SHAVUN - Auckland Hebrew Congregation

‫ב"ה‬
SHAVUN
Emor
‫ב"ה‬
Dear Friends,
This relationship is established at the
outset when God informs Moshe at the
burning bush: “And this is your sign that I
have sent you: when you take the people
out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this
mountain.”
WHY DO WE COUNT THE OMER?
Immediately after the commandment
concerning the Omer offering (a barley
offering in the Temple which marks the
beginning of the harvest and allows the
use of that season’s grain), the following
mandate is found:
“And you shall count for yourselves – from
the day after the Sabbath, from the day
you bring the waved offering of the Omer
– seven weeks; complete shall they be.
Until the day after the seventh Sabbath,
shall you count fifty days; and you will
offer a new meal offering to the Lord.”
On a deeper level, our counting
consequently affirms that the physical
freedom of the Exodus is incomplete
without the spiritual freedom granted by
God’s law; a truth mirrored in the famous
rabbinic dictum:
“No one is truly free other than he who is
involved in the study of Torah.”
By counting the days between Pesach and
Shavuot, many scholars continue, we also
are meant to re-experience the sense of
excitement and anticipation that marked
this period for the Israelites, newly
redeemed from Egypt.
Just as we would “count the remaining
days” towards an extraordinary event in
our personal lives, so too we should feel a
real sense of anticipation each year as we
again approach the holiday that marks the
Revelation at Sinai.
As codified by the rabbis, this mitzvah,
known as the mitzvah of Sfirat Ha’Omer,
the Counting of the Omer, obligates each
Jew to verbally count the days and weeks
from the second day of the holiday of
Pesach until the first day of the holiday of
Shavuot.
What possible purpose can there be in
verbally counting the days and weeks
between
Pesach
and
Shavuot?
Shabbat Shalom and kindest regards from
Israel,
Rabbi N Friedler
The Torah offers no explanation for this
mitzvah.
Most obviously, the Counting of the Omer
is perceived by many scholars as a link
between the two holidays that border the
mitzvah, Pesach and Shavuot. Through
the act of counting we testify that the
Revelation at Sinai (commemorated on
Shavuot) was the goal and purpose of the
Exodus from Egypt (commemorated on
Pesach).
Rabbi’s Discussion Group
Every second Thursday of the
month.
Next meeting:
10:30am; 21 May 2015 @ St
Vincent’s thereafter at Shalom
Court
Artscroll Torah:
Haftorah:
Pg. 672
Pg. 1176

Soncino Torah:
Haftorah:
Pg. 513
Pg. 528
AHC Contact Details:
Office: 09 373 2908
office@ahc.org.nz
www.ahc.org.nz
Rabbi Friedler: 021 714 157
Mikveh Bookings: 021 714 158
Aviad Cohen: 021 488 030
Yaira Cohen: 021 488 050
AHC BoM 5775
Chair
Bronwen Klippel
Treasurer & Kashrut Certification
Garth Cohen
Religious & Head Gabbai:
Gavin Berman
Social:
Mark Kantor
Ben Rose
Security:
Sara Nevezie
GAD:
Henri Eliot
Youth & Young Marrieds:
Steven Hofman
Mark Kantor
Property:
Joshua Arieli
Strategy & Future Planning:
Rachel Lerner
Contents
1
CSG needs volunteers to
ensure the overall security
of Auckland’s synagogues,
communal organizations,
and events. Please consider
donating time or money or
both towards this important
organization.
Shlichim’s Message
3
Event Page
3
Yahrzeits
4
Calendar
4

Message from Aviad & Yaira
Shabbat Shalom!
Last Shabbat the 2014 B-Mitzvah class got together for a reunion Kiddush and group bonding
activity! This is the first of many Post B-Mitzvah activities, the next event - Tikkun Leil Shavuot!
New Programs:
This week we kicked off two programs - Sunday was the first Pre B-Mitzvah session for 10-year
old girls and 11-year old boys. In the first half we learned ‫( איך להכין פיתה‬how to make Pita) using
the Hebrew words for the ingredients and different actions, and in the second half we learned
the structure of the different Tefillot.
On Monday the Parsha Potato Heads got together
for the first time this year! We learned about
counting the Omer, a Mitzvah in this week’s
Parsha, and gave the kids a Parsha Riddle.
The answer will be announced during Tefillah
on Shabbat morning.
Young Adults:
On Saturday night the community young adults,
together with AUJS, got together for a
Yom Ha’Atzmaut BBQ hosted by the Hofmans.
Thank you to everyone involved, to the Hofmans for their house, time and effort, to AUJS & AHC
for sponsoring the event, and to Oren Meizeles for the initiative and preparing the Israel activity.
A big thank you to ZFNZ Shlicha Roni Israeli for pulling together a great Yom Ha’Atzmaut event!!!
Kol HaKavod to the Bnei and Habo Madrichim for the fun Israel Carnival.
The Yom HaZikaron ceremony was dedicated to Lone Soldiers in the IDF. On Yom Ha’Atzmaut
Kadimah’s Years 3-4 wrote letters to soldiers, which are now in Israel and will be delivered to
Israeli soldiers, including the communities Lone Soldiers, Sam Gosling and Alon Kruger.
L&P is back on track! This week we held the first of two sessions that will talk about Jerusalem,
and why we celebrate the upcoming Yom Yerushalayim. Stay tuned for details on next week’s
L&P!!!
Shabbat Shalom,
Yaira & Aviad
Sydney Szusterman
Daniella Haver
Leslie Sanders
Lavi Abitbol
Keren Cook
Sascha Newland
Eleanor Shenkin
Jacqueline Knight
Frances Levy-Leigh
Alon Brokensha
Esther Haver
Benjamin Steiner
Gerti Blumenfeld

Both Greys Ave & AHC Stiebel
need support from postBarmitzvah boys & men to help
make up Minyanim on Friday
evenings and Saturday
mornings.
Without a Minyan, families are
unable to say Kaddish for their
loved ones.
If you can help with a regular
commitment to attend a
Shabbat service at either
venue, please contact either
the Office, the Rabbi or
Raymond Abel for the AHC
Stiebel.

DAVENING
DINOSAURS
2
DON'T MISS IT! 11am
(after Torah
reading) @ AHC.
Save the Date
Special Graduation Mazel Tovs:
Its graduation season and many congregants have
donned their academic regalia in order to
celebrate their achievements.
We wish them all Kol Hakavod, Mazel Tov and
much success with their future endeavours.
Special mention to the following achievers:
Sam Bookman graduated with BA LLB (Hons) and
a recipient of a Law School Scholar’s Award.
Jocelyn Benatar who received her PhD from the
Auckland School of Medicine.
3
Mazel Tov to Carli Davis who
graduated from Rollins this
month in Florida, USA and
received academic
achievement awards in maths
and science and was named
outstanding senior in
environmental studies.
She received the Crummer
student-athlete scholarship,
awarded to a student athlete
that demonstrates high
academic success to study
towards a two year postgraduate MBA at Crummer
University, Florida.
16 May
Volunteers Kiddush &
Jono Baker’s Aufruf
23 May
Tikkun Leil & Dinner
24 & 25 May
Shavuot
6 June:
Farewell Kiddush: Malindy
YAHRZEITS FOR THE WEEK:
We wish you Long Life…
Name:
Remembered by:
Frieda Buetow
Gerald David Davimes
Tibor Erdos
Julia Fenyves
Liesl Green
Eva Korpus
Felix Manskleid
Suzanne Pollak
Freda Sanders
Eleanor Shieff
Mark Shor
Cyril Walter Silverman
Leber Tablis
Relationship:
Diane Buetow
Isadore Davimes
George Erdos
Lilla Wald
Kathi Keys
Valerie Levy
Adrian Korpus
Lynn Porus
Martha Manskleid
Karen Boyd
Garry Pollak
Leslie Sanders
David Shieff
Vivien Cornell
Larissa Liebman
Malcolm Silverman
Mikhail Tablis
Mother-in-Law
Brother
Father
Father
Grandmother
Mother
Mother
Father
Husband
Mother
Mother
Mother
Mother
Mother
Father
Father
Father
SAT
19 Iyar
8
1
9
Omer: 34
Refuah Shleimah:
Our thoughts are with congregants
who are unwell at the moment.
We wish you a full and speedy
recovery.
LOOKING AHEAD:
FRI
Care
Comfort
Compassion
Community
20 Iyar
SUN
10
Omer: 35
21 Iyar
MON
11
Omer: 36
Shacharit: Greys
Ave & AHC Stiebel:
9:15am
22 Iyar
TUE
12
Omer: 37
23 Iyar
WED
13
Omer: 38
24 Iyar
THUR
14
Omer: 39
25 Iyar
Omer: 40
Shacharit:
Greys Ave 9am
Davening Dinos
@ 11am
Parsha Potato
Heads @ 3:15pm
Kabbalat Shabbat
Greys Ave &
AHC Stiebel 6pm
5:11pm
6:10pm
26 Iyar
15
Omer: 41
16
1
27 Iyar
Omer: 42
Shacharit: Greys
Ave & AHC Stiebel:
9:15am
17
28 Iyar
Omer: 43
Kabbalat Shabbat
6:03pm
Omer: 44
19
1 Sivan
Omer: 45
Rosh Chodesh
Sivan
Yom Yerushalayim
Greys Ave &
AHC Stiebel 6pm
5:04pm
29 Iyar
20
2 Sivan
Omer: 46
21
3 Sivan
Omer: 47
Shacharit:
Greys Ave 9am
Davening Dinos
@ 11am
Volunteers
Kiddush
18
4
Parsha Potato
Heads @ 3:15pm
10:30am Rabbi’s
Discussion Group