Shabbat Tazria-Metzora May 2 - 3, 2025 20th Day Omer
Friday Candle Lighting 7:38 pm
Friday Night Services 7:00 pm
Shabbat Morning Services 9:00 am
Latest Shema 9:20 am
Babysitting 10:00 am
Youth Groups 10:00 am
Kiddush Following services
Talmud Class 6:25 pm
Shabbat Mincha & Seudah Shlishit 7:25 pm
Maariv 8:34 pm
Havdalah 8:44 pm
TORAH READING Leviticus 12:1 - 15:33, Artscroll p. 608 Haftarah II Kings 7:3-20, p. 1172
SPEAKER Rabbi Kean will deliver a Dvar Torah on Shabbat.
MAZAL TOV Mazal Tov to Ofira and Joshua Katz on the Bar Mitzvah of their son, Lior. Mazal Tov to Lior, and to his brother Etai, and to the entire extended family.
KIDDUSH SPONSORSHIP Kiddush following services is sponsored by Ofira and Joshua Katz in honor of Lior's becoming a Bar Mitzvah. Kiddush will be meat, with washing and Birkat HaMazon.
SEUDAH SHLISHIT Seudah Shlishit is sponsored by CBAJ.
MESSAGE FROM RABBI KEAN
Dear CBAJ Family,
On behalf of Congregation Beth Abraham-Jacob, I would like to wish you and your family a restful and meaningful Shabbat!
A tremendous Mazal Tov to the Katz family on Lior's Bar Mitzvah this Shabbat! It is so exciting and wonderful to be able to celebrate this simcha as a community.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the community-wide Tekes Maavar to mark Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut this week! It was truly a powerful event.
The organizers of our speakers from Israel are raising funds for an organization dedicated to helping those impacted by October 7 and the war, and to healing for Israeli society, United for Life.
I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the World Zionist Congress election IS ALMOST OVER! The deadline to vote is THIS SUNDAY May 4! The World Zionist Organization controls the influence and funding that affect the future of the Jewish people in both Israel and the United States and your community's involvement is essential to getting the vote out in our Orthodox community.
The OIC-Mizrachi (Orthodox Israel Coalition) slate (Slate #5) represents the major Orthodox Zionist institutions in the United States and stands for the ideals of defending Eretz Yisrael, Uniting Am Yisrael and Spreading Torat Yisrael.
Initiatives of OIC-Mizrachi directly affect the U.S. Jewish community here in the U.S. with programming such as shlichim in the local yeshivot, funding for yeshivot and seminaries in Israel, JLIC initiatives in the U.S. and Israel and much more.
The OIC-Mizrachi slate will have many names that YOU recognize! Including our Rabbi Emeritus, Rabbi Moshe Bomzer, and my immediate predecessor, Rabbi Roy Feldman!
We continue to pray for the hostages who still remain in Gaza and their families, with hopes that they are returned home soon, especially given what we know about the absolute hell that those who were released have endured.
Am Yisrael Chai.
Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Ben Kean
UPCOMING CBAJ & COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
UPCOMING CBAJ PROGRAMING
Living Room Learning Hosted by Elly & Rabbi Dr. David Bauman and led by Rabbi Bauman Sunday, May 4th at 11:00 am
Tot Shabbat - May 10th
New Discussion Series: The Torah of Health & Healing - Begins Shabbat May 10th
Simcha Kiddush - May 17th
Playground Clean Up Day - May 18th scroll down for more details and registration links
CBAJ COMMUNITY
Announcing a new CBAJ Program! The Shabbat and Yom Tov Meal Matching Program Our goal is to promote hachnasat orchim (welcoming guests) and strengthen the friendship bonds among people in our community. This is a trial process for the local Albany community. This is an opportunity to either volunteer to host members of our community, or to request a seat at a Shabbat or Yom Tov table.
Community Beit Midrash Night Begins Again! Alternating Sundays at 8:00 PM at Shomray Torah (the Shteeble). The next date is May 11 Presented by CBAJ & Shomray Torah Guided learning Chaburah with Rabbi Kean studying Ein Yaakov. Dedicated as a merit for the refuah shleimah of Zev Chaim ben Michal Sivan.
Save these dates for the SPRING 2025 LUNCH & LEARN SERIES May 27, June 17 The Life & Work of Rambam (Maimonides) Please register by contacting Seanan Herrick: 518.489.5819 x3 or office@cbaj.org All sessions will begin at 12:30 pm at CBAJ & are free of charge Catered by 518 Kosher Catering & supervised by the Vaad Hakashruth of the Capital District
Living Room Learning The Adult Education Committee is pleased to present Living Room Learning, an initiative givingCBAJ members an opportunity to share a Torah teaching of their choice in the informal setting of a private home.
If you are interested in either hosting and or leading a future Living Room Learning, please reach out to Simma Kinderlehrer!
The next Living Room Learning will be Sunday, May 4th at 11:00 AM hosted by Elly & Rabbi Dr. David Bauman and led by Rabbi Bauman: "Ashkenazi or Sephardic? What does it mean to be an indigenous Jew?"
NEW DISCUSSION SERIES: The Torah of Health & Healing One Shabbat per month following Kiddush. The first date is May 10. Organized by Yosef Yishai Hilsen In the opening talk, Yosef Yishai Hilsen will discuss on May 3rd what important Torah health & healing psychotherapeutic messages are offered to us in Parashat Shemini. Speak to Yosef Yishai if you are interested in learning more!
WEEKLY LEARNING AT CBAJ
NACH YOMI Join us for studying a section of NACH (Nevi'im & Ketuvim, the latter two sections of Jewish scripture) every weekday before Shacharit, Sunday through Friday, half an hour before the regular start time for morning services (7:30 am on Sundays, 6:10 am Monday - Friday) - in the social hall.
TORAH & TEA* Thursday mornings, 9:30 - 10:30 AM on Zoom*. Join Rabbi Kean in studying the Book of Daniel. * A Theodore Strauss z"l Endowment Fund sponsored program
TALMUD CLASS Join our Shabbat Afternoon TALMUD SHIUR in-person, at CBAJ, starting 1 hour before Shabbat Mincha. We are studying Masechet Taanit.
*CBAJ ZOOM ROOM (weekday classes only) Go to https://zoom.us/join Enter meeting ID: 940 508 9347 | Enter passcode: 613518
YOUTH PROGRAMMING
Torah High The Torah High Winter/Spring 2025 semester is underway! Taught by Rabbi Kean and Rabbi Tzvi Holt. Mondays at 7:00 pm for students in grades 8 - 12, dinner included! Any interested families whose students are interested in learning more about Torah High should contact Rabbi Kean directly, rabbi@cbaj.org Tot Shabbat For children ages 0-5 and their parents at 10:30 am in classroom 2. Please contact Joshua Schulman-Marcus (jschumar@gmail.com) if you would like to be added to the Young Families WhatsApp group.
Youth Groups Kids in grades k-5 will meet each Shabbat morning at 10-11 am. Groups will be led by our youth director and teen youth leaders. For more information about attending, or if your teen wants to work as a youth leader, email office@cbaj.org Babysitting Babysitting is available for children ages 0-5 every Shabbat morning from 10:00-11:30 am! You do not need to be a member to drop off your kids. At least one parent or guardian must be at CBAJ for the duration of babysitting. Babysitting will take place in Classroom 3. The babysitters will bring the kids to Kiddush, please remember to pick up your kids when babysitting ends! Please make sure to inform the babysitters if your child has any food allergies or restrictions. Children in diapers may participate, but babysitters will not be able to change diapers, so please check on kids in diapers.
THE DEE PIRKEI AVOT PROJECT
The Dee Pirkei Avot project disseminates a weekly Pirkei Avot study and discussion sheet in honor of their memory of Lucy, Maia, and Rina, z''l, who were killed in a terrorist attack this year.
“The synagogue is a community which values who I am, how I live, what I give to others now and to those who follow me in years to come. It is the place where they know my name." Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
We are excited and honored to be partnering with 10 other local organizations in the Harold Grinspoon Foundation’s LIFE & LEGACY™ program. Please help us pay it forward and leave a legacy for future Capital District Jews. Please speak to Paula Mosher or Ellen Kaplowitz the Life & Legacy committee chairs about partnering on this crucial initiative to ensure the vitality of Congregation Beth Abraham-Jacob for the next 200 years.
Please click HERE for an important message from our Security Committee & security partner, Community Security Service (CSS) regarding guidelines for attending pro-Israel events
SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING HEALTH & WELLNESS
We are eager for everyone to attend our services and programs and to feel welcome and safe while in our building. Anyone who has symptoms of any illness or is not feeling well is strongly encouraged to stay home. Better to miss services than risk spreading illness. While in attendance, frequent hand-washing is encouraged as well as minimizing close contact with others.
