Friday Night Services 4:05 pm Special, song-filled Kabbalat Shabbat!
Shabbat Morning Services 9:00 am
Latest Shema 9:28 am
Babysitting 10:00 am
Youth Groups 10:00 am Tot Shabbat 10:30 am
Kiddush Luncheon Following services
Shabbat Mincha 12:30 pm
Havdalah 5:08 pm Maariv 5:25 pm
TORAH READING Genesis 32:4-36:43, Artscroll p. 170 Haftarah: Obadiah 1:1-21, p. 1141
SPEAKER We are pleased to welcome Dr. Malka Simkovich, Editor-in-Chief of Jewish Publication Society and professor at Yeshiva University, as our scholar-in-residence. Dr. Simkovich's speaking schedule is as follows: Friday night, 6:45 pm: "Of Making Books There is No End:" Ancient Book Collections & the Making of Jewish Identity. Shabbat day, 11:15 am (following Shabbat morning services): "From Peoplehood to Patriarchy: Yaakov's Missed Lesson" Shabbat day, 12:45 pm (following Kiddush lunch & Mincha): "Chanukah and the Invention of Diaspora"
KIDDUSH LUNCHEON
A kiddush luncheon (meat) is sponsored in honor of our scholar-in-residence, Dr. Malka Simkovich.
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!
Please join me in welcoming Dr. Simkovich this Shabbat!
I highly encourage everyone to attend ALL of Dr. Simkovich's talks this Shabbat. It is a unique opportunity for us to interact with and learn from a true world-class scholar.
Please join me in welcoming a delegation of Israeli experts in Artificial Intelligence who will be joining us at CBAJ through a program of the Department of State! Members of the delegation will join us at Shabbat dinner and over Shabbat.
Also, NEXT WEEK at Shabbat morning services we will be privileged to host a delegation from the Eshkol Region, as part of the partnership between the Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York and the Eshkol Region. We will learn from their experiences of the war over the last two years. We thank the Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York for making this experience possible.
It is with a mix of relief, gratitude, sadness, solemnity, and anger that welcome the return of the body of slain hostage, Sudthisak Rinthalak. May his memory be a blessing, and may his family be comforted from Heaven.
We continue to demand and daven for the return of slain hostage Ran Gvili, the final slain hostage who remains in Gaza.
Am Yisrael Chai.
Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Ben Kean
UPCOMING CBAJ EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
Conversation with the Eshkol Delegation Shabbat morning, December 13th - 11:00 am | At CBAJ Thank you to the Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York for making this possible. Living Room Learning Saturday, December 13th - 7:00 PM | At the home of Lori & Akiva Calka Led by Josh Wildman | Sign-up requested: email Melissa to RSVP
Fall Senior Lunch & Learn Tuesday, December 16th - 12.30 PM | At CBAJ
Friday Night Dinner for Shabbat Chanukah | December 19 | @ CBAJ Services at 4:05 PM - Dinner at 5:15 PM
SCHOLAR-IN-RESIDENCE December 5 - 6, 2025 with Dr. Malka Simkovich
Thank you to all those attending the Friday Night Dinner with special appreciation for the generous event sponsors:
Elliot & Rina Chester Marjorie & Stuart Gang Millie & Daniel Grossberg Rabbi Tzvi & Esther Ita Holt Thomas Kligerman Marta & Mark Koblenz Paula Mosher Baruch & Gitit Popovtzer Steven Rich Joshua & Sabzevari Schulman-Marcus Laura & Hilton Zvi Segal Johanna Steper
ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAMMING
COMMUNITY BEIT MIDRASH NIGHT Alternating Sundays, 8-9 pm Presented by CBAJ & Shomray Torah Guided learning Chaburah with Rabbi Kean studying Ein Yaakov. Next meeting: Sunday, December 7
FALL 2025 LUNCH & LEARN Fall Senior Lunch & Learn Series with Rabbi Kean Tuesday, December 16, 12:30 PM @ CBAJ Topic: Maimonides Hilchot Deot - How We Balance Different Character Traits Please register BY DECEMBER 12 by contacting Melissa Landa-Brimacomb 518.489.5819 x3 or office@cbaj.org.
READING CLASSICAL HEBREW COURSE With Mike Kupferschmid Hebrew Course Restarts in January Want to learn how to say words written in Hebrew letters? Want to learn what the words mean? Visit https://www.ashermath.com for details about the course. Send email to nancylawson10@gmail.com if you are interested.
KIDDUSH CONVERSATIONS
2025/2026 Topic: PARSHAPERSPECTIVES Got an insight? Lead a session! Develop and share your insights and understanding of a Parashah. Speak to Rabbi Kean or Simma K if you are interested in learning more.
HALACHA YOMI **NEW** Mondays, Wednesdays - Fridays following Shacharit (approx. 7:20 on Tues/Fri, 7:30 on Mon/Thurs). Join us in studying halacha every morning Kitzur Shulchan Aruch for 5-10 minutes following weekday Shacharit.
MORNING TANYA: BREAKFAST & LEARNING Tuesdays, 7:30-8:15 am. Join us in studying Tanya, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi's classic work on Chassidut, and enjoy breakfast, discussion, and camaraderie.
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
Family Learning Night For children in grades K-8 and families. On Motzei Shabbat on select weeks during winter months. Dates: December 13, January 10, February 14, March 14 All events at CBAJ. Free admission. Pizza dinner included. Please contact Shore Goldberg with any questions.
Torah High The 2025-2026 school year for Torah High, CBAJ's teen learning program, is underway! This year, we are opening up a fun middle school program aimed at supplementing your middle schooler's current Jewish education! Open to students 6th-12th grade. Classes will be taught by Rabbi Kean and Rav Tzvi Holt. Please contact Rabbi Kean if you are interested in enrolling your child in Torah High! Tot Shabbat For children ages 0-5 and their parents at 10:30 am in classroom 2. Please contact Joshua Schulman-Marcus if you would like to be added to the Young Families WhatsApp group. *Remaining Tot Shabbat Dates for the 2025 - 2026 year: 12/6, 1/3, 1/10, 2/7, 2/28 & 3/14. 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 all children ages 0-5 every Shabbat morning from 10:00-11:30 am!
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Albany NCSY Motzei Shabbos - Dreidel Turnament December 20 | $5 entry fee | Grades 5-12 | 7:00 PM @ CBAJ For more info, please see the Flyer for the > Dreidel Turnament
Get ready for ASPIRE by JSU Dec. 24-28, 2025 | Long Branch, NJ | Sign up required For more info, please see the Flyer for > ASPIRE by JSU
DAILY SERVICES NEXT WEEK December 7 - 12, 2025
SHACHARIT Sunday 8:00 AM Monday - Friday 6:40 AM
MINCHA/MAARIV Sunday - Friday 4:05 PM
CANDLE LIGHTING Friday, December 12, 2025 4:03 PM
MESSAGE FROM LIFE & LEGACY
“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.
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.
