CYIR: Council of Young Israel Rabbis in Israel     WEEKLY UPDATE

Parashat Devarim 5768 | 8 Menachem Av 5768 | August 8-9, 2008

HAVE YOU RECEIVED YOUR INVITATION FOR THE CYIR 18TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION???

CLICK ON THE INVITATION NOW!!!

In this Issue:

Torah Related Items and Rabbinic Resources

Back to School with the Children of SDEROT and GUSH KATIF

CYIR to Sponsor Blood Drive and YESHA Fair on August 25 at Heichal Shlomo, Jerusalem

Focus on CYIR Founders Awardees: Rabbi Meyer Fendel

CYIR is Now on Facebook!!!! (What's Facebook???)

Current and Upcoming Events

Pomeranz Bookseller's Weekly Selection

Torah Related Items and Rabbinic Resources

a) Divrei Torah Bulletin for this Shabbat: Please find NCYI’s Divrei Torah Bulletin for Devarim written by Rabbi Yitzchak Rabinowitz, Associate Member, Young Israel Council of Rabbis, by clicking this link.

b) Our chaver Rabbi David Mescheloff informs us that he has created an online biography on the life and times of his father, Rabbi Dr. Moses Mescheloff OB"M. The story of his 75 years of active rabbanut, the generations that he spanned and his meeting the challenges he faced, can inspire any rabbi. "My father z"l left a deep spiritual imprint on the souls of tens of thousands whom he taught and served over the years" Rabbi Mescheloff said. Click here to access Rabbi Dr. Mescheloff's biography.

c) The National Council of Young Israel's Department of Rabbinic Services, in conjunction with CYIR: Council of Young Israel Rabbis in Israel, is proud to present Chomer L’Drush on the Three Weeks and Tisha B’Av. Summer is a time of renewal, when many rabbanim take a much-needed and well-deserved vacation with their families. There is not always an opportunity for preparing shiruim to engage the congregation during the challenging time of Bein Hametzarim. Click here to access the materials.

d) NEW!!! The Chomer L'Drush for Tisha B'Av from Rabbi Zev Leff (left) and Rabbi Chaim Wasserman are now available by clicking this link.

e) TWO NEW FEATURES COMING TO "TORAH RELATED ITEMS..." - in the near future, we will presenting weekly book reviews and CYIR audio/visual Divrei Torah available on the internet. Contact CYIR for more information: info@youngisraelrabbis.org.il

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Back to School with the Children of SDEROT and GUSH KATIF

As summer vacation gets into full swing, the furthest thing from anyone's mind is the start of the next school year.

However, for the some 3000 elementary school students from the city of Sderot and the ex-Gush Katif communities, going back to school can be a source of major financial stress.

CYIR: Council of Young Israel Rabbis in Israel invites you to join us in its "Back to School with the Children of Sderot and Gush Katif" campaign. It’s very simple: we want to place a fully stocked pencil case filled with writing implements and other “goodies” on each child’s desk as a “welcome back” message of solidarity. Our aim is that when these students arrive in their classrooms for the first day of school on September 1, there will be a pencil case waiting for them on their desk.

Help put a smile on the faces of these students that have gone through so much. The cost of each pencil case is $10 (or NIS 35) and we need to reach a total of 3000 pencil cases to ensure that every student receives this small but significant token of the oneness of our people.

Donations can be made in US Dollars via PayPal for $10 USD by clicking this link.

Donations can be made in Israeli Shekels via PayPal for NIS 35 by clicking this link.

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CYIR to Sponsor Blood Drive and YEHSA Fair Monday, August 25 at Heichal Shlomo, Jerusalem

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Focus on CYIR Founders Awardees: Rabbi Meyer Fendel

After serving with distinction as Young Israel of West Hempstead’s founding spiritual leader and founding dean of HANC, Rabbi Meyer Fendel has made his mark on Israel by serving as associate dean of Midreshet Moriah and director of Camp N’vei Ashdod. His attachment to and love for the Young Israel movement continues to this day as one of CYIR’s Vice Presidents, helping to shape the organization’s activities and efforts to reach out to Anglo-Israeli rabbis. In his “spare” time, Rabbi Fendel and his wife Goldie actively campaign for a number of causes including Yeshivat Hesder in Sderot.

It is precisely for his dedication to Klal Yisrael and decades of service to the Young Israel movement that CYIR will honor Rabbi Fendel with the presentation of a Founders Award at its 18th Anniversary Celebration.

Rabbi Fendel will be honored with other awardees at CYIR's 18th Anniversary Celebration on Friday morning, September 5, 2008 at the Ramada Hotel (formerly the Renaissance) in Jerusalem. Click here for more information.

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CYIR is Now on Facebook!!!! (What's Facebook???)

Current and Upcoming Events

Pomeranz Booksellers of Jerusalem - Weekly Selection

"The Lord is Righteous in All His Ways: Reflections on the Tish‘ah be-Av Kinot" is Rabbi Joseph’s B. Soloveitchik’s answers to many questions relating to this most important day in the Jewish calendar. What is the role of Tish‘ah be-Av at the beginning of the twenty-first century, close to two thousand years after the destruction of the second Beit ha-Mikdash? What is the halakhic character of Tish‘ah be-Av? What themes in the Kinot (liturgical poetry) recited on that day resonate in modern times? How should the Jew respond to personal and national catastrophe? What is the relationship between the Holocaust and Tish‘ah be-Av?

For more than a decade Rabbi Soloveitchik spent virtually the entire day of Tish‘ah be-Av expounding upon its major themes and reading and closely analyzing the Kinot, drawing upon on a whole range of sources including the Bible, rabbinic literature (Talmud and Midrash), medieval halakhic and philosophical works, Hebrew poetry, and Jewish history. He would begin with a shiur or lecture on general issues relevant to Tish‘a be-Av for about an hour and, after a short break, would begin the recital of the Kinot. After reading a few words or phrases, he would stop and comment, sometimes for a moment or two and sometimes for a more extended period of time. Also, those assembled would regularly interrupt with questions and insights and Rabbi Soloveitchik would stop and address their points. This mixture of reciting and learning, the traditional plaintive sweet sing-song of the Kinot and the traditional robust sounds of Torah teaching, analyzing the words of Rabbi El‘azar ha-Kalir and the concepts of the Rambam (Maimonides), would continue for many hours. Very often this mixture of a religious and intellectual experience would last until the end of the day.

Price $39.50 - Free Shipping directly from our New York affiliate. Ordering instructions: send an email to Pomeranz@netmedia.net.il. Please include in your order, your name, address and phone number. For your security, Pomeranz Bookseller will call you for your credit card details.

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