Hachnasas Awe-inspiring Event Still Rings in our Hearts Hachnasas

August Calender (New Item)

Our new Home Page

Our brothers and sisters are here "University of Oregon Jewish Student Union".

Rabbi's Message

While on a recent flight I came across this article. I thought that you would enjoy it............ RED

Not so long ago, I was just another harried working mom, rushing through the day with one thought always in mind: Why isn't there any time? Then, in a moment of divine inspiration, I decided to try an old­fashioned cure for my Space Age blues. It's called the Sabbath, and it's a mental­health tool that works as well today as it did 3,200 years ago when the Hebrews codified a weekly day of rest as the Fourth Commandment

The beauty is it can work for anyone. It's been said that the Sabbath is the Hebrews' greatest gift to humanity; indeed, no matter what religion you practice (or don't practice),a day of rest each week brings rich rewards. Christianity and Islam also embrace the idea of a Sabbath -­ on Sunday and Friday, respectively -­ and the world of academe has institutionalized the sabbatical as one year off every seven for intellectual renewal.

Now, if someone told you there was a way to stop the onslaught of every day obligations, improve your social life, keep the house clean, revive your tired marriage, elevate spiritual awareness, and improve productivity at work -­ all overnight and without cost -­ you'd probably say the claim was absurd. I certainly did. But I was willing to see if some cosmic miracle cure might really work, and after a year of earnest research, I've discovered that adherence to a seemingly arcane set of Sabbath rules yields a precious gift of time.

I admit my secular observances are not those of the Orthodox Jews, who engage in elaborate prayer and ritual throughout the Sabbath, uphold special dietary rules, spend many hours studying at a synagogue, and may even avoid switching on electrical devices. Instead, my husband and I try to honor the meaning of the Sabbath while adapting the practices to our tastes, temperaments, and times.

Nonetheless, from sundown Friday until sundown Saturday, we symbolically join the dark­robed Jews of Jerusalem at rest: no cooking, no shopping or paying bills, no pulling weeds or pruning shrubs, no cleaning or repairing the house, not even talking about or thinking about work and the office. The Sabbath is a day without labor, a time to savor the sweetness of life with a delicious meal, wine, and lovemaking (honest), napping, reading, strolling.

My personal life, my professional life, and my family life have all improved, and I plan to go on celebrating the Sabbath. The most powerful and illuminating discovery for me may be the sudden understanding of how an ancient edict can have such thoroughly modern applications; Sabbath began thousands of years ago as an answer to the burdens of ceaseless and difficult labor. At the dawn of a new millennium, our problems aren't all that different.

My own quest began at a marriage counselor's office. After 22 fruitful years of marriage, my husband, Saul, and I found ourselves deadlocked over crises of time management, of growth and change.

Our children were beginning to leave the nest, to have wonderful adventures with new friends and interests, and I wanted to try that myself and with Saul. But we had a lot of responsibilities -­ including a new business property under construction -­ and we needed to work extra hours to make the project succeed.

We were caught in a net of squabbling. Just deciding to get some outside help was a sobering step for both of us. The next week, I came across a book about the Jewish holidays and started reading the chapter describing the Sabbath. Yes, its a holiday, a special event that occurs not once a year, but once a week­a day so significant it is inscribed among the Ten Commandments along with "Thou shalt not murder" and "Thou shalt not steal."

The simple textbook description electrified me. The Sabbath, it said, "marks the difference between man and all other creatures that live in the universe." This day of rest was to be strictly observed in order for humans to cease the everyday struggle for existence and enjoy life's material and spiritual gifts.

At our second (and last) meeting with the counselor, I suggested to Saul that we try a day of rest­a day set aside from the others­as a way to break out of our rut. He readily agreed, and all that remained was to follow the rules and see what happened.

Like so many people of Jewish heritage in the modern United States, we had never really learned what it meant to observe the Sabbath. We knew the outlines: The approach of sundown on Friday was to be heralded with an especially good holiday meal including the best wine and not one, but two loaves of challah, the Jews' rich braided egg bread; the house was to be spotless and all work was to be completed. There was more­no lighting a fire and, if we were going to be thorough, no carrying money or riding in the car.

What did it all mean? The answer has proven to be an exciting journey. That first Sabbath I took Friday after­ noon off work to clean the house from top to bottom. If a family with three­ teenagers was going to get a day with­ out work, we should start with every­ thing extra clean. This practice proved an instant winner, and I have permanently changed my workweek to the benefit of our home life.

I also baked bread that first week, two loaves to honor the biblical injunction co have an extra loaf at the Sabbath­the second loaf underscores the day's importance as a day of rest. Along with the challah, I cooked enough stew to last through Saturday, and suddenly a day's worth of cooking and cleanup had disappeared. The rule against lighting a fire (or turning on an electric range) during the Sabbath, at first so odd, suddenly made all the sense in the world.

Saul came home from work that Friday afternoon and cleared away a stack of bills before the sun went down. In the last hour before sunset, I thumbed through my briefcase and decided to tie up some loose ends. Since then both of us have adopted the habit of doubling our pace on Fridays­taking care of the little things that are so easy to put off.

What next? We felt duty­bound to try the wine and lovemaking rules, and yes, even romance took on a profound and delightful new aspect. How marvelous to be told to make time to enjoy the physical and emotional pleasures of a mature relationship.

And what about Saturdays? That first week, after rising extra late, Saul and I took our coffee into the back yard, and I absent­mindedly began to pick weeds. "Stop. Don't do that!" Saul said. Thus began our continuing exploration of the meaning of work and, more important, the meaning of Judaism. Saul was right to stop me, it turns out; we try now to read every week from a book of biblical commentary as a way to learn the theology. On the Sabbath, our book says, humans should exist in a state of perfect harmony with the natural world, and that means letting the weeds and lawn grow without interference. We're both passionate gardeners, but working in the garden every spare moment leaves no time to enjoy its beauty and tranquillity

We soon gave up shopping on Saturdays. Now there's a day when the commercial realm has no hold on our family (although we hedge on the no­ driving rule when the car takes us on a spiritual journey).

So what do we do with the time we've gained? In addition to sleeping late and enjoying our garden, Saul and I have started doing things we had long put off: hiking, visiting with friends,and reading.

And what of our children? Daniel, now 18, was always resistant to organized religion, but during the last year he's started to attend holiday services. Austin, 12, accepted that we wouldn't be visiting the video arcade on Saturdays; instead he relishes the hiking trips. The family's Sabbath observances have meant the most to 16­year­old Marina; she makes sure she's home for Friday dinner, and her friends have discovered "that cool braided bread" hot from the oven on Friday afternoons.

Most of all, I look forward to my weekly holiday. As the sun goes down each Friday evening, I take off my wristwatch, and for a night and a day, time stands still.

Article reprinted with permission by Hemispheres - the United Airlines Magazene. Written by Nan Chase, Boone, North Carolina.

Solomon Simpson-Steiner in Bulgaria and Israel

Solomon Simpson_Steiner was the first freshman from South Eugene High School to participate in the Oregon State wrestling championships. Through competing in the state finals he also won for himself a place on the Oregon-Bulgaria cultural exchange team. Solomon was flown to Bulgaria where he went up against the Bulgarian National High School Wrestling champion. Even though he was heavily outweighed by his opponents, Solomon competed very well and was never pinned even in the most difficult of matches.

Even more exciting is that Solomon went from there (via New York, in an unusual travel package) to Israel, where he is participating in the National conference of Synagogue Youth=s Israel Summer Seminar, the fantastic 5-week teen tour of Israel. With ISS Solomon will be climbing Masadah at dawn, exploring the underground tunnels adjacent to the Kotel, meeting Israelis and American Jewish teens from all over the US, and studying Torah each day as a regular part of the program. He may even get to train on an Uzi as well as a Chumash!

We know that Solomon is having a fantastic time in Israel! L=hitraot!

The tour is only one of NCSY=s many programs for teens. The youth group also runs a sports camp in Baltimore, a summer Yeshiva program in the US and a Summer Kollel program in Efrat, Israel. For more on NCSY and the Summer Kollel program, see the related articles also in this issue of the newsletter.

%8$7

Contributions

Janet Stanley and Carlyn Whitehill in Honor of Lous Sherman=s 80^th Birthday.

Jerry Diller hosted our Shabbos oneg.

One of the Harry Epstein (Tzvi) very graciously built and donated three bulletin boards to hang at the back of our Schul.

Gary Glasser, the Steiner-Simpsons, and the other Harry Epstein (Henoch) have helped with the Seed Program Fund.

Brynn Sugarman shared with us her love for teaching Hebrew.

And S. Davidson sent another of his regular gifts.

Finally, The many gifts we received from out of town this month speak for how strong a place our Schul holds in the affection of other Jewish communities and a measure of how welcome our Rabbi and Congregation make our Jewish Guests feel. From Portland, Sidney and Inez Weissman thought of us. From Staten Island, Dr. Steven Smirlock showed his support. From Brooklyn, Aaron Feldman and Jacob Lamm, (courtesy, of course, to Leon Goldenberg) put their support behind our cause. From Florida, Inez and and Soly Djamal told us their gratitude for our Rabbi=s hospitality. From Sausolito, where he hangs out his shingle as Epstein Design, Alumnus Aaron Epstein remembered us. From Romulus Michigan, Metro International Trade Services contributed. And from Richmond Virginia, Picture Radio signaled us in honor of the Steiner-Simpson Family. A hearty Yasher Koach to our Landsman nationwide.

Evan Baron Receives Scholarship

Congratulations to Evan Baron on his winning a full scholarship to attend Machon Shlomo, an excellent Yeshiva in Jerusalem.

If you haven=t yet met Evan, come to shul this Shabbos and say hello. Evan is originally from Portland but moved to Eugene about a year and a half ago. He currently is a senior technician at KVAL where he is responsible for running the technical aspects of the news broadcasts, such as the audio and Teleprompter. He also works in the advertising department of the comic news.

Most importantly, though, he has been a regular at shul and has become a ABen Bayit@ (a regular) at the Rabbi=s and others= homes on Shabbos. During this time he has grown in his commitment to Judaism and his enthusiasm for mitzvos.

Evan recently attended an adult education camp in the Catskill Mountains in New York. There he made a solid impression upon Rabbi Teitelbaum who runs the program, and Rabbi Gershonfeld from Machon Shlomo, who comes in from Israel each year to participate in the camps= programs. Towards the end of the camp Evan was granted a full scholarship which will allow him to attend Machon Shlomo for a year beginning in August. The scholarship covers his flight, tuition, room and board and includes a stipend.

Machon Shlomo is a two-year Yeshiva which emphasizes skill-building in Talmud learning. Other subjects are studied, of course, but the focus is on acquiring the Talmud-learning skills that are the mark of a true Talmid Chacham, a Gemmarah scholar.

We will miss Evan immensely here, and we offer our warm and enthusiastic congratulations to him as he embarks upon this tremendous undertaking.

NCSY Comes to Eugene

The Halachic Minyan is pleased to announce the formation of a chapter of the National Conference of Synagogue Youth here in Eugene. Leading the group for the year 5758 will be Emily Rosenberg, a student at the University of Oregon and an active member of Hillel.

Together with the other students from Hillel, Emily became a regular at the Minyan last year. She has become a familiar and friendly face, brightening up kiddush and Shabbos table alike, and has enthusiastically agreed to be the Advisor for our new youth group. Emily will be organizing social and educational activities and making connections with other chapters along the west coast.

The Eugene chapter will be a member of both the National organization as well as the West Coast Region. This region is one of the nation=s largest, with hundreds of Jewish teens participating in events and shabbatonim from San Diego to Vancouver, BC.

The youth group is under the umbrella of the Orthodox Union and has been found to be the single most effective Jewish organization in the US in passing along strong Jewish identity to its members. Fully 99% of NCSY graduates go on to marry Jewish! It is a fantastic opportunity for the youth of our community to have an NCSY chapter forming. For more information on membership and upcoming events, you can call the shul office or Emily (when she returns from Portland).

We Couldn't Do It Without You!

A warm thank you to recent library donors Sharen Eidelberg-Spratt and Percy Bernstein for their contributions...to Harry S. Epstein for putting up the new bulletin boards in the shul...to Steven Spinell for his tireless efforts putting together the recent Shabbaton for visiting scholar Rabbi Timothy Cohen (and for the many other things done quietly)...to Raina Steiner, Maleah Spinell, Adina, Silkie Simpson-Stiener, and all those who helped Steven with all the details of food preparation, housing, etc....to Gary Glasser for helping to arrange our upcoming Satellite download of the 10th Siyum HaShas (see related flyer)... to Robert Stein for his work as newsletter editor and home page developer.... to Phil Shakhnis for his work in getting our SEED program together...to Dov Sugarman, Gary Apsel, Marvin Margolis, Avraham Sand, Phil Shakhnis and Bill Maddex for taking on the crucial task of preparing the weekly Torah laining...to Marcus Mendelson and Sam Simpson Steiner for helping to lead the Shabbos dovening every week...to Raina Steiner and Adina for organizing the weekly kiddushim...to Edith Salonsky for assembling and organizing for our archives the many photographs we have taken at our events...and to Lisa Rife for helping to categorize and organize our tape library.

Our shul and community is run by the efforts of the volunteers. It is only because you donate your time and energy that our group so small can offer and accomplish so much! May HaShem reward you well!

Kashrus Update

Please be advised that Arizona Beverages has been certified by the Orthodox Union. Please note that 3 of the products are dairy and that NOT all of the Arizona Beverages are certified. Please be advised that the product is only acceptable when the OU appears on it. The following as a list of certifies Arizona products:

Multi-Media Torah Learning at the Halachic Minyan

Always at the cutting edge of Torah technology, the Minyan has many ways for you to access the wisdom of our sages and our heritage. No longer content to be the People of the Book we offer a variety of ways to study the Parshat HaShavuah, ethics, halacha, history, and community. The following sources are available to all:

HM Home Page - If you haven=t visited the Halachic Minyan=s own Website, log on today! We were the first shul in Oregon and the first Jewish organization in Eugene to have our own Home Page. There you can find the electronic version of each month=s newsletters, the Rabbi=s message from previous newsletters, reviews of our events like the Hachnasat Sefer Torah and announcements of upcoming programs. Also, we are linked to the OU=s Website which contains information galore on OU activities, kashrut updates, an active bulletin board and much more. Already hundreds of hits have been made, and Jews from around the country have seen our site and contacted us for Shabbat hospitality for when they visit. Check us out at http://www.efn.org/~rstein/halacha/home.. You can also send E-mail to the Rav or the shul with a click, or refraim.org.

Israel News from the Internet - On our bulletin board in the back of the shul we post the latest news sent twice daily from Israel. What you will never see in local papers you can read about almost as it happens. The board is updated before each Shabbat and daily updates are available at the shul (the Rav can download it for you daily).

TorahNet - Also on our bulletin board each Shabbat is a variety of Divrei Torah on the Parshah of the Week or on the holiday of the time. These teachings are sent via E-mail to us from scholars around the country. Rabbi Yissochar Frand, Rabbi Dovid Seigel and Rav Mordechai Kamenetsky are just some of the scholars who reach thousands with their enlightened thoughts on the happenings of the Chumash.

Torah Tape Library - The Minyan has a collection of hundreds of cassette recordings of lectures given on a wide variety of topics. Some of the world=s great Jewish thinkers and sought-after speakers are represented in our tape library. Rabbi Berel Wein and Mrs. Tzipporah Heller, both whom of spoke here at the Minyan, have tapes ready to be borrowed. Women=s issues, philosophy, personal growth and the holidays are just some of what you can listen to while you are driving, jogging, biking, or doing the dishes at home.

Actual Books - For the more conventionally-minded, we have a wonderful and growing library of excellent works on Judaica. The entire set of Nechama Leibovitch, z@ is on loan to the shul and available for study in our own Beis Midrash. She wrote a world-renowned collection of insights and teachings on the Parshiot. Also available are two sets of Hebrew-English Mishnayot. One, a translation of the Kahati commentary, has been generously lent by member Ezra Tishman from his collection. The other, a collection of classic commentaries from the Rishonim and Achronim (early and late authorities) is part of the large number of volumes generously donated by our dear friend Leon Goldenberg. There are a large number of works on Shabbat, kashrut, biographies, chassidus and more.

Periodicals - We have available a variety of Jewish magazines and newspapers for your reading pleasure. These include Jewish Action, Viewpoint, The Jerusalem Post, Jewish Parent Connection, the Yesha Report, the Near East Report and more. Come to shul, sit down with a cup of coffee and relax with the paper or magazine of your choice.

If anyone would like to donate books or tapes to our library, or bring in newspapers or magazines that we don=t yet have, please call the office and make arrangements. We want to make as much Jewish knowledge and learning available as possible!

All Jews for 2000 years have gathered on this day of mourning to grieve over the loss of our national home in its full glory. We grieve, too, for the distance so many feel from Israel and from Torah, as a result of our long night in the Diaspora. We gather together, as a community, to grieve and to pray that all Jews renew their connection to Torah, to the source of spirituality and Truth. We pray, too, for the strength to create our own t=shuvah, our own renewal.

Monday Night, Aug. 11

I. 6:00pm Mincha

II. 8:00pm Seudat HaMafseket

III. 8:45pm Maariv/Kinos/Eicha

Tuesday August 12

IV. 8:30am Shachris; Kinos.

V. 7:00pm Mincha

VI. 7:45pm Class/Discussion*

VII. 9:00pm Maariv/Break-fast

Last time to eat:

8:20 p.m. Monday night

Break-fast:

9:00 p.m. Tuesday night

1) Rabbi Davidson has recieved a list of known Swiss bank account holders with assets remaining from the holocaust years. If you think that you or someone you know may be on the list, please call the Rabbi for confirmation.

2) Nathan Fendrik is looking for back copies of Haddasah magazine. If you have any that you can pass along, please bring them to the office. Thank You

3) EZRA SEEKS LONGER­TERM RENTAL - Bookfinder with shared­custody of sweet and calm 14 year old son seeks 3+ Bedroom house (or 2 bedroom with office) in quiet neighborhood. Some dry storage essential. Within walking distance of Synagogues. Can pay up to $650­$700/month. Have tools can fix minor problems without calling the expensive guys every time. Travel in confidence; I'll treat your home like a palace. Will consider plant/pet care. Can occupy 8/15 or a bit later. Excellent references. 683­3131 or ezra@ezrabook.com. Let's work something out!

Daniel Spratt a Kollel Scholar in Israel

Daniel Spratt, son of Randy and Sharen, is spending his summer exploring the depths of Torah learning at NCSY=s Summer Kollel Program in Efrat. Daniel, together with hundreds of other teens from around the US, is part of a phenomenal program that gives teens the opportunity to spend six weeks in a Yeshiva, studying the classical texts of Talmud, Chumash, Tanach and halacha. While all participants are English speakers, the original texts - written in Hebrew and Aramaic - are studied, demonstrating the authenticity of classic Jewish learning.

Along with the daily Torah learning, Daniel will be going on the occasional tour of Israel, including time in Jerusalem and in the

Golan. Sports activities like basketball and baseball also punctuate the day.

The program takes place in Efrat, one of Israel=s most successful settlement communities, located near Jerusalem. Efrat is a religious neighborhood with a distinctly modern-Orthodox and Zionist character. Many of it=s residents are Yeshiva graduates and middle- and upper-middle class professionals who commute to work in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Daniel will initially be recognized in the Kollel as the younger brother of Ben Spratt, who studied there for three consecutive summers. (In the summer of 1994 Rabbi Davidson met with Ben and his summer chavrusa Isaac Spinell when they were learning there). No doubt, though, that Daniel has made his own mark on the Beis Midrash and is learning up a storm! B=hatzlacha!

New to the Newsletter

Cyberfriends Links

Letters to the editor

Last months newsletter

The month before that

The month before that