Chaveireinu hayikarim,
I hope you and your family are well as we begin our preparations for Chag HaMatzot. On Sunday March 7th Yeshiva University will be celebrating its Chag HaSemicha, recognizing students who have received semicha over the last four years. There are 150 musmachim being honored at this occasion. Two communities, Teaneck and West Orange, have the largest number of musmachim (Teaneck -22 ) in the United States. It gives me great pleasure to extend a hearty mazal tov to those who were nurtured at Rinat during their formative years, Rabbis Yehuda Chanales, Moshe Stavsky , Matis Shulman, Michael Newman, Yoni Fox and Aryeh Leibowitz. We are proud of their achievements and look forward to bearing the fruits of their contributions to Am Yisrael. In recognition of the large number of Teaneck honorees, Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, (RIETS) will be conducting a Shabbaton the day before on Shabbat Parshat Ki Tisa , Parshat Parah throughout our community. We will be privileged to host HaRav Herschel Schachter, Rosh Kollel, for the Friday night Dvar Halacha, Rabbi Kenneth Brander, Dean of the Yeshiva’s Center for the Jewish Future for the Shabbat morning drasha and our own Rabbi Yehuda Chanales to deliver the shiur between Mincha and Maariv. I encourage everyone to join us that Shabbat.
Our annual Pesach shiur for women will take place on Wednesday March 24th at 8:00pm, at which time one can ask any question related to Pesach you may not have inquired about thus far and participate in our shiur focusing on the Haggadah. I will be available for Mechirat Chametz on Sunday March 21st from 8:00am till 12:00pm and 7:30 – 9:30pm, Tuesday March 23rd from 7:00- 9:15 pm, Thursday March 25th, from 7:00- 9:15pm and Sunday morning March 28th from 8:00 am till 12:00 pm. The OU Pesach bulletin is currently available in our office. It contains many interesting articles on a variety of Pesach issues.
I would like to bring to your attention that the annual NORPAC trip to Washington is slated for Wednesday May 12. The Congress of the United States has been one of Israel’s staunchest allies and supporters even as the White house has been lukewarm in its relationship with Israel. As former President Eisenhower once quipped “ you can never expect to forge a relationship at the time you need it “. We can not wait to engage our Senators and Congressmen at a time when Medinat Yisrael faces a crisis. NORPAC is engaged all year in cultivating relationships with Congress and its efforts have been incredibly productive. Just to cite one illustration, the United states has developed the most sophisticated radar system to date entitled the Band Radar system. It can track the flight of a batted ball some 2500 miles away. Only five were produced, with four employed by the Pentagon in strategic locations . The fifth was just sitting in a warehouse until a Senator suggested that it be deployed in Israel. Much opposition to that idea was registered by the Defense Department but one powerful Senator convinced former President Bush to expedite its delivery to Israel. I am aware that the Mission requires taking a day off from work and therefore, I apprise you two months in advance to make the necessary preparations to join the NORPAC trip.
I do not know when this article will reach you. As our President has announced over the past few Shabbatot, the construction on our new Beit Knesset is proceeding very smoothly, and surprisingly, quickly, and it appears as if we will meet out target date of Shabbat HaGadol as date of entry. It is important that we review and refresh ourselves as to the essence of our mission statement prior to that date. I, therefore, look forward to delivering a State of the Shul address sometime prior to our official transition. I am not quite certain of the date as there are, Baruch HaShem, multiple smachot and a scholar-in-residence over the next few weeks. I will give the kehila advance notice as when we can have that discussion and hope that each and everyone of you will participate.
Best wishes for a Chag Kasher V’Sameach.
Yosef Adler