Jewish NDG - Toldot

THIS WEEK @ CHABAD
TONIGHT FRIDAY Shabbat Prayers @ 6:00pm
SATURDAY Shabbat Prayers & Lunch @ 10:00am
Easy-to-follow, clearly explained, small community makes
our Shabbat morning prayers very special. Followed by
scrumptious lunch.
NEW SATURDAY Shabbat Morning HEBREW SCHOOL
10:30am-12:30pm Come join us for a family friendly
Jewish experience, every Shabbat morning in your
neighbourhood! Well-rounded, fun and interactive kids
program run by Chayale Hershcovich, filled with Jewish
cultural educational games and songs. Each week we play,
laugh and learn as we hear stories from the Torah, sing
jewish songs, create edible food projects, play games and
learn our Alef Bet. Plus, We have a great new prize system!
Snacks and lunch are served.
NEW SATURDAY Shabbat Morning Torah Discussion
for Women 11:00am-12:00pm Join Sara Bernath for
an informative and stimulating discussion just for women.
NEW SUNDAY Tefillin and Tai Chi 9:30-11:00am Join
us for a short meditation and prayer followed by Tai Chi
from 10:00-11:00 hosted by Dr. Elliot Kravitz.
NEW TIME TUESDAY November 18 Halacha Class @
6:00pm Join Rabbi Bernath for an in-depth look of the
practical laws of Judaism.
COMING TUESDAY November 18 Kabbalah of Balance
@ 8:00 pm Join Rabbi Yisroel Bernath for a unique and
transformative discussion.
DETAILS COMING SOON
SATURDAY DECEMBER 20 - CHANUKAH MONTREAL
The Most Anticipated Young Jewish Event of the Year.
KIDDUSH LUNCH
MAZEL TOV SPONSORED BY
Louis Glazer and Severine Coen in honour of their engagement.
Aylon and Sarit Wisbaum and Family in honour of the birth of their daughter.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY THANK YOU Aylon and Sarit Wisbaum on the birth of a girl. Jenny & MaJhew Pekofsky on the birth of Dovid Shaya.
Louis Glazer & Severine Coen
on their engagement.
Benny & Tali Lasker on the birth of a girl.
Daniel Fleischer & Melissa Myers on their wedding.
Eyal Illouz, Joseph Wajcberg, Max Finder, Matan Ohayoun and Brian Bendek
Iris Marchena for her help in the kitchen. Sharon Schmerer, Sheryl Beller-­‐Kenner and Laurie Gossack for their help in the office.
Eric Klein for taking care of the centre.
Jewish NDG
NOVEMBER 21, 2014 | ROSH CHODESH KISLEV 5775 | PARSHAT TOLDOT
THURSDAY DECEMBER 18 - CONCORDIA JEIWHS
CULTURAL NIGHT @ THE HIVE The Students of
Concordia will unite for an unforgettable Chanukah Event.
THURSDAY DECEMBER 11 - LOAVES OF LOVE @
5:30pm NDG Jewish Community wil come together to braid,
bake and deliver Challahs to needy families and elderly in the
community.
VOL.1 ISSUE 4
LIGHT CANDLES 4:00 PM
70 Young Adults enjoy First Fridays Shabbat Dinner
with Celebrity Chef Iris Marchena
The clinking glasses and sounds of laughter
could be heard the entire evening. Over 70
Young Adults were treated to a delectable
Meditteranean Feast. Chef Iris Marchena who
has served some of Quebec’s rich and famous
created a Shabbat dinner like none other.
“This was my first time doing Kosher.” Iris
admitted in an interview with Jewish NDG. “I
was excited for this challenge and it was a
great experience.”
Jewish NDG is published weekly by CHABAD of NDG & LOYOLA CAMPUS
4020 HINGSTON AVE. MONTREAL, QUEBEC H4A 2J7 (514) 507.8800 rabbi@jewishmonkland.com
www.facebook.com/chabadndg Editors: Rabbi Yisroel Bernath, Chloe Landry, Dr. Sheryl Beller-­‐Kenner and Rabbi Zvi Hershcovich "We hope you enjoyed reading this as much as we enjoyed wri]ng it." Hi Derrick!
Please email your comments to: rabbi@jewishmonkland.com. We look forward to hearing from you soon. ˇ
Shabbat songs filled the air and Chayale
Hershcovich, director of family programming
at Chabad NDG led a fun ice breaker while
Mitchell Simon served some incredible drinks.
First Fridays was created 2 years ago in
honour of the 1st anniversary of the passing of
Mitchell’s mom, Jo Ann Frank Simon. Jo
Ann loved the kitchen and inspired this
incredible Chabad NDG tradition.
Jeremy S. joined First Fridays for the first
time. “I was not too sure what to expect
beforehand, as I had never been to one of
these events before.” Jeremy S. admitted, “I
was really glad I went. I have a chance to
meet up with some old friends, enjoy the
delicious food, and just have a comfortable
Jewish experience. Everyone was friendly
and welcoming to me, even though I am not
necessarily very observant.”
Many of the Young Adults present were
surprised how diverse the crowd was. Lisa
R. a Concordia Student was there for her
second time. “I had an amazing time at
the dinner. Everyone was so warm and
easy to talk to. I really loved how we were
assigned to sit with strangers, it allowed
me to come not knowing anyone and meet
some great people. I really enjoyed the
conversation and the food was amazing!”
r eally l oved h ow w e w ere a ssigned t o s it “ I with s trangers, i t a llowed m e t o c ome n ot ”
knowing a nyone a nd m eet s ome g reat p eople.
Rabbi’s Thought
How similar are you to your parents?
Isaac resembled Abraham
This week's Torah portion starts out speaking about
the similarities between Abraham and Isaac. Rashi
explains that G-d made a miracle and the physical
appearance of Isaac mirrored that of Abraham.
Don't children look like their parents?
At first glance, this doesn't seem to be much of a
miracle. Don't most children resemble their parents?
Biologically, We share similar DNA and psychologically
our personality is shaped by our experience in the
home. Similarity it would seem is the order of the
day, not a miracle.
Each of the forefathers had a different mission
Abraham's mission was kindness, Isaac's was
setting boundaries, and Jacob's was a synthesis of
the two. The miracle now can be better understood.
Even though, their mission was entirely different, the
forefather's shared an underlying similarity.
Joke of the week
A teenager had just gotten his driving permit. He asked his
father, who was a Rabbi, if they could discuss the use of the car.
His father took him to his study and said to him, "I'll make a deal
with you. You bring your grades up, study a little torah, and get a
hair cut, then we'll talk about it."
After about a month the boy came back and again asked his
father if they could discuss use of the car. They again went to the
father's study where his father said, "Son, I've been real proud of
you. You have brought your grades up, you've studied
Find your own mission
This is a lesson to us all. On one hand we must
resemble our parents. The lifelessons and culture that
they live by give shape and meaning to our lives. On
the other hand, it is very important that each of us
find the mission that best fits who we are. One must
walk a delicate balance between charting your own
path and following in our parents footsteps.
Blessing I give you a blessing that you follow the example of
Isaac. Follow your own unique
path and in doing so
resemble your parents.
Parsha in a nutshell
A glimpse of this week's Torah portion
Quiz...
What does this picture have to do with this week’s Torah PorOon? diligently, but you didn’t get your hair cut!"
The young man waited a moment and replied, "You know Dad,
I've been thinking about that. You know, Samson had long hair,
Abraham had long hair, Noah had long hair, and even Moses had
long hair..."
To which the Rabbi replied... "Yes, and they WALKED
everywhere they went!"
In last week's portion, Chayei Sarah, we
learned of the wedding of Abraham’s son
Issac to Rebecca. Our Sages say that Rebecca
was only three years old when she was
consecrated to marry Isaac.
Aliyah #1
For twenty years after Isaac and Rebecca
were married, Rebbeca had trouble
conceiving a child. They used to stand at
opposite ends of the room and pray to G-d for
children. In this week's portion, Rebbeca
becomes pregnant. She has a very difficult
pregnancy. She eventually gives birth to twin
boys: a hairy, reddish boy named Esau, and a
second boy, holding on to the first one's heel,
named Jacob.
Esau becomes a hunter, while Jacob dwells
in schools of Torah. One day, Esau comes in
hungry and exhausted from the field, sees his
brother Jacob cooking lentils, and begs Jacob
for some of the food. Jacob agrees to give it to
him if Esau will sell him his birthright as
firstborn. Esau agrees. (Our sages say that this
took place on the day Abraham passed away
and the food Jacob was cooking was to feed
his bereaved father Isaac.)
Aliyah #2
There is a famine in the land, and Isaac is
tempted to go down to Egypt, where his
father, Abraham, had gone under similar
circumstances. But G-d tells Isaac since he
was sanctified as an offering to G-d when he
was brought to the akaida, he is therefore not
fit to leave the holy land of Israel.
Issac settles near King Abimelech, and, like
his father Abraham, he lets the men of the
town think that his wife is really his sister.
King Abimelech notices that Rebecca is
actually his wife and issues a decree that no
one touch them. The Torah says that while in
this place, Isaac harvested a hundred times
what he planted because G-d had blessed him.
Aliyah #3
Isaac becomes extremely wealthy and great
in the land of the Philistines, and they ask him
to leave. He moves a distance away, and again
digs some of the wells that his father Abraham
had dug, but which were filled in by the
Philistines. His servants dig new wells but the
Philistines fight with them over these wells
also. He finally moves somewhat further and
finds peace.
Aliyah #4
G-d blesses Isaac that he should not have
fear, and know that G-d is with him and will
bless him and multiply his seed. After that
Abimelech comes after Isaac and says that he
recognizes that G-d is with him, and wants to
make a peace treaty with him. Isaac prepares a
feast for him and his men, and they part
peacefully.
Aliyah #5
In this aliyah we find the famous story of
Isaac, now old and nearly blind, attempting to
bless his firstborn son. Isaac asks his son Esau,
to fetch some meat and cook it nicely, and
Isaac will bless him. But Rebecca hears all this
and wants Jacob, the younger twin, to get the
blessing. So she prepares some meat the way
Isaac likes it, gives it to Jacob to take to
his father, and dresses Jacob in Esau's
clothes.
Jacob goes to his father, and when his
father asks him if he is truly Esau, he
says that he is. Isaac asks to touch Jacob;
he is confused. "The voice is Jacob's
voice, but the hands are Esau's hands."
Finally, he is convinced that it is Esau
who has come to him, and he prepares to
bless him.
Aliyah #6
Isaac gives the blessing of the firstborn
to Jacob. Just as the blessing ends and
Jacob leaves and Esau comes in. Esau
announces to his father that he is back
with the food he requested and has come
to collect his blessing. Isaac wonders out
loud, "Who was that whom I just
blessed?" Esau gets very angry, and
Rebecca sends Jacob away to Charan,
both to be safe from his brother's rage,
and to look for a wife. (They want Jacob
to marry a girl from Rebecca's brother
Laban's family and not marry a Hittite
woman, as Esau has done.)
Aliyah #7
Esau, who already has two Hittite
wives, takes another wife, this time, a
daughter of Ishmael. Rashi says that
after Jacob departed from his father and
mother he went straight to the Yeshiva of
Aiver, the great-grandson of Shem (one
of the three sons of Noah), and studied
Torah for 14 years.ˇ