UA-120078225-1
top of page
Writer's pictureRabbi Stephen Epstein

Rabbi Shmuel's Newsletter for week of 26 May 2024

Updated: May 31




Calendar

This is an overview of upcoming events. Details of each event are below

Sunday, 26 May 2024-Religious School preempted for Memorial Day

Monday, 27 May 2024-Memorial Day

Tuesday, 28 May 2024-Miller Course (Day has changed)

Wednesday, 29 May 2024-Torah Study (Day has changed)

Thursday, 30 May 2024-Judaic Studies

Friday & Saturday, 31 May & 1 June 2024-Shabbat Services

Sunday, 2 June 2024-Religious School

Tuesday, 4 June 2024-Miller Course

Wednesday, 5 June 2024-Torah Study

Thursday, 6 June 2024-Judaic Studies

Friday & Saturday, 7 & 8 June 2024-Shabbat Services

Wednesday, 12 June 2024-Shavuot 1

Thursday, 13 June 2024-Shavuot 2

Thursday, 20 June 2024-Board Meeting




We are now offering Zelle for payments and donations! Use this email: treasurer@templesholomofontario.org

Please note what the payment is for. Thank you.




Kabbalah Thought for this week

"In reality, The Creator does not choose to destroy or reward His Creation. The light of The Creator is a constant expanding force of goodness, positivity, and fulfillment. It is our free-willed choice as to whether we connect to this divine force of Energy (reward) or disconnects from the Light (destruction). [It can] be understood through this analogy: The electrical current flowing through a home is always available for use. If a room is in darkness and we mistakenly (or purposely) fail to plug a lamp into the wall socket, the room remains darkened. It is not logical to conclude that the electricity decided to withhold its energy, keeping the room darkened. Rather, it is our own actions that determine whether we live in darkness or light."



Announcements

-Office Hours

-This week’s 10-Minute

-Events

-Candle Lighting Times for Shabbat (Ontario, CA)

-Shabbat Services

-School



*For your information, I have included below my schedule, including office hours for the next two weeks and specific classes in which I am involved.

**For your convenience and information, Zoom links will be provided in separate emails for security purposes.

***I continue to update our Mi Sheberach מי שברך list for those in need of healing. For your convenience, I am attaching this revised list to this email that only goes to members of Temple Sholom of Ontario. Thank you.




Office Hours for the next few weeks:

Going forward, I am planning on conducting Hebrew School from my office and making Sunday an office day to be more available.

Sunday, May 26, 2024 Holiday-Memorial Day

Friday, May 31, 2024 1:30pm - 7:30pm (Friday Night Shabbat Ma'ariv @ 7:30pm)

Sunday, June 2, 2024 9:00am - 2:00pm (Hebrew School 10:00am - 11:30am)

Friday, June 7, 2024 1:30pm - 7:30pm (Friday Night Shabbat Ma'ariv @ 7:30pm)

Sunday, June 9, 2024 9:00am - 2:00pm (No Hebrew School, out of town)

Wednesday & Thursday, June 12 & 13, 2024 9:00pm - 12:30pm (Shavuot Services)

Friday, June 14, 2024 1:30pm - 7:30pm (Friday Night Shabbat Ma'ariv @ 7:30pm)

(Subject to change. Please call for appointments)




Lag BaOmer 2024 / ל״ג בָּעוֹמֶר 5784

33rd day of counting the Omer 🔥

Lag BaOmer for Hebrew Year 5784 begins at sundown on Saturday, 25 May 2024 and ends at nightfall on Sunday, 26 May 2024.

Lag BaOmer (Hebrew: ל״ג בעומר), also Lag B’Omer, is a Jewish holiday celebrated on the 33rd day of the Counting of the Omer, which occurs on the 18th day of the Hebrew month of Iyar. One reason given for the holiday is as the day of passing of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. Modern Jewish tradition links the holiday to the Bar Kokhba Revolt against the Roman Empire (132-135 CE). In Israel, it is celebrated as a symbol for the fighting Jewish spirit.



Happy Memorial Day

Monday, May 27

Memorial Day is a U.S. federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May to honor the men and women who have died while serving in the military. It was formerly known as Decoration Day. In 2024, Memorial Day will be observed on Monday, May 27.




1 June 2024 / 24 Iyyar 5784




Next Miller Course

Day has changed

Tuesday, May 29 @ 5pm

Module 18: Final Class




Adult Torah Study Class

Next Session: Wednesday, May 29 at 7:30 pm PT

Zoom Links sent in separate email Wednesday morning. Please reply if you do not receive them.

Parashat Bechukotai 5784 / פָּרָשַׁת בְּחֻקֹּתַי

1 June 2024 / 24 Iyyar 5784

D’var Torah on YouTube

Parashat Bechukotai is the 33rd weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading.

Torah Portion: Leviticus 26:3-27:34

Bechukotai (“In My Laws”) is the final Torah portion in the Book of Leviticus. It begins describing blessings that follow obedience to God's laws and curses that come with desecration of them. It ends with laws of vows and consecration of people and property. [1]

Commentary and Divrei Torah   

Hertz Chumash: pp. 542– 548 Triennial Year 2 (Full Kriyah pp. 542 – 550)

Artscroll Chumash: pp. 708 – 721 Triennial Year 2 (Full Kriyah pp. 708 – 723)

Etz Chaim Chumash: pp. 747 – 755 Triennial Year 2 (Full Kriyah pp. 747 – 757)





Judaic Studies

Next session: Thursday, May 30, 2024 @ 7:30pm




Shabbat Times for Ontario, California, USA

🕯️ Candle lighting / הדלקת נרות Friday, May 317:38pm

✨ Havdalah (50 min) / הבדלה - 50 דקות Saturday, June 18:40pm

Upcoming Services

Shabbat Ma'ariv Service Friday, May 31, 2024 @ 7:30 pm

 Shabbat Shacharit / שַׁבָּת Saturday, June 1, 2024 @ 9:30 am 

Shabbat Zoom Links sent in separate email Friday afternoon.  

Please reply if you do not receive them.

We are now incorporating guitar accompaniment with our Friday Night Shabbat Ma'ariv

Parashat Bechukotai 5784 / פָּרָשַׁת בְּחֻקֹּתַי

1 June 2024 / 24 Iyyar 5784

Parashat Bechukotai is the 33rd weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading.

Torah Portion: Leviticus 26:3-27:34

Triennial year 2

         1: 26:3-5 · 3 p’sukim 

         2: 26:6-9 · 4 p’sukim 

         3: 26:10-46 · 37 p’sukim 

         4: 27:1-4 · 4 p’sukim 

         5: 27:5-8 · 4 p’sukim 

         6: 27:9-11 · 3 p’sukim 

         7: 27:12-15 · 4 p’sukim 

         maf: 27:12-15 · 4 p’sukim 

Haftarah: Jeremiah 16:19-17:14 · 17 p’sukim

Commentary and Divrei Torah  

Hertz Chumash: pp. 542– 548 Triennial Year 2 (Full Kriyah pp. 542 – 550)



Shabbat Mevarchim Chodesh Sivan

Sat 6/1/2024 (All day)

Molad Sivan: Fri, 25 minutes and 9 chalakim after 0:00



Next Hebrew School at Temple Sholom of Ontario 

on Sunday, June 2, 2024

May 26 preempted due to Memorial Day

Our Religious Instruction consists of two sessions:

10:00am - 10:40am Hebrew

10:50am - 11:30pm Torah & Related Topics



Rosh Chodesh Sivan 2024 / רֹאשׁ חוֹדֶשׁ סִיוָן 5784

Start of month of Sivan on the Hebrew calendar 🌒

Rosh Chodesh Sivan for Hebrew Year 5784 begins at:

sundown on Thursday, 6 June 2024 and ends at nightfall on Friday, 7 June 2024.

Start of month of Sivan on the Hebrew calendar. Sivan (סִיוָן) is the 3rd month of the Hebrew year, has 30 days, and corresponds to May or June on the Gregorian calendar. רֹאשׁ חוֹדֶשׁ, transliterated Rosh Chodesh or Rosh Hodesh, is a minor holiday that occurs at the beginning of every month in the Hebrew calendar. It is marked by the birth of a new moon.




Shavuot 2024 / שָׁבוּעוֹת 5784

Festival of Weeks ⛰️🌸

Shavuot for Hebrew Year 5784 begins in the Diaspora at sundown on Tuesday, 11 June 2024 and ends at nightfall on Thursday, 13 June 2024.

The festival of Shavuot (or Shavuos, in Ashkenazi usage; Shabhuʿoth in Classical and Mizrahi Hebrew Hebrew: שבועות, lit. “Weeks”) is a Jewish holiday that occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan (late May or early June). Shavuot commemorates the anniversary of the day G-d gave the Torah to the entire Israelite nation assembled at Mount Sinai, although the association between the giving of the Torah (Matan Torah) and Shavuot is not explicit in the Biblical text. The holiday is one of the Shalosh Regalim, the three Biblical pilgrimage festivals. It marks the conclusion of the Counting of the Omer.



Board Meeting

Thursday, June 20, 2024 7pm - 9pm




Movie Day at Temple Sholom of Ontario

July 7, 2024




*The titles in blue and underlined are "hyperlinks". If you click on any of those, it will lead to that site/URL. The hyperlink gives a descriptive title with the actual link embedded in that title. Anyone who is concerned about clicking a link or hyperlink can access any of these resources by going to my website, www.modernrabbistephen.com. You can find them in the "Blog" and "Videos" sections, as well as the "Instagram Links" by clicking on the various pictures.




2 views0 comments

Comments


bottom of page