YOUNG ISRAEL OF WEST HARTFORD

2240 ALBANY AVENUE

WEST HARTFORD, CT 06117
Shabbat Parshat Ki Tetze
(860) 233-3084 August 21st, 2010
11 Elul 5770
Web Site: http://www.YoungIsraelWH.org
Kiddush This Shabbat
YOUNG ISRAEL OF WEST HARTFORD
Sponsored by:
Shabbat Parshat Ki Tetze
Audrey and Leon Laufer &
8:15 AM Rabbi Sheinkopf’s Mishna Brurah Class
9:00 AM Shacharit Joan and Barry Saltzman
9:28 AM Sof Zman Kriat Shma In honor of the marriage of Adena and Zach
6:25 PM Rabbi Weinberg’s Shabbat Afternoon Class AND
7:10 PM Mincha, Seudah Shlishit & Maariv By The Shul
8:26 PM Shabbat Ends Wishing Rabbi and Elana
RABBI’S CORNER Mazal Tov on
It was really great to see so many people come out 1 Year in West Hartford!
last Sunday morning to help clean up the outside
of the shul. It makes a big difference and we really
appreciate it! SEUDAH SHLISHIT WILL BE SPONSORED
THIS WEEK BY:
Yasher Koach to the new board which met this Susanne and David Gelb
week for the first time. It was a great meeting and In commemoration of Yarzeit of Zena Gelb ob”m
I saw a real collaborative effort of everyone around & The Laufer and Saltzman Families
the table. The time was used productively, deci- In honor of Adena and Zach
sions were made and everyone had a voice. I could
already see how well this group can work together. ‫מזל טוב‬
I feel very confident that we have a wonderful year ‫ מזל טוב‬to Adena Laufer on her recent marriage to
to look forward to. Zachary Saltzman, son of Barry & Joan Saltzman of
Scarsdale. ‫ מזל טוב‬to Audrey, Leon, Michael & Judie!
Plans for the Yamim Noraim are well under way and
I encourage you to join me for my Pre-Rosh Ha- WOMEN’S LEARNING GROUP
shanna Shiur. Please see the flyer in the lobby for This Shabbat afternoon at 5:30pm
more details. At the home of Debbie Luger - 37 Miamis Road
I will be away this Tuesday and Wednesday at a
rabbinic conference in NJ under the leadership of THANK YOU
Rabbi Dr. Jacob J. Schacter. This is part of the on- Thanks to all those who helped with the cleanup of the
going fellowship that I was granted (I have de- outside of the shul last Sunday morning. Yasher Koach
scribed this in previous bulletins) which meets for a job well done.
three times a year. I will be reachable via my cell
phone and will have access to email while I am ‫צאתכם לשלום‬
away. - Shabbat Shalom!! To all those leaving for College:
Gavi Fried, Judie Laufer, Simon Lichter, Tova Miller, Ranit
HIGH HOLIDAYS & Rafi Patel, Harvey Pava, Josh Perew, Avi Snyder,
Please check your email as well as your “snail Joey Wizenfeld, Hinda Young, Brian Zablotsky
mail” for important information regarding seat- And for Israel:
ing, babysitting, and aliyot and other details re- Esther Wolfe, Nathan Young,
garding the High Holidays. and Jonathan Margulis

Editor: Judie Patel Rabbi Brahm Weinberg 860-233-3084 or

E-mail: bulletin @youngisraelwh.org rabbi@youngisraelwh.org
Editors Emeritus: Sam Leichtberg & Moish Trencher
Judith Hessing, Coordinator 860-233-6042 or
Web Site: http://www.YoungIsraelWH.org judith.hessing@gmail.com
Affiliate of the National Council of Young Israel Synagogues, Member of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, Sponsor of
West Hartford NCSY, National Conference of Synagogue Youth, Kashrut Commission of Greater Hartford,
Mikveh Bess Israel of Greater Hartford, Eruv of West Hartford (Hotline - 860-232-6417)

‫ברוך דין האמת‬
We regret to inform you of the passing of Rabbi Al & Helen Weisel
Weinberg’s grandmother Riva Weinberg, beloved
mother of Morrie & Lynn Weinberg. May Hashem com-
fort the Weinberg family among the
mourners of Zion and Yerushalayim!
SAVE THE DATES
UPCOMING SHUL & COMMUNITY EVENTS
NEXT BOOK CLUB GET-TOGETHER
“City of Thieves”
Monday Evening, August 23, 2010
At the home of Anita Cohen, 198 Brewster Road
ELISHA ROSENSWEIG’S CLASS
Will begin again Tuesday, August 24th, at 8:00 PM
At the home of Judie Patel, 100 Lawler Road
We will be studying Sefer Yona.
PRE-ROSH HASHANNA SHIUR
“VOYAGE OF THE VERSES”
BY RABBI WEINBERG
This shiur will be offered TWICE:
Shabbat, August 28th, 6:00pm
At Young Israel of West Hartford
& 6:45 p.m. - Catered Dinner
Wednesday, Sept. 1st, 8:00pm
At the Weinberg’s - 85 Iroquois Rd
COMMUNAL SELICHOT PROGRAM
Saturday Night Sept. 4, 2010
Agudas Achim
10:00pm—Program
11:30pm—1st Selichot
12:50am—2nd Selichot at YI Torutbrook
SODA BOTTLE COLLECTION
Eliza Katz is collecting bottles, cans and glass during
the summer to raise money for the Rabbi’s Fund.
Please bring empties to her address 24 Miamis Road.
She can be reached at 860-680-9847
Page 2
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
In Memory of Riva Weinberg --
grandmother of Rabbi Weinberg
In Memory of Hannah Bertram --
mother of Sarah Elbaum
KOL HANEARIM TALLIS PROJECT
The Yom Tovim are almost here! Now is your chance
to include your family in a part of YIWH history. Add
your child/children's names on our Kol Hanearim Tal-
lis in time for this Simchat Torah. You can start with
one child at a time or add them all at once, the choice
is yours! In addition, the names on the Tallis will all be
added to the tree of life downstairs, check out the
newest additions!
Contact Aviva Braunshweiger for
further information 860-231-1808
COME CELEBRATE SHABBAT WITH
Beth David Synagogue ~ Beth El Temple ~ Beth Hillel
Synagogue ~Congregation Beth Israel ~ The Emanuel
Synagogue ~Temple Beth Hillel ~ Temple Sinai ~ Tikvoh
Chadoshoh ~United Synagogues ~ Young Israel of WH
Hosted by The Emanuel Synagogue
Friday, October 29, 2010
4:45 p.m. - Music by The Klezmer Band of Beth Israel
5:30 p.m. - Candle Lighting
5:35 p.m.– Kabbalat Shabbat
All items are vegetarian except the chicken.
Most are gluten free.
Please send reservations with payment by
October 8th
To The Emanuel Synagogue ~ 160 Mohegan Avenue ~
West Hartford, CT 06117
Please make cheques payable to The Emanuel Synagogue
If you are interested in sponsoring part of the evening,
please contact Sharone Kornman - sharonek@ymail.com
BUY SCRIP! BUY SCRIP!
Are you buying gift cards for staff or friends? Buy
them at Waldbaum’s using your existing
Waldbaum’s gift card and everyone wins! Please re-
member to continue to use scrip. It costs nothing ad-
ditional to you - yet it helps the Shul.
Remember, if you can not come and get the cards we
can bring it to you! Let's support our Shul by
buying scrip ! Every dollar counts!
Contact: Judith Hessing (860-233-6042),
at 18 Grenhart Street
 Shabbat Shalom: Parshat Ki Tetze By Rabbi Shlomo Riskin
Efrat, Israel: “Remember what Amalek did to you on your way out of Egypt… you must obliterate the
memory of Amalek from under the heavens; you must not forget.” [Deut. 25:17-19]
The command to obliterate Amalek in the very last verses of this week’s portion of Ki Teteze is very apt – and may indeed
serve as a fitting end to last week’s portion of Shoftim as well. After all, both of these readings deal with warfare – the neces-
sity to destroy the enemy who rises up to destroy you. The Bible has a category of warfare called an “obligatory
war,” (milhemet mitzvah) understood by the Mishnah (B.T. Sotah 44b) as a war to which “…every Israelite must join, even a
bridegroom from his bridal room and a bride from her nuptial canopy.” The Talmud in Sanhedrin iterates and re-iterates, “If
one is coming with intent to murder [an innocent human being], you must rise up earlier and kill him.” We do not subscribe to
a doctrine of “turn the other cheek.” On the contrary, when confronted by consummate evil, “You must destroy the evil
from within your midst.”
The bitter truth is that one who stands by silently in the face of evil inadvertently becomes an accomplice to evil; “one dare
not stand by silently while one’s brethren’s blood is being shed,” teaches our Torah. One cannot love the good unless one
labors to banish evil.
Having said all of this, however, what is the meaning of the command to “…obliterate the memory of Amalek.” Amalek is
consummate evil: “they [the Amelikites] came upon you as if by accident on your way [out of Egyptian slavery]; when you
were tired and exhausted, they cut off those who were lagging in the rear, [the “weaker vessels” who were not in any way
displaying belligerence, those who were falling behind, the innocent women and children, the aged and the infirm]. Amalek,
in recent history, was the Nazi machinery of murder that effectively removed the slightest semblance of morality and com-
passion from the world –the killing of millions of innocent children and the aged without blinking an eye. In contemporary
terms, Amalek are the suicide bombers targeting innocent civilians, and the more children they take with them the better. No
compassion, no morality, no humanity.
“Obliterate, destroy Amalek” ought to be the commandment; what is meaning of obliterating the memory of Amalek?
Although what we have just written is true, it is not the Biblical ideal. Unlike the Greco-Romans, we never sang our song in
praise of armaments and strong, virile soldiers, as in the opening phrase of Virgil’s Aeneid (“Arma virumque cano”), glorifying
war that tests the mettle and strengthens the fiber of the citizenry. Our prophetic song was sung in praise of peace, a time
when “…nation will not lift up sword against nation and humanity will not learn war anymore.” The Sages of the Mishnah
teach that armaments are a burden, a disgrace to a civilization which forces anyone to wage war, never to be considered an
ornament permitted on the Sabbath. Weapons are permitted to be carried on the Sabbath only in life-endangering situations!
Yes, Seneca taught: “If you wish to have peace, you must prepare for war” – the inscription David ben Gurion assigned to Is-
rael’s military bases. But this is precisely the point. War is never an ideal; it is only a necessary preventive measure (and even
an obligatory war may only be considered at best a necessary evil) against those who would destroy us. Because the Israelite
nation was entrusted by G-d to teach morality and righteousness to the world, we must fight against those who would de-
stroy us and destroy our morality; and since in any given war there is only one victor, it behooves us to fight to win – as the
verses in Shoftim and Ki Tetze clearly imply. But the ultimate vision before our eyes must always be peace.
From this perspective, we understand the Biblical stricture to the special Kohen anointed for exhorting and inspiring the
troops “…not to be faint-hearted, not to be afraid, not to panic, not to break ranks… for the Lord your G-d is the One going
out [to do battle] for you… and He will save you (Deut 20:3,4). But at the same time, “…when you approach a city to wage
war against it, you must first propose a peaceful settlement (ibid 20:10),” the most crucial aspect of which is the acceptance
of the Seven Noahide laws of morality by the enemy: “Thou Shalt not Murder, Thou Shalt not Steal, Thou Shalt not Commit
Adultery…” Maimonides’ formulation of this Biblical demand (Laws of Kings 6,1) reads, “It is forbidden to make war against
any human being in the world unless you first offer him a peace settlement” – and Maimonides (as well as Nahmanides)
agree that this includes Amalek as well as the seven indigenous nations of the land of Canaan. The goal, you see – if it be at all
possible – is not the destruction of evildoers but rather the transformation of evil, the redemption of evil, when the evildoer
repents and accepts at least the seven Noahide laws of morality. Our goal is to obliterate the memory of Amalek by making
Amalek repent and accept the G-d of peace and morality.
Cynics among us might claim that it’s impossible to convert Amalek! However, a fascinating section in the Talmud explains
that the genesis of Amalek (the child born to Timna from Elifaz the son of Esau) begins when none among Abraham, Isaac, or
Jacob are willing to convert Timna when she appears before each of them requesting conversion (B.T. Sanhedrin 99b). The
Talmud further states that the grandchildren of Haman (the Aggagi, the Amaleki) taught Torah in B’nei Brak (B.T. Sanhedrin
96b) – and there are those who add the words, “…and who was it [this grand-child of Haman]? R. Akiba.”
Be that as it may, as long as Amalek is out to destroy us, we must destroy him. We must continually hope, however, that we
will have the merit of converting him, especially during this season of repentance. At that point, we shall have obliterated his
very memory.

YIWH Schedule of Services
It is easy to sponsor a Kiddush
August 20th - 27th, 2010
Shabbat Parshat KiTetze
Or Seudah Shlishit!

Friday, August 20th Shul handles set up & Clean up!

Shacharit 6:45 a.m. Contact Judie Patel at 236-4178
Mincha/Maariv 7:00 p.m. or judiep@gmail.com to
Candle Lighting 7:27 p.m. check the availability of the date
Shabbat, August 21st you need & to make the
Rabbi Sheinkopf’s Mishna Brurah Class 8:15 a.m. arrangements for the type of
Shacharit 9:00 a.m. Kiddush you want to sponsor.
Sof Zman Kriat Shma 9:28 a.m. Checks need to be received
Rabbi Weinberg’s Shabbat Afternoon Shiur 6:25 p.m. the Sunday prior to your
On Mesilat Yesharim Kiddush date. Send to David
Mincha followed by Seudah Shlishit & Maariv 7:10 p.m. Cohen at 19 Mansfield Avenue.
Shabbat Ends 8:26p.m. There are three types
Sunday, August 22nd - Thursday, August 26th of Kiddushim:
Earliest Tallit & Tefillin 5:11 a.m. Standard for $150,
Shacharit... Sunday 8:15 a.m. Semi-Deluxe for $250
Followed by Rabbi Weinberg’s Gemara Shiur on 9:00 a.m. & Deluxe for $350
Masechet Chulin Perek 8 With supplements available.
Shacharit…Monday & Thursday 6:45 a.m.
For Seudah Shlishit contact
Mincha/Maariv @ YIWH 7:25 p.m.
Stan Rutstein at 232-3369
Friday, August 27th
Shacharit 6:45 a.m. Kiddush Schedule
Mincha/Maariv 7:00 p.m. 8/28 Lichter
Candle Lighting 7:17 p.m.

Check out the Weekly Schedule on the Shul Website: http://www.youngisraelwh.org/

Times from: http://www.ou.org/holidays/calendar

Ner La’Maor
Lights
Evelyn & David Hessing
In Memory of their Grandmothers
Sarah Schwimmer
‫שרה רבקה בת חנוך היינך ודבורה‬
And
Chava Bat Bahiya
‫חוה בת בהיה‬
Yayin l’ Kiddush Ve'Havdalah
Wine for Kiddush & Havdallah
Judy Leichtberg & Batsheva
Goldfischer in memory of their
father and grandfather,
Israel Weiss
‫ישראל בן דוד‬
and their mother & grandmother
Frida Weiss
‫טויבא פרידה בת עזרא‬
Pat La’Orchim
Challah rolls for Seudah Shlishit Kiddush Supplement
Betty & Irving Wizenfeld Rabbi Brahm & Elana Weinberg
Betty Wizenfeld in memory of her In honor of their parents
Parents Tobias & Esther Spira Morrie & Lynn Weinberg
‫טוביה בן צבי אלימלך‬ Dr. Howard & Miriam Rosenblum
‫אסתר בת דוד הכהן‬
Irv Wizenfeld in memory of his father
Sam Wizenfeld Seudah Shlishit Supplement
‫שמואל מאיר בן יצחק הכהן‬ 12:14 ‫קהלת‬
‫”סוף דבר הכל נשמע‬
‫את האלקים ירא‬
5770 Candy Man: ‫ואת מצותיו שמור‬
Bernard Kesler “‫כי זה כל האדם‬
in memory of his father Anonymous
Sender ben Avraham Zelig
‫סנדר בן אברהם זליג‬

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