SHABBAT HAGADOL (OBSERVED) WITH RABBI YOSIE LEVINE

Shabbat April 1 at 11:00AM When the Cup of Wrath Doth Over-flow: Violence, Vengeance, Vitriol and

the New Anti-Semitism

The Jewish Center - The Modern Orthodox Center for Jewish Life and Learning 131 W. 86th Street, New York, NY 10024 • www.jewishcenter.org • 212-724-2700

APRIL 1, 2017 • PARSHAT VAYIKRA• 5 NISSAN 5777

The Jewish Center S H A B B A T B U L L E T I N

EREV SHABBAT 7:00PM Minchah 7:01PM Candle lighting SHABBAT 7:45AM Hashkama Minyan (The Max and Marion Grill Beit Midrash) 8:30AM Rabbi Israel Silverstein Mishnayot Class with Rabbi Yosie Levine 9:00AM Shacharit (3rd floor) 9:15AM Hashkama Shiur with Rabbi Noach Goldstein, Hashkama: Atonement Without Sin? Unlocking the Asham Talui. 9:30AM Young Leadership Minyan (5th Floor) 9:56AM Sof Zman Kriat Shema 10:00AM Youth Groups: Under age 3 (drop off optional, ba-bies must be able to independently sit upright), 3-6-year-olds: Geller Youth Center, 2nd-6th graders: 7th floor 11:00AM Shabbat HaGadol Drasha with Rabbi Yosie Levine, When the Cup of Wrath Doth Overflow: Violence, Vengeance, Vitriol and the New Anti-Semitism Hot Kiddush (5th floor) WITH THANKS TO OUR KIDDUSH SPONSORS: Community Kiddush, Dana and Adam Fine and Family in hon-or of their son Charles Fine’s Bar Mitzvah 4:00PM Bikkur Cholim/Bikkur in the Home (meet at 730 Co-lumbus Ave.) 6:00PM Parent Child Learning with Rabbi Dovid Zirkind 6:10PM Shiur with Rabbi Noach Goldstein, Pesach, Matza, and Marror..." What Do We Need to Say Pesach Night and Why? 6:10PM Daf Yomi 6:55PM Minchah 6:55PM Afternoon Groups WITH THANKS TO OUR SEUDAH SHLISHIT SPONSORS: Greengrass and Hercman families in commemoration of the yahrzeit of Sharon’s & Mindy's father, Bernard Grosser Seudah Shlishit Speaker: Rabbi David Silber, Themes from the Exodus Narrative 8:02PM Shabbat Concludes

Monday, April 24 at 7:15PM Contact Joyce Weitz for more info.

at 212-877-1176

WOMEN’S TEHILLIM GROUP

DAILY SERVICES

Sun. April 2 Pre-Pesach Kashering Daf Yomi 7:45AM Shacharit 8:30AM Minchah 7:10PM

Mon, April 3– Thur. April 6 Shacharit 7/8AM Daf Yomi 7:45AM Minchah 7:10PM

Friday, April 7 Shacharit 7/8AM Daf Yomi 7:45AM Minchah 5:45/7:00PM Candle Lighting 7:15PM

Mazel Tov to the Fine family on the occasion of their son Charles’ Bar Mitzvah

HOST YOUR CLERGY FOR SHABBAT

The JC is blessed to have a wonderful group of clergy that visit for Shabbat on a rotating schedule. If you would like to host any of our clergy and their

families for a Shabbat, Yom Tov, or just a meal, please contact Rabbi Zirkind at dzirkind@jewishcenter.org

SEUDAH SHLISHIT WITH RABBI DAVID SILBER Shabbat April 1 at 7:15PM

Themes from the Exodus Narrative Rabbi Silber is the Founder and Dean of Drisha Institute for Jewish Education. He received the Covenant Award in 2000, and is the author of A Passover Hagga-dah: Go Forth and Learn, published by

JPS in 2011.

COMMUNITY SEDER WITH RABBI DOVID AND ARIELLA ZIRKIND Tuesday April 11 at 8:30PM

Rabbi Dovid and Ariella Zirkind invite the community to join them for a family-friendly Seder on the 2nd night of Pesach. Volunteers are welcome to help in planning and personalizing the Seder as well as participating in Divrei Torah throughout the night. Pricing and details available on our website soon. Questions or ideas please contact

Rabbi Zirkind at dzirkind@jewishcenter.org

CLERGY PEARLS FOR YOUR PESACH SEDER Tuesday April 4 at 7:45PM Join our Clergy for a night of insights and inspirations for your Seder conversation. A full array of Torah thoughts to spark con-versation from our clergy and music from our Chazzan all in one hour or less. A night of learning not to be missed.

To sponsor Kiddush or Seudah Shlishit or a JC event, please contact Aaron at astrum@jewishcenter.org

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

MAZAL TOV Marly Herscovici & Jeff Bogursky on the forthcoming marriage of their

daughter, Tanna to Tzvi Wiesel Dana & Adam Fine on the occasion of their son Charles’ Bar Mitzvah

Gabrielle & David Goldberg on the birth of a baby girl

THANK YOU TO OUR USHERS Deb de Winter and Len Berman

THANK YOU TO CSS

We would like to once again thank CSS and our dedicated CSS mem-bers for providing the security for our synagogue this week.

Thinking of running the New York City Marathon?

Join The Jewish Center Centennial Team! Space is limited.

For more information, please email batsheva@jewishcenter.org If you would like to support the Jewish Center Centennial Team please visit the JC website.

Our Survivors Speak: Annual Yom Hashoah Seudah Shlishit April 22, 2017 at 7:45PM Each year on the Shabbat prior to Yom Hashoah we dedicate a special Seudah Shlishit to hearing the re-markable stories of Jewish Center members and their survival from the Holocaust. This year we are honored to hear a presentation from our member George Blank. Please join us for this very important community event. Parents and children encouraged to attend. Reading of the Names: UWS Yom Hashoah Commemoration Sunday Evening, April 23 Location: West End Synagogue JC Time Slot: 4:20AM Once again we come together to commemorate Yom HaShoah in The Reading and Hearing of the Names of those murdered during the Shoah. For more information, please visit our website UWS Community Young Professionals Yom Hazikaron Memorial and Yom Ha’atzmaut Celebration Monday, May 1 at The Jewish Center The evening will begin with mincha and a special tekes for Yom Hazikaron, Israel's Remembrance Day, followed by a ma’ariv chagigit for Yom Ha’atzmaut with a musical Hallel. Then, everyone is invited to a concert and a pop up shop catered by Grill 212. This event is made possible by the generous support of the JCC and their Upper West Side Celebrates Israel Week. Registration will open shortly.

Yom Ha’atzmaut Family BBQ May 2 at 4:30-6:30pm 11th Floor Roof Terrace Sponsorship opportunities available. Please visit the Jewish Center website to register. Save the Date End of the Year Seudah Shlishit May 20th Sail into Summer with special Family Comedian Guest, stay tuned for more details!

UPCOMING EVENTS

YOUTH DEPARTMENT UPDATES

JC AIPAC DELEGATION AIPAC POLICY CONFERENCE 2017

DAILY (except Shabbat) Israel Friedman Daf Yomi with rotating JCU Faculty, 7:45AM TUESDAY Advanced Gema-ra Chaburah with Rabbi Noach Goldstein 7:45-8:30AM

Nosh and Drash with Dr. Adena Berkowitz, 10:15-11:30AM (will resume April 25) WEDNESDAY Women of the Bible with Rabbi Yosie Levine, at 11:00AM

SHABBAT Rabbi Israel Sil-verstein Mishnayot Class with Rabbi Yosie Levine,8:30AM Hashkama Shiur with rotating JCU Faculty, 9:15AM

Israel Friedman Daf Yomi with rotating JCU Faculty, 1 hour before Minchah Hilchot Shabbat With Rabbi Dovid Zirkind (will re-sume next week)

COMPLETE SCHEDULE OF CLASSES For more information visit our website or contact Rabbi Dovid Zirkind at

dzirkind@jewishcenter.org

As I travel back from AIPAC's Policy Conference which took place this past week in Washington, DC, I reflect upon my experience and in particular, I internalize the theme of this year's Policy Conference which was "many voices, one mission". This year's chosen theme taps into the genuine feelings we all have relating to the politics of this past year. Whether you are a Republican, Dem-ocrat or Independent, and no matter what your sentiments are surrounding the elections and the various candidates, it is vital and possible for us all to focus on a united mission which is the strong support of the U.S. Israel Relationship. This year I saw a conference of 18,000 people from different denominations, states and countries. These attendees included our very own JC Delegation of 70 committed pro Israel activists. The conference closed on Tuesday morning with a convergence on Capitol Hill to lobby senators and congressional representatives regarding Iran's aggression, to request security assistance and financial aid for Israel and to fight the de-legitimization of Israel. While lobbying is the culmination of the conference, the breakout sessions and plenaries this year were truly meaning-ful as they commemorated the approaching fiftieth reunification of Jerusalem. It was moving to hear first hand accounts of those who had fought during and experienced the Miraculous Six Day War. We heard not only from Israelis who fought on the military front, but we heard from Americans who did their part on these shores to ensure the safety and security of the State of Israel. Bayamim HaHeim , Bazman HaZeh - when we recite this particular blessing during holi-days reflecting on the miracles of old and new, perhaps we should also contemplate our obliga-tions and responsibilities for then and for our times. To that end, I ask you to please sign up for Policy Conference now and to please become active in pro Israel advocacy in the coming days and months ahead. - Michelle Chrein

To sponsor Kiddush or Seudah Shlishit or a JC event, please contact Aaron at astrum@jewishcenter.org

Seudah Shlishit with Rabbi David Silber Shabbat April 1 at 7:15PM Themes from the Exodus Narrative Rabbi Silber is the Founder and Dean of Drisha Institute for Jewish Education. He received the Covenant Award in 2000, and is the author of A Passover Haggadah: Go Forth and Learn, published by JPS in 2011. Pesach Kashering at The JC Sunday, April 2 from 9:30AM - 12:30PM Clergy Pearls for Your Pesach Seder Tuesday April 4 at 7:45PM Join our Clergy for a night of insights and inspirations for your Seder con-versation. A full array of Torah thoughts to spark conversation from our clergy and music from our Chazzan all in one hour or less. A night of learn-ing not to be missed. Special Shabbat HaGadol Afternoon Shiur with Dr. Erica Brown Shabbat April 8 at 5:45PM The Moral Dilemma of Rechush Gadol: Wealth, Nation Building and Today’s Consumer Culture

Pre-Peseach Meals Shabbat April 7-8 Don’t want to prepare meals the Shabbat before Pesach? Let The JC help you! Sign up for Shabbat dinner and lunch with the JC community. Pricing and registration available soon. Visit our website for more information. Community Seder with Rabbi Dovid and Ariella Zirkind Tuesday April 11 at 8:30PM Rabbi Dovid and Ariella Zirkind invite the community to join them for a family-friendly Seder on the 2nd night of Pesach. Volunteers are welcome to help in planning and personalizing the Seder as well as participating in Divrei Torah throughout the night. Pricing and details available on our web-site soon. Questions or ideas please contact Rabbi Zirkind at dzirkind@jewishcenter.org

PESACH AT THE JEWISH CENTER

MAOT CHITTIM Help us help others enjoy and find meaning in the Passover holiday. Help our needy Jewish brothers and sisters observe Passover with dignity in their homes by fulfilling the mitzvah of Ma’ot Chittim, “money for wheat,” by sending a generous donation. Make your check payable to the Rabbi Leo Jung Memori-al Fund and mail it to The Jewish Center office or make a donation online. ONEG SHABBAT Please help provide Pesach meals for the less fortunate families in our commu-nity by sending your donation to Oneg Shabbat at 650 West End Ave., New York, NY 10025 or visit www.onegshabbatny.org. Cards are always availa-ble for donations to remember loved ones or to honor special occasions. HOSPITALITY COMMITTEE If you are available to host guests for Pesach meals or if you would like to be hosted, please contact Rabbi Zirkind at dzirkind@jewishcenter.org. SALE OF CHAMETZ One way to avoid the prohibition of owning chametz on Pesach is to sell it to a non-Jew. It is customary to appoint the Rabbi as one’s agent to transact this sale. You may collect a Sale of Chametz form online or in the lobby of The JC in order to appoint Rabbi Levine as your agent.

PREPARING FOR PESACH

PESACH “HOUSE CLEANING” NOTES

To help The Jewish Center prepare for Pesach, members are asked to clean out any personal items from drawers in the Main Sanctuary and personal lockers in the lobby level kitchen.

Absolutely no chametz should be brought into The JC build-ing from Sunday, April 9 through the conclusion of Pesach.

HOSPITALITY AT THE JC

The Hospitality Committee promotes the value of hachnasat orchim, welcoming guests, and creates an environment of warmth in the shul by welcoming newcomers and members each week. To host guests in your home for Shabbat or Yom Tov meals, to be hosted or to join the committee, con-tact hospitality@jewishcenter.org.

The Rabbis are available for authorizing the sale of Chametz: • During office hours and after regular minyanim from

Sunday, April 2 - Friday morning, April 7.

• Sunday, April 2 - 9:30AM - 12:30PM

• Sunday, April 2 - Thursday, April 6 from 7:45PM-8:30PM.

COMPLETE PESACH SCHEDULE

Sunday, April 9 Search for Chametz may begin after 8:10PM Monday, April 10 Erev Pesach, First Seder, Fast of the Firstborn Shacharit 7:00 & 8:00AM Siyum 7:45AM Burning of chametz at The JC 10:00-11:15AM Finish eating chametz by 10:22AM Nullify chametz by 11:39AM Candle lighting 7:11PM Minchah 7:15PM Chatzot 12:56AM

Tuesday, April 11 Pesach I, Second Seder Count Omer 1 Shacharit 9:30AM Daf Yomi 6:30PM Minchah 7:15PM Candle lighting and all Se-der preparations after 8:12PM Chatzot 12:57AM Wednesday, April 12 Pesach II Count Omer 2 Shacharit 9:30AM Minchah 7:15PM Yom Tov concludes 8:14PM

Thursday, April 13 Chol Hamoed Count Omer 3 Shacharit 6:45AM Minchah 7:20PM Friday, April 14 Chol Hamoed Count Omer 4 Shacharit 6:45AM Minchah 7:00PM Candle lighting 7:16PM Shabbat, April 15 Shabbat Chol Hamoed Count Omer 5 Shacharit 9:00AM Shir Hashirim

Daf Yomi 6:25PM Minchah 7:10PM Shabbat concludes 8:17PM Sunday, April 16 Chol Hamoed Count Omer 6 Shacharit 8:30AM Candle Lighting: 7:18PM Minchah 7:25PM Monday, April 17 Pesach VII Count Omer 7 Shacharit 9:00AM Daf Yomi 6:35PM Minchah 7:20PM Candle lighting and all

preparations for second day of Yom Tov after 8:19PM Tueday, April 18 Pesach VIII Count Omer 8 Shacharit 9:00AM Yizkor 10:30AM Daf Yomi 6:35PM Minchah 7:20PM Yom Tov Concludes 8:20PM * Please wait one hour before partaking of sold chametz.

Writing a New Chapter? Parshat Vayikra 5777 Rabbi Dovid Zirkind, Associate Rabbi

This week we begin the third book of five that com-prise our Chumash, Sefer Vayikra. In its many chap-ters we will encounter the laws of ritual sacrifice, laws of purity and impurity, acts of holiness and sins of immorality. An independent analysis of Sefer Vayikra yields a simple conclusion; that this coherent volume is one of worship and kedusha. Yet, if we look beyond the pagination of a Sefer Torah, or beyond our single volume Artscroll Chu-mash at the Jewish Center, we realize something is not right. While Sefer Vayikra is a unified composi-tion, its point of origin is surprisingly absent. Precisely because Sefer Vayikra revolves around the sanctity of space and the ramifications of housing a Mikdash within our camp, should it not begin with the Mish-kan’s construction? Why are the Five Books of Moses divided the way they are? The story of our exodus from Egypt concludes with the blueprints, the fund-raising and the construction of the Mishkan and only after we transition to Sefer Vayikra does the Torah begin to tell us the how, why and when of ritual life. What does the divide between Sefer Shemot and Vayikra teach us about the remarkable task of cre-ating a Mishkan? The structure of Sefer Shemot provides at least a clue to this issue. Reading Parshat Ki Tisa in particu-lar we realize that Sefer Shemot is not written in chronological order. The story of the Mishkan is inter-rupted by the sin of the Golden calf, and returned to immediately upon that event’s resolution. What emerges in the commentaries is the idea that the Mishkan and its construction are a form of atonement for the construction of an idol. Donating to the Mish-

kan was a way of seeking forgiveness for donating to the Eigel. While it is fair to assume the Mishkan was always part of the plan, building it when they did, gifted the Jewish people a therapeutic, if not apologetic fervor to toil passionately for the G-d they had just disappointed. In that moment, the Mishkan was exactly what they needed, but the Mishkan needed more. The Taber-nacle and the Temple that followed were not de-signed to be vehicles of forgiveness alone, they are positioned perfectly to strengthen the needy, to in-spire the devout, and to raise a good community to a level of greatness. The break leading to Sefer Vayikra, signals this essential distinction. When the Mishkan opens for business it does not carry the guilt of a failed people, but the hopes of a brighter fu-ture. Leaving the construction behind allows us to move past the mistake of the Eigel as well. South African social rights activist Desmond Tutu once explained: “Forgiveness says you are given another chance to make a new beginning.” This is the new beginning of Sefer Vayikra. It teaches us that we cannot move forward in life without first resolving the mistakes we must undue, but also that once we are forgiven we cannot allow ourselves to be anchored by our regrets. Others can forgive us and we must forgive ourselves. Every book has new chapters, eve-ry volume has a sequel. If you are not happy with how the last one ended, that just means it’s time to start writing again.

Yosie Levine Rabbi

Dovid Zirkind Associate Rabbi

Chaim David Berson

Cantor

Erica Brown Community Scholar

Noach Goldstein Resident Scholar

Avi Feder

William Fischman Rabbinic Intern

Aaron Strum

Executive Director

Jenn & Gaby Minsky Youth Directors

OFFICERS Avi Schwartz President

Andrew Borodach First Vice President

Michael Jacobs Vice President

Deena Blanchard Vice President

Mark Segall Assistant Vice President

Yaron Kinar Treasurer

Len Berman Assistant Treasurer

Andrew Kaplan Assistant Treasurer

Miri Lipsky Secretary

PHONE NUMBERS

Yoetzet Halacha Ilana Gadish

nycyoezet@gmail.com 646-598-1080

Jewish Center

Chevra Kadisha 212-724-2700 x555

UWS Mikvah 212-579-2011

Hatzoloh 212-230-1000

Eruv Status 212-724-2700 x4