“How to Lift a Thousand Pound Ox”

The use of the word “ach” or “brother” is sprinkled throughout the Torah in very deliberate and intentional places, the most famous being the story of Cain and Abel, where Cain eludes God by questioning the role of sibling at all. “Am I my brother’s keeper?,” he asks God in response to a question about Abel’s whereabouts. It is this question that haunts us? What is our role with, not just our own blood relatives, but all human kind? If we encounter suffering along the way, is it our job to intervene?

In this week’s Torah portion, Ki Tetzei, the answer is a resound-ing yes. As the Torah relays in Deuteronomy 22:4: “You shall not watch your brother (ach)’s donkey or ox fall down along the way and hide from them, you shall surely go and help him lift them up again.”

How can one small Hebrew word, made up of just two letters, have such a powerful effect on us even to go so far to lift a thou-sand pound animal? Guilt is an incredible motivator. We do not want to receive the Mark of Cain by reacting flippantly to such a request. For while that initial foray into sibling relationships does not end well, we know that, in general, we are better than that. Thousand pound animals cannot be lifted at all without the assistance of many siblings, some of whom are not family mem-bers at all. As we near the end of the Torah, and head toward the High Holy Days, our better angels are activated. For, if we are going to live in society together, we must help our “ach/brother” and they, in turn, must help us. This is not just good manners, but necessary ingredients for a just world.

Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Alex

Torah Thoughts Ki Tetzei (Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19)

Rabbi Alex Lazarus-Klein Cantor Arlene Frank Religious School Director Einav Symons Executive Director Joanne Marquisee President Bruce Corris

Mazel Tov to Bryce Tubin and his family

on his Bar Mitzvah tomorrow afternoon.

Events This Week Erev Shabbat Service

Friday, August 28, 2020/ 9 Elul 5780

7:00pm

Mishkan T’Filah

Candle Blessing: page 120 Mi Shebeirach: page 371

Mourner’s Kaddish: page 598

CONGREGATION SHIR SHALOM

Virtual Services and Events/In Person Events

Saturday, August 29th

9:00am Torah Study via Zoom

11:00am Shabbat Morning Service and Virtual Kiddush Luncheon via

Zoom

5:30pm Bar Mitzvah of Bryce Tubin with live stream via Boxcast

Sunday, August 30th

10:00am Interfaith Service at Holloway Memorial Chapel with live stream via Boxcast

7:00pm Meditation Moment via Zoom

Monday, August 31st

8:00pm Executive Committee Meeting via Zoom

Tuesday, September 1st

7:00pm Women of Shir Shalom Meeting via Zoom

7:00pm High Holy Days Committee Meeting via Zoom

Friday, September 4th

7:00pm Park and Pray Erev Shabbat Service (weather permitting)

live stream via Boxcast

NOTE: For enhanced security, we now require Registration for SOME Zoom events. If you are interested in participating in an event, click the link on our website and you will be directed to complete a brief Registration Form. Once your Registration Form is approved, you will be sent a confirmation email with a link for the event which will include the Meeting ID and Password. If you have any questions, please contact Joanne Marquisee at 716-432-2995 or joanne.marquisee@gmail.com

Dr. Yonina Andrea Foster will co-lead tonight’s service

Please visit our website for our High Holy Days Service Schedule.

There are many different ways to think of the religious significance of

wearing a mask during COVID-19. One could file mask-wearing in the

category of Mitzvot we perform towards our fellow human being (such

as “Ve-Ahavta Le-Reiacha Ka-Moecha,” Love your neighbor like your-

self), because by wearing masks we keep others safe. Or, one could

consider it a Mitzvah we perform towards our Creator, as safeguarding

our health and safety is a Mitzvah that we owe towards God.

Thus, the purpose of the mask is not just medical. It captures a feeling

and an emotion of being distanced from other human beings and per-

haps also from God. It highlights an internality and a turning inward

that these moments have brought to all of us where we consider our

role in this world and what steps we can take moving forward to im-

prove things and make the world a better place. It is an outward dis-

play of an inner feeling of sadness, and it shows others that we are

coping with a difficult time, and that this summer lacks the same joy as

last year’s.

It is possible that for all of the tragedy of these past few months,

God has listened to our prayers, and the flattening of the curve in

many places shows that we have been granted mercy from heav-

en! Yet, as I continue to pray in my mask each morning, I will continue

to think of my mask as a religious ritual object. It is within it that I en-

wrap myself as my ancestors would have two thousand years ago

when they faced times of crisis. It reminds me to look inward and ask

myself how I can improve my relationship with Our Creator at this

time, as we hope and wait for healing and safety as soon as can be.

“Masks are a Mitzvah” by Rabbi Maimonides Kehillah

Herman Arbeit

Joseph Comi

Joseph DiVita

Jeanette Gerstman

Benjamin Glaser

David Glickman

Abe Greenberg

Rubin Katz

Verna Kein

Abraham Kaiser

Rubin Kellick

Robert Klein

Doris Kushner

Charles Levy

Barney Marks

Melvin Martz

Warren Mitofsky

Isadore Platt

Louis Pollner

Pauline Reingold

Irvin Rosner

Myron Silver

Shirley Sperling

Robert Victor

Helen Weil

Elaine Weiss

May Wile

Our Mission Statement, as a congregation, is to be a welcoming community and to enhance all aspects

of Jewish life.

The Board of Trustees of Congregation Shir Shalom COMMITMENT STATEMENT

We, the Board of Trustees, pledge to unite and to enrich the lives of our congregation.

We will proceed in our commitment to Congregation Shir Shalom, to create an inclusive and open environment for the entire congregation.

Rabbi-Alex Lazarus-Klein Cantor-Arlene Frank Religious School Director-Einav Symons Executive Director-Joanne Marquisee President-Bruce Corris VP Administration-Todd Sugarman VP Membership-Marina Finkelstein VP Finance-Larry Posses VP Worship-Mindy Weinman VP Education-Vacant Treasurer-Joseph Glickman Secretary-Shari Jo Reich Women of Shir Shalom Representatives-Sheila Bernard-Tucker & Maureen Seitz Men’s Group Representative-Daniel Kester Youth Group Advisor-Rachel Sugarman Rabbi Emeritus-Irwin A. Tanenbaum, D.D. Immediate Past President-Todd Sugarman

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Prayer for those who lead our congregation

O God, this congregation has honored us with the task of leading them, and of serving You with them. May we strive to be fit for this sacred task. May we lead well and may we serve well. May we hear the quiet as well as the active voices, and may we heed the call and follow the paths of what we, after honest searching, feel to be the right things to do. May we listen to each other, and may we listen to You, as all of us together make this synagogue a kehillah kedusha, a Holy place.

Andrew Abramowitz Jeff Balsom Gary Bluestein Bruce Corris Micky Farber Marina Finkelstein

Joseph Glickman Shira Klaiman Tara Karch-Cross Mark Kneitinger Tom Lansing Rob Lederman

Larry Posses Shari Jo Reich Diane Safir Rebecca Shaw Todd Sugarman Jackie Taylor

Sheila Bernard-Tucker Mindy Weinman Nichole Weinstein David Zlotnick

Video Stream Broadcast-Inside the Sanctuary Erev Shabbat Services are available to watch live and recorded on your computer, iPad or smartphone. The camera is stationary facing the Bimah. If you are attending services, once you enter the sanctuary, you are giving your permission to be included in the video stream broadcast. You can also watch our services with CLOSED CAPTION after the service has taken place on YouTube. If you have any questions, please contact Joanne Marquisee, our Executive Director.

Congregation Shir Shalom is Affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism and Reconstructing Judaism.

Shiva

Sheloshim

Yahrzeits

In Memoriam

Dr. Hanley Horwitz, brother of Larry (Tobi) Horwitz and significant other of Tracie Zappia

Ellen Primack

Florence Sands

Barbara Shapiro, grandmother of Deb Comi

Wolf Tombak, husband of the late Natalie Tombak and the late Betty Tombak. Father of Brian, Alan and Howard (Danielle) Tombak, Step-father of Mimi (Drew) Shapiro and Wendy (Gary) Potter.

Rabbi Larry Moldo