This past Saturday night over 40 teens joined for an awesome Movie Night.
Teens participated in the end of Shabbat Havdalah, enjoyed a hot pizza buffet, and watched a movie and discussion about anti-semitism.
Join upcoming events!
Sunday, February 2:
Shloshim ceremony and begin writing a new Torah scroll in memory of Tolik Rekhtman OBM
Friday, February 7: Fridays for Families
Sunday, February 9: Jteen NYC Trip
Monday, February 10: Tu Bshvat Women's Night Out
Photos of the Week
Shabbos Times Friday, January 17 Candle Lighting 4:37pm
Evening Service Mincha 4:40pm
Saturday, January 18
Morning Service 9:30am
Kiddush Brunch 12:00pm
Evening Service Mincha 4:40pm
Shabbos Ends 5:40pm
Tolik Rekhtman's family invites all friends and community to a memorial service, lunch, and beginning to write a brand new Torah scroll, in honor of the 30th day (shloshim) after his passing.
Sunday, February 9 11:30am- 4:00pm Join an exclusive Jteen trip to visit the Rebbe's Ohel (resting place) in Queens, then head to Crown Heights for a tour of 770 Lubavitch World Headquarters, kosher lunch, ice cream shop, Judaic tour and shopping on Kingston Avenue!
Join for a women’s evening, celebrating the New Year for Trees.
Discuss the mystical meanings of this holiday, while enjoying a delightful buffet of exotic fruits and wines.
A warm environment for our community of teens.
.Hang out, and get connected with other Jewish teens in the area for casual, social meet and discussions.
MVP Mitzvah Volunteer Program
Thursday evenings, 4pm- 5pm
Geared for boys and girls ages 11-13, MVP is for volunteering and Mitzvah madness!
MVP's meet at the Maple Glen Center in Fair Lawn, for a Pre-Shabbat program with the senior residents.
A Bissele Humor
Maurice has a business appointment, and he arrives a little early.
The receptionist points to a comfortable easy chair and asks him to be seated for a while.
Maurice settles down, picks up a glossy magazine opens it, and tries to read. However, he finds that he cannot concentrate because he is distracted due to noise coming from behind one of the doors leading off the reception area.
Maurice goes over to the receptionist and asks, "What's going on in there?"
She replies, "It's a partners' meeting."
"But why are they shouting at each other?" Maurice asks.
"It's a battle of wits," she replies.
Maurice asks: "Who is in there?"
She answers, "Horowits, Lebowits, Rabinowits and Abramowits.
Weekly E-Torah
We never really know why things happen. Do we always deserve everything life throws at us, good or bad? Allow me to share a message from this week's Parshah which may shed a little light on the mysteries of life and our higher destinies.
This is the Parshah that describes the beginning of bondage for the Jewish people in Egypt. Moses experiences his first official Divine revelation at the Burning Bush. There he is charged with the formidable mission to confront the Pharaoh and demand that he "Let My people go." Moses is full of questions and repeatedly seeks G‑d's reassurances.
In one exchange at the Bush, Moses asks, Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should take the Children of Israel out of Egypt? Rashi interprets the first part of the question as Moses doubting his own qualifications to suddenly become a player in the king's court. In his typical humble way Moses didn't see himself worthy of challenging the mighty monarch of Egypt. The second part of the verse is explained by Rashi to be questioning the worthiness of the Jewish People. What have they actually done to deserve such a miraculous redemption?
To which the Almighty answers, firstly, have no fear and have no doubts, I will be with you. And secondly, this is your sign that I have sent you: when you take the people out of Egypt, you will serve G‑d on this mountain.
Now it's very nice to know that this mountain was, in fact, Mount Sinai and that the Burning Bush encounter occurred on that very same mountain. But wherein lies G‑d's answer to Moses' second question? He asked "who am I?" so G‑d replied to the point and said don't worry "I will be with you." But to the question of by what merit did Israel deserve redemption we don't see any answer. That they "will serve G‑d on this mountain" doesn't seem relevant to the discussion at all.
Here it is that we find a fascinating insight into the intriguingly infinite ways of Providence. G‑d was saying that it was not necessarily for what they had done in the past that he was ready to redeem the Jewish people, but for what He anticipated for them in the future. On this very mountain they would receive His Torah; they would become His chosen messengers to be a light unto the nations; they would be the moral standard bearers for the entire world. Never mind what they did or didn't do in the past. G‑d had big plans for this nation and it would all begin with the impending Exodus.
What a powerful message for all of us. Sometimes, the kindness G‑d does for us is not because of what we've been but rather what it would enable us to become. It's not for what we have already done but for what we still will do.
So should any of us be the beneficiaries of a special blessing from Above, instead of patting ourselves on the back and concluding that we must have done something wonderful to be thus rewarded, let us rather ask ourselves what G‑d might be expecting us to do with this particular blessing in the future. How can we use it to further His work on earth? Special blessings carry with them special responsibilities.
May each of us successfully develop all the potential G‑d sees in us and use it for our own moral development and to somehow better the world around us.
