This week we read the words of Perashat Noach. We often spend a great amount of time talking about boats and animals. We picture Noah and his family on a floating zoo with all of the seeds of the continuation of creation floating with them. Many times we talk about the rainbow and the dove and the promise of hope for the future. All of these things are standard Noah’s Ark fodder. But what of the remainder of the portion?
The reality is that the portion contains more than Noah’s narrative. Right after the completion of the story of Noah and the births of his progeny, we have a ten-verse story that many of us know. It is the story of the Tower of Babel. The story is simple: all of humanity had one language and they were good at building. They decided that they needed to “make a name for themselves,” and so they chose to build the biggest building in the world at that time. God remarked that “If, as one people with one language for all, this is how they have begun to act, then nothing that they may propose to do will be out of their reach.” God saw that we have some deficiencies as people and that we needed to be taught a lesson. It is for this reason that God created multiple languages to stop us from building a name for ourselves. The idea behind the story is that multiple languages were invented to cut back on our egos and stop us from trying to do things for ourselves and not for others.
We are less than two weeks away from an election that it is pretty safe to say almost everyone has an opinion on. There is no “Jewish” way to vote. There is no “Jewish” candidate. There is no “Jewish” party. There are only each person’s values and opinions. It is upon each of us to choose who and what we support while we are moved and guided by our morals, ethics, values and our religion. All of us have our fears about what will happen on November 3rd, and more likely, what will happen on the days following as well. In thinking about the confounding of the speech of the people of Babel, we need to recognize that the lesson was about God showing us that we cannot do things for fame and for ourselves… We need to do things for others and for society. This is not an easy task but it is an essential one.
We have all watched as our society has spun out of control for years now. This is nothing new. It is not a product of the past four year or the past 12. It is a situation that has been heating up for a great number of decades and something that has clearly reached a boiling point. The question will now be what can we do to fix it. We need to go back and find commonality and common language. We need to go back and see that our differences that are dividing us are undermining our country. We need to see that we need more unity to build a better country and society and not disharmony. Undoubtedly in the weeks and months ahead, there will people who have read these words and feel they have won and there will be those who feel they have lost.
It is my prayer that we will all find a way to see that, as a society, we will win when people vote for their leaders and when our union continues. It is my prayer that each of us find a way to reach out to people who see things differently than they do so that we can begin to rebuild all that we have lost. It is my prayer that we do not allow ourselves to continue to be like the people of Babel and be unable to communicate with each other. We need to find a way – and that needs to be today.
Shabbat Shalom Rabbi Hearshen
Kosher Falafel Food Truck at OVS
-TONIGHT-
Thursday, October 22 - 4:30 - 7:30 pm Join us for Food Truck Thursday! Dinner will be available for purchase from Adama Street Food, Kosher, Vegan, Mediterranean Food Truck Serving Falafel, Hummus and more.
Stop by for dinner before watching Getting To Know You at 7:00 pm!
Erev Shabbat Services will be held at 5:00 pm through October.
Erev Shabbat Services will begin at 4:45 pm November 6 - February 5.
Shabbat - October 23-24 Perashat Noach 6:35 pm Candlelighting time
NEW TIME 5:00 pm Erev Shabbat Services
Join Zoom Meeting Password is Bureka1914 Meeting ID: 678 255 278 Shabbat Morning Services Saturday, October 24 - 9:00 am Shabbat Morning Service will be held in person. Advanced registration required. Register here.
Thank you to everyone who participated in our High Holiday Appeal!
No donation is too little or too great to help our Keilah meet our goal. Please take a moment and make your donation now. Go online to orveshalom.org/donate and select “HHD Appeal Fund” from the dropdown menu or call the office at 404-633-1737 to make your pledge by phone.
We have received a generous challenge grant from a member family, which will make your donation dollars go even further. They will be donating 22% of whatever we raise; the more you donate, the more they will be donating to our community. Deadline for the challenge grant is October 31.
Please know that your donation is needed and very much appreciated. Thank you in advance for your support!
Prayer Book Return
High Holiday prayer books can be returned to OVS Monday - Thursday each week from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm. Please pull up to the staff door in the back of the building and call 404-633-1737 to let us know you've arrived. We'll come to your car for the books.
Shabbat Dinner Under the Stars
October 23 Drive-in Services begin at 5:00 pm Dinner outside immediately following.
Quarterly Jewish Community Blood Drive November 1, 2020 - 9:00 am - 2:00 pm Location: Red Cross Midtown Blood Donation Center 1955 Monroe Drive Atlanta, GA 30324 Masks, social distancing and appointments required.
Go tohttps://www.redcrossblood.organd enter sponsor code "JWV"to sign up today. Israel Bonds Virtual Brunch November 8 - 10:45 am Brunch available for pickup at OVS from 8:30 - 10:00 am prior to program. Program is online. Link will be sent after registration. Click here to register. For questions, contact Marcus Brodzki at marcus.brodzki@israelbonds.com or 404-857-1066
Masks are $18 each. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Feeding America, a nationwide network of food banks.
Purchase your masks online and call 404-633-1737 to arrange for contact-less pickup.
Yom Huledet Sameach Happy Birthday! Shabbat Doug Ross Sevil Shlimak
Sunday Debra Tenenbaum Marguerite Merlin
Monday Barry Zipperman Nash Steven Tarica Sylvia Franco Lavine
Tuesday Albert Fathi Karl Braun Laurie Rosenberg Maxine Barrocas Michelle Arogeti Stribling
Wednesday Carol Benator Daniel D. Dinur Michael Bouhadana Richard Maslia
Thursday Sam Benator
Friday Helena Ohana
Yom Nisuyeem Sameach Happy Anniversary!
Sunday Mark and Marianne Tarica
Tuesday Brian and Sarah Meyer
Wednesday Darryl and Missy Maslia
Friday Barry and Nancy Shemaria
Meldados
May their memory be a blessing
Sunday Fran Arogeti for Father Yale Jurin
Monday Hazel Segall for Mother Ruth Segall Melvin Resnick for Father Samuel Resnick
Tuesday Gary Meyer for Grandmother Marilyn Meyer Gloria Levine for Husband Joel Levine Isidoro Palatchi for Father-in-Law Moshe Behar Josh Hearshen for great grandfather Harry Hearshen Judy Chyatte for Mother Suzy Antebi Raya Aronova for Father Benjamin Aronov
Wednesday Albert Barrocas for Brother Salvador Barrocas Elvina Fayner for Sister-in-law Golda Fayner Rachiel Berger for Mother-in-Law Sally Berger Rebeca Selber for Brother Salvador Barrocas
Thursday Marc Rosen for Mother Sylvia Cooperman Rosen Rosemary Levy Zumwalt for Mother-in-Law Catherine Israel Victoria Cadranel for Sister Katherine Beton
Friday Adam Kofinas for Friend Bernie Russo Ann Galanti for Mother Flo Friedman
Community Events
Talent Wanted for the launch of B’nai B’rith Pinch Hitters Gift of Talent Extravaganza. They will be creating a series of 60-minute pre-recorded videos that will be made available to hospitals and senior living facilities to entertain residents, families, and patients on Christmas Day. The videos will also acknowledge, celebrate and thank the essential workers at these locations who have been on the job throughout this pandemic and who have been a lifeline to seniors, patients, and families impacted by COVID-19.
The community is invited to share their talented abilities and submit 3 to 8-minute-long video clips of their skilled talents. They are seeking singers, musicians, comedians, dancers, jugglers, magicians, or any other imaginable, amazing talent which our viewers may find entertaining. To submit a video clip for consideration for inclusion in the Gift of Talent Extravaganza video, please email the file in .mp4 or .mov format to Rhonda Love at rlove@bnaibrith.org by November 15th.
If you have any questions or suggestions of talented individuals who may wish to participate, please contact Rhonda Love at rlove@bnaibrith.org or Harry Lutz at hslutz_fsa@yahoo.com or 678-485- 8179.
Click hereto find out about other Jewish community events in our area.
If Anyone Needs Help During Covid-19
If anyone is experiencing difficulty or needs help with getting groceries, medicines, transportation, counseling services, etc., please
Plant OVS for Tu B'shvat Sunday, Jan 24th 2:00p to 4:00p Celebrate Tu B'Shvat - the birthday of the trees and beautify our Kehila.
Activities for all ages. We'll be gardening, planting, painting flower pots and more.
Advanced registration required.
Masks are required and social distancing will be observed.
Sisterhood Book Club February 4, 2021 Thursday, Feb 4th 8:00p Join us for our next Sisterhood Book Club. The book will be The Yellow Bird Sings by Jennifer Rosner. Discussion on Zoom will be lead by Rubisa Carrie Hearshen. Join Zoom Meeting at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83261925390?pwd=eFBKVjQ2ZWVhTVVVcU9XK3NkTmNydz09.
Passcode: bureka1914
Meeting ID: 886 0316 7121
Kosher Super Bowl Sunday Takeout Sunday, Feb 7th (All day) Order Kosher Take Out for Super Bowl Sunday. Prepared by Chef Alex in the Congregation Or VeShalom kitchen.
Orders will be available for pickup at OVS on February 7 from noon - 2:00 pm.
A portion of the proceeds will benefit Backpack Buddies, a program to supply economically disadvantaged elementary school children with food for the weekend.
Order deadline is Monday, February 1.
