah His Chavrusah, Ralph Frankel, said Yitz was not only a Talmud Chacham, but indeed a genius. His memory wes remarkable and his power to reason, astounding The two would leam fe hours at a time and the'r learning secer went on far decades and even continued by telephone and vie skype when Ralph moved to New York, There were not many ‘occasions when Vitz Kurtz was not, by far, the most brilliant mind in the room. Yet his brilliance was matched only by his modesty. Yitzwas a tue “anav knew Yitz for more than ive years but | discovered things about him ‘at his funeral and during the week of hments, professional achievements, deeds of chesed s totally unaware of. From a religious point Vitz embodied everything, 2 ben Torah aspires to be: His piety fas real. His faith strong. His devotion , the Jewish People, the of Israel and Jewish tradition, totally genuine, In his professional ie, Vite was fan accomplished engineer, scientist and nventor. He designed intricate, complex bio-medical devices to help improve the quality of life for tens of thousands of people. His religious convictions were never a barrier to his ability to show respect and deal pleasantly with non-religious Jews or non-Jewish people, Vtz was a devout Jew who functioned in both worlds. Quite simply, hewas a walking, Kiddush Hashem. was fortunate to visit the shiva the day his non-Jewish colleagues, workers and employees came by to pay their respects. There ere at least fity men and women crowded around Debbie and he children, They hailed from every comer on the planet. They had ach traveled 45 minutes ar longer to come and share memories of their beloved colleague, Isaac. One by one they described 3 gentle, refined, hardworking man, easy to talk to and pleasant to fork with, They were certain he had the mind of a genius because ‘aced with complex challenges he was able to conceive of and create innovative bio medical equipment - prosthetic limbs, bio medical devices, non-invasive intricate sting devices that improved the quality of life for countless numbers of people. Yitz became ill wo and half years ago. He unde: operations followed by radiation and chemath REMEMBERING . YITZ KURZ; by Jack Samuel to be doing well. Then about six months ago, his cancer came back, He underwent further treatments which really weakened him, His dactars could not believe Yitz was going to work during is time, But he pushed himself. Debbie thinks being productive 1o his pushing himself to live a litle longer. when he was in his 30's. In fact | barely knew him when the funeral of his father. | remember being amaz this seemingly quiet and reserved young man calmly rose to ulogize his father He spoke about the learning they did together when he was 2 young child. He talked lovingly and intelligently, with such reverence for fether who was also 2 modest but learned man, committed to his religious, Zionist beliefs, That eulogy helped me appreciate the forces that shaped Yit's Yitz was a loving and wonderful husband to Debbie. They met as staff members at Camp Moshava. They were a formidable team, with Debbie usually playing lead role, though she too appreciated and occasionally deferred to Yitz’s brilliance and sterling character. They had 2 beautiful marriage and were blessed with four wonderful children, Debbie has na nurse at Moshava for a nu fof seasons, which afforded Vite the rtunity to spend weekends back at camp, Itwill surprise ne one to learn that his favorite place in camp was the Bet Midrash jormously proud of his fen, their respective spouses, the paths they chose in life and the people they have become, Yitz was also blessed to have met and spent time with three ‘grandchildren. Itmustbe said that Debbie was fantastic during ¥itz’s long, difficult medical odyssey. ‘She showed gre devotion and compassion to him during his ups and downs. She really advocat: for him and tried her best to respect his ishes and desires. Vitz was blessed to have Debbie as his wife ars, Yitz was also blessed to have the constant help and janderful doctors, both from within and outside ‘our community. These medical professionals devoted themselves to his care and were generous with their time and expertise. They did all they could for him and Yitz in turn, was grateful for all their efforts and kindness. Yitz was a pivotal member of the Or Chaim Minyan. The members of the Minyan looked forward to his shiurim and divret Torah. We cooked up to him. We were inspired by him, We learned so much ‘om him and enjayed his friendship. Vitz contributed so much, nat conly to the Or Chaim Minyan but to Bnei Akiva Schools as well as to the cohesion of the whole community. tis sad and even painful to ‘think that our friend is gone from aur midst for good. Those of us who were privileged to know him will miss him very much, lashem gave, Hashem took away. May the name of Hashem be blessed forever mare. And may the memory of Yitzhak Tevi Meie ben Binyamin Shraga Feivel Chaim Kurtz a'h forever be a blessingstsTV1 ais, SIX aw SINTHT ON DAT aa 1 1 The YITZ KURTZ MEMORIAL FUND T T ‘vrrz KuRTZ 91 was a beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend. He was 4 pillar of the community in his unassuming and endearing manner that made 0 many people seek out his company and brilliant mind. Yite holds a very special place in the hearts of his Camp Moshava family where he served as tzevet chinuch (education staff) and Rosh Moshava (head counsellor). He +had a passion for earning and was so very moved by the informal education and love Jor Yiddishkeit that he saw when he stayed at camp with his wife Debbie, who joins ‘our staf yearly as camp nurse. Camp Moshava is honoured to launch the ¥1T2 KURTZ MEMORIAL FUND, 10 Be used to dedicate a Sefer Torah, rename the camp Beit Midrash in Yitz3 memory, ‘and provide camp scholarships. The Sefer Torah will be at Camp Moshava ‘during camp season and throughout the year in the Or Chaim Minyan. With your support of the vrrz, KURTZ MEMORIAL FUND, Yitz’ legacy will continue to inspire future generations. SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES oyna nana. 90 -Book 5x $10,000 mata nw» - Ten Commandments oeaw» ym - Shema Yisrael mn MW Song at the Sea ‘yma qm - Hamalach Hagoel ‘puna nova -Birkat Kohanim apy" naa - Jacobs Blessings R51 '7-UR - Tam Hashem your healer “The 13 Attributes cen) office@campmoshava.org, rere aoe te Caan ‘PTW TR TPS ‘mI «Portion for having children $1,800 ‘$1,000 wT Wa-Learning Centre $1,800 t0 $50,000 DONATE NOW Please save the date and join us for the Hachnasat Sefer Torah dedication at Yeshivat Or Chaim on Sunday, September 20, 2015THE KOREN In 2015, an important volume has been added to the relatively sparse body of Religious Zionist literature = a Machzor specifically designed for the holidays of Yorn Haatzma'ut and Yor Yerushalayim, it should be noted with gratitude that Dov and Karen Meyer and family, important fixtures in the Mizrachi community of Toronto, were among the generous sponsors of this volume, This has not been the first attempt at publishing @ prayer book for Yom Haatzma'ut, A Hebrew-only volume, Goel Yisrael, was published several years ago through the generous support of the Koschitzky family, The Koren Machzor contains a full English translation, as well as an acknowledgment of the nusach differences between Israel and the Diaspora (for instance, it includes Baruch Hashem Leolam in Maar) BOOK REPORT The Machzor contains special prayers that have been codified specifically for these days, or that have been culled from other parts of our yearly prayer cycle (such as Hoallel for specific use on these days It contains a selection of no less than five alternative versions of Al Hanisim which may be added to the Amida and Birkat Hamazon for those days. Mincka for the day preceding the holiday and the Maariv following the holiday are included so no other siddur is needed to fulfil one's regular tefilla obligations, The question can be asked ~ is a special siddur needed for Yom Haatzma'ut and Yor Yerushalayim, and even ifso, is it appropriate to term this version a machzor. Even the Goel Yisrael volume does not term itself a machzor, bout rather as chapters from the Beit Midrash of Rav Kook on the topic of the Yom Haatzma'ut and Yom Yerushalayim along with the inclusion of a ‘Siddur Tefila’.An abundance of pamphlets already exist for the Moariv service on Yom Haatzma‘ut,at which there are customarily large public gatherings ofthe religious Zionist community both in Israel and in communities of the Diaspora, The other services can be covered with a few notes and instructions, for those who wish to acd any or all of Holle, an elongated Pesukei Dezimro, Tefilla Lishlom Homedina, and even the special Haftarah, Perhaps by using the term ‘Machzo we are raising these holidays to a status above days YOM HAATZMA'UT MAHZOR 6 serciciancau such as Purim and Chanukah, both of which have long established traditions in Jewish tradition, and neither of which require their own prayer book. (On the other hand, one would be missing 2 main feature of this book if itis to be regarded solely as a Buide to Tefillot The sidcur itself s accompanied by an extensive commentary written by Rabbi Moshe Taragin, along with Rabbi Benny Lau and Dr. Yoel Rappel. This commentary s unique in that it focuses upon the centrality of Eretz Yisrael in Jewish life, even for those parts of the prayer service that are recited every day. Furthermore, the volume is augmented by @ set of 24 essays spanning well over 200 pages, called the Maidenbaurn & Rothenberg essays after their sponsors, covering all aspects of Yom Haatzma‘ut and Yom Yerushalayim, as well as the general significance of Eretz Yisrael and Medinat Yisrael to Halachic Judaism. The authors of these essays span a gamut of rabbis and scholars, both of the current generation and the previous generation. Works of the late visionaries Rabbis Yosha Ber Soloveitchik, TaiYehuda Kook, Rabbi Yehuda Amital are included, along with those of modern day leaders of Religious Zionism, both in Israel land the Diaspora, such as current executive director of World Mizrachi Rabbi Doron Perez, former Chief Rabbi of the British Commonwealth Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Rabbi Berel Wein, and others. When considered in the context of the essays and extensive commentary, the actual “Machzar’ content almost pales in comparison, What we have before us is a veritable encyclopedic volume fon the halachic and hashkafic basis for @ Zionist outlook within a Torah-true lifestyle. Were the essays alone to have been published as a stand-alone volume - dayeinu. If thisvolume would also include a guide to the prayers for the Zionist oriented holidays - dayeinu, Given that it also incorporates 2 comprehensive commentary with a unique style - how much mare so does it earn an honoured place on the bookshelf, and a recommendation asa volume of study, for every Jew to whom a blend of faith in the Torah, the Land, and the Nation of Israel forms the basis of their sacred faithYOM HAATZMA'UT 2015 ‘The annual Mizrachi Yom Hazikaron / Yom Heatuma'ut event took place on the evening of April 22 at Beth Avraharn Yoseph Congregation in Thornhill. David Shore served as the MC for the evening. The long-standing MC of previous years, Jack Samuel, ably guided the organizing committee. The evening began with Minch. The flag was lowered by the family members of Howie Rothman, the forrner Torontonian seriously injured in the Har Nof massacre, The Yom Hazikaron siren was sounded by video, as the audience marked the moment of silence in solidarity with those who fel in the defense of israel over the years, Amold Roth, co-founder with his wife of the Malki Foundation in memory of their daughter who fell victim Restaurant bombing of 2001,wa Yorn Hazikaron portion of the program while Rabbi Doron Perez, head of the World Mizrachi Grganization, wes the speaker for the Yon Haatzma'ut portion. The Netivot HeTorah choir performed beautifully, and Rabbi Korobkin delivered an inspiring Dvar Torah. ‘The event was preceded by a reception for the generous sponsors ‘who made the evening possible. After the conclusion of the formal part of the evening with the festive Maariv led by Zev Steinfeld, the spirited celebration with singing and dancing took place in the auditorium. As usual, this event served as the highlight of the Mizrachi Toronto annual calendar. A hearty Yesher Koach and Kol Hakavod to all involved in supporting, planning and carrying out this wonderful evening Mizrachi Rosh Hashana 2015 /5776 Newsleter lhMIZRACHI CANADA Saiedinner |" JACK WEINBAUM a MEMORIAL = SCHOLARSHIP FUND FRANK+FLORENCE =< DIMANT MENDY+MARILYN a MAIEROVITZ COMMUNITIES OF CHALUTZA AND LACHISH, HOME TO HUNDREDS OF FORMER GUSH KATIF RESIDENTS. an en) TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER ob 2015 SDL oat] Pa Mazel Tov Jo: Rabbi Meir & Chaya Rosenberg onthe ma ter Danny & Ettie Rosenberg on the marriage of their deughte Leah to Mare Fruchter wen Bebby Shlomo & Chaya Kreitman bar mitzvah of their son Dovid ~~ Rochelle & Barry Shulman on the birth of a granddaughter CS Kurt & Edith Rothschild on the marriage of their granddaughter Shira to Yakov Torgow 2 yo Debbie Kurtz on the engagement of her son Yishai to Rebecca Cymbalista te brneas