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THE SHMOOZE
A Weekly Newsletter
for Members and Friends of
Bais Abraham Congregation
Hyim Shafner, Rabbi
Rori Picker Neiss, Maharat
Parshat Vaera
17 January 2015
Candle Lighting 4:46 p.m.
Shabbat Ends 5:49 p.m.
(according to www.myzmanim.com)
This Shabbat and Bais Abe Events
Contacts
Shul Office
(314) 721-3030
[email protected]
Rabbi Hyim Shafner
[email protected]
Maharat Rori Picker Neiss
[email protected]
Greg Storch, President
[email protected]
Kiddush Sponsorship
[email protected]
Shmooze Submissions
[email protected]
Davening Schedule
Shabbat
4:33 p.m. – Fri. Mincha/Maariv
9:00 a.m. – Sat. Shacharit
4:29 p.m. – Sat. Mincha, Maariv
Sunday
8:30 a.m. – Shacharit
Monday – Friday
6:30 a.m. – Shacharit
Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Yaakov Green
All are invited to a lunch and learn following services. Rabbi Yaakov
Green, Head of School at H.F. Epstein Hebrew Academy, will speak on
“Modern or Orthodox: An Identity Struggle and Its Implications for Our
Families, Our School and Ourselves.” The Lunch and Learn is sponsored
by Larry Friedman and Randi Mozenter to commemorate the yahrzeit of
Larry’s father. Cholent and a cake are provided by Gabe and Keren
Douek in honor of Joel Douek’s birthday. Happy Birthday!
Bais Abe Junior Book Club
The Bais Abe Junior Book Club will meet this Shabbat morning in the Beit
Midrash. Children 7-12 will discuss the book Mrs. Kaputnik’s Pool Hall
and Matzo Ball Emporium by Rona Arato, with additional programing and
stories for children 4-6. Join us at 10:30 am for Tefillat Yeladim (children's
service). The book club will follow at 11:15 am. Parents are also welcome.
Women’s Tefillah Group – Mincha Service
The Women’s Tefillah Group will meet this Shabbat immediately following
the Lunch and Learn. Women are invited to gather for Mincha in the
sanctuary.
Office Hours
Monday: 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Thursday: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Friday: 9:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Deepen Your Davening with Rabbi Shafner will not meet this week to
make room for the children's book group. The kids will be having a
fun and educational time in the Beit Midrash!
Shalom and Welcome!
We at Bais Abe pride ourselves on hospitality and openness to Jews of all backgrounds. We strive to build a community
rooted in mutual respect and commitment to Torah values and Halacha (Jewish law). Please feel free to contact Rabbi
Shafner at [email protected] for any information that may be helpful to you. If you would like a place for a Shabbat
meal, our eager hosts would love to welcome you. Please email [email protected].
Bais Abraham
Board of Directors
Greg Storch
President
Gabe Douek
Vice President
Daniel Picker
Women’s Torah Learning Group
The Women's Torah Learning group meets at Bais Abe at 5:00 pm on
Wednesdays. Facilitated by Maharat Rori Picker Neiss, the group explores in-depth
topics related to Judaism and women. Contact Rori for more information!
Treasurer
Dan Weisz
Secretary
Phyllis Shapiro
Immediate Past President
Directors:
Aviva Buck-Yael
Barbra Danin
Larry Friedman
Morey Gardner
Tessa Gardner
Barry Ginsburg
Alexander Griffel
Judy Hoffman
Harvey Iken
Judith Medoff
Alan Nemes
Roz Neuman
Michael Novack
Dan Scharff
Stuart Shilcrat
Alice Thomas
Rob Wasserman
Richard Wise
Bais Abraham Book Club – January 18th
The next book club series will begin Sunday, January 18th at 7:30 pm at the home
of the Kweskins, 7300 Princeton Avenue, in University City. We will be reading
Myths, Illusions, and Peace: Finding a New Direction for America in the Middle East
by Dennis Ross and David Makovsky. You can purchase it for under $5 on Amazon.
For more information or with questions, contact Rabbi Shafner.
Shabbat Dinner and Lecture – January 23h – RSVP by Tuesday, January 20th
Join your Bais Abe friends for a delicious Shabbat dinner on Friday, January 23th
and stay for a lecture and discussion with Rabbi Chaim Eisen. He will speak on “A
New Dawn after Two Thousand Years: Why Jews and Christians are Coming
Together to Learn from the Jewish Torah – and Why It Matters More than Anything
Else.” Kabbalat Shabbat will be at 5:00 pm, dinner will be at 6:00 pm, and the
discussion will follow dinner. Contact the shul office by Tuesday, January 20th to
reserve your spot. The cost is $12 for adults and $6 for children. An anonymous
donor has generously offered to cover the evening’s costs for a limited number of
graduate and undergraduate students. RSVP to the shul to reserve free of charge.
Bais Abraham Shabbat Retreat – Member/Early Bird Registration Now Open!
Bais Abe will be going on a community retreat in beautiful rural Missouri on March
6-7, 2015. Visit the website: http://baisaberetreat.weebly.com/ for details on the
itinerary, special guests, and registration information. Member registration/early bird
is now open until January 29th: $60 for adults and $30 for kids 3-12 All others can
register after that point if there is still room: $80 for adults and $40 for kids 3-12. Please note that
after filling out the registration form, you will need to go back to the website to make the registration
payment. There is financial assistance available; please contact Rabbi Shafner for more information.
Save the Date – YABA Shabbat Dinner – January 30th
YABA will have a Shabbat dinner and oneg with visiting rabbinic intern, Ben Shefter on Friday,
January 30th. Ben will lead a discussion titled, “Tu Bishvat and the Super Bowl: We Are What We
Eat." More information coming soon.
Bais Abraham Joins AmazonSmile
Every time you shop on Amazon, you can benefit Bais Abe. Amazon
donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the
charitable organization of your choice. It's simple to register. Just click
on this link and designate Bais Abraham Synagogue as your charity of
choice. http://smile.amazon.com/ch/43-0782212 Make your
Black Friday purchases really count! Contact Phyllis Shapiro [email protected] with any
questions.
Mother2Mother Program – January 26th
In the wake of the upheaval in Ferguson, NCJW, The Ethics Project and the YWCA Metro St. Louis,
are hosting Mother 2 Mother: A conversation with black mothers to white mothers about "the talk"
with their black sons. Bais Abraham, along with other area congregations, is co-sponsoring the
event. It will be held on January 26th from 7:00-9:00 pm at Temple Emanuel, 12166 Conway Road.
The event is free and open to the public. Please RSVP to Lisa at [email protected] or call
NCJW at 314-993-5181. Light refreshments will be served. See the flyer in the Shmooze for more
information.
Programming Update from Ella our Shelicha
Would you like to help with planning either of these new exciting events at Bais Abraham? Email
Ella Bakobza <[email protected]> for more info or to volunteer:
 First ever Bais Abraham Community Passover Seder with Sephardi and Ashkenazi
customs. Great Passover food and community
 First annual Bais Abraham Yom Haatzmaut event- looking for ideas, people and Israel
inspiration. Contact Ella for more info.
Mashgichim Needed
Bais Abraham is looking for several people to be mashgichim, kashrut supervisors, for its new
kitchen. If you are interested, please contact Rabbi Shafner.
Kiddush/Lunch Volunteer Coordinator
Stewart Shilcrat is our new (and first!) coordinator of volunteers to help with Shabbat kiddushes and
lunches at Bais Abraham. He hopes to set up a rotating roster of volunteers to set up, serve, and
clear off each week. If you are willing to be added to the roster (say, for set up the first Shabbat of
each month, or for serving every other week), please let Stewart know, [email protected].
And if he asks you to join the team of volunteers, please say yes!
Our Weekly Shabbat "Tefilat Yeladim" (Children's Service)
Our weekly Tefilat Yeladim is a wonderful opportunity to introduce
your children (or grandchildren!) to the beauty of praying with a
community on Shabbat morning. We use a special colorful
children's siddur with illustrations (by Koren publishers) that
familiarizes the children with the prayers they will hear in shul as
they grow up. Spearheaded by Caley Chill and supported by the
Benot Sheirut, services will be at 10:30 every Shabbat in the Bais
Abe auditorium. Tefilat Yeladim is sponsored by the Feen family
and an anonymous donor.
Shul Announcements
Artwork Exhibition
Artist Berta Goldgaber’s work has been accepted for an exhibition at the Old Orchard Gallery, 39
South Old Orchard Avenue in historic Webster Groves from January 16 th to February 2nd. Go see her
beautiful quilts on display! She also has art available for purchase. Find out more about her work at
www.judaicafabricart.com and be in touch with Berta to see her work. A percentage of the sales will
be donated to the Shul.
Support the Shul While Shopping
Every time you shop at Schnucks, you can earn money for Bais Abraham.
Our shul participates in Schnucks’ "Scrip" program. It's easy. Just show
your Bais Abe scrip card when you check out and your purchases create
automatic contributions to the shul of up to 3% of your purchase price. Our
mathematical consultant ran the numbers and estimates that if we have full
participation, the shul can make approximately $6,000 a year. Email or call
the office for a scrip wallet or key-chain card and begin earning money for the shul on your next trip
to Schnucks.
Chesed Committee Opportunity
STL Food Rescue’s mission is to alleviate hunger in our community by collecting perishables that
would have been discarded from local food retailers and immediately delivering them to the
organizations most in need. Volunteers pick up food on Mondays and/or Wednesdays from the
Whole Foods in Town & Country, when they close at 10:00 p.m., and deliver the food to either
Tomchei Shabbat or the Kollel. To sign up, please use
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ah2z9GUSGE0mdFVUUjJseUF1OGhSZmRVOFdG
ZVlMOHc&usp=sharing_eil#gid=16 or contact the shul for more information.
Do you “Like” Bais Abe on Facebook?
Find Bais Abe on Facebook at www.tinyurl.com/BaisAbeFacebook.
Sponsoring a Kiddush at Bais Abe
Sponsoring a Kiddush or "Lunchish" is a wonderful way to mark a simcha or yahrzeit. Or you can
honor a loved one by sponsoring one of our monthly Lunch & Learns. Now, you can also sponsor
seudah shlishit for just $54! If you would like to sponsor (or co-sponsor) any of the above, please
contact Alayne in the office or Kiddush Chair, Judy Hoffman ([email protected]). They will go
over costs and help you plan the Kiddush or lunch you want. Please help shul members plan ahead
by letting us know about your wish to sponsor at least 10 days in advance. Thank you!
Reminder: No perfume/cologne in the synagogue
Please refrain from wearing perfume/cologne in the synagogue because some of our members are
highly allergic. If you inadvertently arrive at the shul wearing any scents, please wash them off.
Attention: people with nut allergies
If you have a nut allergy, for your safety please assume that any foods or beverages served at Bais
Abe may contain nuts or have been prepared on equipment that processes nuts. Please feel
comfortable asking those in charge of food or beverages about their nut content and they will try to
provide it if possible.
Upcoming Kiddush and Shabbat Calendar
January 24
Cholent Kiddush
Sponsor Invited
January 31
Cholent Kiddush
Sponsor Invited
February 7
Sponsored by Alice Thomas to
celebrate Thomas family
Cholent Kiddush
birthdays: Michel, Micheline &
Alice
To RSVP for an event email [email protected] or call 721-3030.
Halacha Highlight
Arba Leshonot Ge’ula (Four Expressions of Redemption)
Toward the beginning of this week’s parsha, Vaera (Shemot 6:6-7), we read the
prophesy that contains the “arba leshonot ge’ula” – the four expressions of
redemption. God tells Moshe to tell the Jewish people about God’s promise to bring
them out of slavery in Egypt. God uses four different verbs in the promise: ve’hotzeiti (and I will
take out), ve’hitzalti (and I will rescue), ve’gaalti (and I will redeem), and v’lakachti (I will take to me).
One of the reasons for the four cups of wine that we drink at the Seder on Pesach is to
commemorate these four expressions of redemption.
Jack Shapiro
Bais Abraham Learning-at-a-Glance
Class
Instructor
Basics of Judaism
Rabbi Shafner
“Torah on Tap”
Rabbi Shafner
Women’s Class:
Book of Shoftim (Judges)
Alternating between Rabbi
Shafner and Maharat Rori Picker
Neiss
Midrash Tehillim
Maharat Rori Picker Neiss
Parshat Hashavua
Maharat Rori Picker Neiss
Women’s Torah Learning
Group
Beit Midrash Chevruta
(Partner) Study
Deepen Your
Davening/Explanatory
Prayer Class
Time & Place
Mondays, 7:30 p.m.
at Bais Abe
Periodic Monday nights
see Shmooze for exact dates and times
Tuesdays, 9:30 a.m.
Gardner Beit Midrash
Wednesdays, 9:15 a.m.
Home of Leslie Litwack
Wednesday, 1:00 p.m.
Home of Adinah Raskas
Maharat Rori Picker Neiss
Wednesdays, 5:00 p.m. at Bais Abe
You and your chevruta (partner)
Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m.
in the Bais Abe Auditorium
Rabbi Shafner
Each Shabbat, approx. 10:15 a.m.
in the Gardner Beit Midrash
Shalhevet Women’s Kollel
Partnered learning + shiur with
Maharat Rori Picker Neiss
1 and 3 Tuesdays of the month, 7:30 p.m. – 9:00 pm
at Bais Abe
Hinenu Shabbat Study
Group
Stuart Klamen
Each Shabbat, 1 hour before the printed mincha time
st
rd
St. Louis Jewish Community News
Jewish Mystic Jam – January 17th
The St. Louis Rabbinical Association and JCC are hosting a Jewish Mystic Jam on January 17th at
7:00 pm. All are invited to an evening of music, mindfulness, storytelling, and more. See the flyer in
the Shmooze for ticket information and other details.
Wisdom of the Torah With Maharat Rori – January 21
Maharat Rori is teaching a class, “Wisdom of the Torah,” at the Crown Center for Senior Living, 8350
Delcrest Drive, on January 21st at 3:00 pm. Maharat Rori will lead a discussion on the Torah with a
lens for lessons to guide contemporary life. All are invited to attend. If you have questions, call 314991-2055 or see the flyer in the Shmooze.
Sharsheret Supports Friendship Circle – January 21
Sharsheret, a program of Nishmah, is launching a Sharsheret Supports friendship circle!
The purpose of the group is to offer support to women in the St. Louis community who have been
diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer and are anywhere along their treatment path – before,
during, and post treatment. The first program will be January 21st, 2015. Physical Therapist Shawn
Tucker, CSJA, will present how physical therapy interventions and fitness training may positively
impact cancer patients; time for questions and answers will follow. At the conclusion of his
presentation, Sharsheret Supports will host an hour of sharing and support led by facilitator Kathy
Bearman, LCSW. The program will meet the third Wednesday evening of the month at the Jewish
Community Center in Creve Coeur at 7 pm until 8:30 pm. The program is open to the Jewish
community. Light refreshments will be served. Although not required, pre-registration is appreciated,
314-442-3266 or [email protected].
The Jewish Food Pantry Needs Our Help
The Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry is looking for these specific items in order to provide wellbalanced nourishment for the community in need: Canned Pasta with Meat, Canned Chili/Beef,
Peanut Butter, Canned Tuna Fish, Any Type of Canned Vegetables, and Kosher Foods. Currently,
the Jewish Food Pantry is feeding over 8,000 individuals in a month. The need is great so please
help in any way you can. Thank you. Items should be brought to your temple or synagogue collection
site. For further information, please contact Louise Levine, 636-227-1259.
Community ListServe
The St. Louis Jewish Community has an active ListServe where members can offer items for sale,
ask for items or services, read about community events, and more. The ListServ is a perfect place to
offer items that you no longer need that someone else may enjoy. Many people benefit from such
posts. To become a member of the community ListServe just email [email protected] Posting is easy! Just email your post to [email protected].
‫שלום שבת‬
Submit articles and announcements for publication by Thursday morning to [email protected].
Advertise in the Shmooze Classified section and on Bais Abraham’s website for two weeks for $18. For
further news and general information about our shul please check out our website at www.baisabe.com.
The Shmooze© is a community publication of Bais Abraham Congregation, 6910 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis,
Missouri, 63130.
Hyim Shafner, Rabbi.