Rabbi's Blog

Dear OZ family,

Today, the 7^th of Iyar, is a date in Megillat Ta’anit and in the Second Temple Period it was celebrated as a festival. This is the day that the final gate of the Second Temple was completed and, until our sages invalidated all the dates in Megillat Ta’anit except Chanukah, this day was commemorated as a day to stress the sanctity of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. Iyar is a very auspicious month for Israel and Jerusalem. On the 5^th, Israel declared her independence, and on the 28^th, the prophecies of Yirmiyahu and Zechariah were realized by the reunification of our Holy City. While the events of the 7^th are no longer celebrated today, it nonetheless behooves us to be aware of it, as a fulfillment of “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Tehillim 122:6).

Another way to fulfill this Mitzva is to press the case for Israel in a concrete way. One way to do this is to join this year’s NORPAC conference, which will be over zoom. You will have opportunities to confer with members of Congress in real time to press Israel’s case, and thank those who already do so themselves. We have over 400 scheduled appointments and there is strength in numbers. Please sign up here.

Also, please find last week’s Yom Ha’atzmaut program with David Bedein, in memory of our long time member, Martin Rothman. The program brought attention to the failure of the Palestinian Authority to prepare their next generation for peace. Moreover they prepare their youth for war and bloodshed, and their curriculum in all studies, is filled with scurrilous anti-Semitic and anti-Israel hatred. This program calls attention to this and informs us of what we can do about it. Please find that here.

Finally, the verdict in the trial of the murder of Sarah Halimi just came down in France. Her murderer, who stabbed her numerous times, and then threw her off a third floor balcony, while screaming Allahu Akbar, has been acquitted because he was found to have been high on marijuana at the time of the vicious murder. There will be a demonstration against this miscarriage of justice in front of the French mission to the UN, tomorrow at 1pm, at 75^th St. and 5^th Ave. Please see information about this here.

Iyar is a month when we have gotten things done for Israel. Let us be inspired to continue in that same framework.

Please join me in wishing Mazel Tov to Lisa and Alistair Gatoff on the engagement of their daughter, Ilana to Michael Kasdan, of Teaneck.

Be safe.    Stay healthy.  Be excellent.

Rabbi Allen Schwartz   

Rabbi Allen Schwartz

Congregation Ohab Zedek

118 West 95^th Street | New York, NY  10025-6604

Phone 212.749-5150, ext 200 | Fax 212.663-3635

E-mail ras@ozny.org

Website:  www.ozny.org