Please light Shabbos candles today (in Houston at 7:40 pm) in memory of those passed and in merit of those who need a speedy recovery. Please join us today at 6 pm, as we celebrate and pray together in honor of Lag B'omer, info below. In Berachos 9a, our Sages comment:"Rabbi Shimon is worthy enough to rely on in a time of difficulty." Beyond the simple meaning the statement the Rebbe would repeatedly say that we should extend its meaning to our era of exile. Even though when we are beset by the hardships of Galus, we should rely on Rabbi Shimon to get us to redemption. May it be today. Have a good Shabbos! Save the Date for Other Upcoming Events: Why G‑d Didn’t Put the Courts Over the Priests Rashi’s comment at the very beginning of our Torah portion seems over complicated. more… Mazel tov to Andres Van Dam and Michelle Banaim on their engagement and to the entire Van Dam and Benaim families! Mazel tov to Shmuel & Hava Rottman on the birth baby girl! SHABBOS PARSHAS EMOR Shabbos, 19 Iyar - May 1
Dancing and crying. Yesterday we heard the news from Israel as we prepared and then celebrated Lag Baomer with a wonderful group of young professionals. We were grateful for the beautiful weather and rain holding back, enjoying good times, BBQ and smoked brisket. However, it was with hard emotions to celebrate as more details of the horrible tragedy in Meron were filtering in, where the main celebrations of Lag Ba'omer are celebrated each year at the burial place of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. As Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai himself asked that his passing be one of celebration of life, we pushed ourselves to celebrate in spite of it. The Jewish people stand with resolve, to never let anything get us down.
Fri. April 30, 6 pm - Community Lag Ba'Omer Shabbos Shots & Hors D'oeuvres - www.chabaduptown.org/lagshabbat
Pre-Shabbat Community Get Together with Eats and Drinks
Friday, Lag Baomer, 18 Iyar - April 30
Community Lag Ba'omer Shabbos Shots & Hors Devours at 6 pm
Evening Services at 7:30 pm
Light Shabbat candles at 7:40 pm
Omer Count
Chassidus at 9 am
Shacharis at 10:00 am
Kiddush sponsored by Shmuel & Hava Rottman in honor of birth of their baby girl
Mincha at 7:40 pm
Ethics of Our Fathers, Ch. 4
Maariv, Omer Count, Havdalla & Shabbos Ends at 8:37 pm
Living Torah
Updates
Thoughts, notes and happenings...
Dancing and crying
Never too late
As more and more of the community have been able to start coming to shul again, it is wonderful to welcome y'all back. It's like riding a bike, once you know how it's really easy to pick it up again. After all, that is the theme of this coming week when we observe Pesach Sheni. PESACH SHENI: Mon. Aril 26 is Pesach Sheni. A year after the Exodus, Hashem instructed the people of Israel to bring the Korban Pesach (Pesach Offering) on the afternoon of Nissan 14, and to eat it that evening, roasted over the fire, together with matzah and bitter herbs, as they had done on the previous year just before they left Egypt. "There were, however, certain persons who had become ritually impure through contact with a dead body, and could not, therefore, prepare the Passover offering on that day. They approached Mosheand Aaron ... and they said: '...Why should we be deprived, and not be able to present Hashem's offering in its time, amongst the children of Israel?'" (Numbers 9). In response to their plea, Hashem established the 14th of Iyar as a "second Passover" (pesach sheini) for anyone who was unable to bring the offering on its appointed time in the previous month. The day thus represents the "second chance" achieved by teshuvah the power of repentance and "return." In the words of Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak of Lubavitch, "The Second Passover means that it's never a 'lost case.'" Links: The Second Passover, A Second Chance. Lag Ba'omer is coming and we have two exciting and safe events planned for the YJP and general community! Thurs. April 29, 8 pm - YJP Drum Circle Lag Ba'Omer Grill & Chill - www.yjphouston.org/lagchill Save the Date for Other Upcoming Events: We wish a hearty Mazel tov to Yoni and Irit Busany on the birth of a daughter and an extended mazel tov to the the entire Melnik family! We extend condolences to Shoshi Kaganovsky on the passing of her mother Valentina, of blessed memory, in Israel. SHABBOS PARSHAS ACHAREI-KEDOSHIM Shabbos, 12 Iyar - April 24 Thursday, Lag Ba'Omer Eve, 17 Iyar - April 29 Friday, Lag Ba'Omer, 18 Iyar - April 30
Good Times. Artisan BBQ. Join YJP Houston for an outdoor evening of Lag Ba’Omer and professionally led drum circle around the fire!
Fri. April 30, 6 pm - Community Lag Ba'Omer Shabbos Shots & Hors D'oeuvres - www.chabaduptown.org/lagshabbat
Pre-Shabbat Community Get Together with Eats and Drinks
Friday, 11 Iyar - April 23
Evening Services at 7:30 pm
Light Shabbat candles at 7:36 pm
Omer Count
Chassidus at 9 am
Shacharis at 10:00 am
Mincha at 7:35 pm
Ethics of Our Fathers, Ch. 3
Maariv, Omer Count, Havdalla & Shabbos Ends at 8:32 pm
Kiddush Levana
Living Torah
8 pm YJP Lag Ba'Omer Grill, Chill & Drum Circle - www.yjphouston.org/lagchill
6 pm Community Lag Ba'Omer Shabbos Shots & Hors D'oeuvres - www.chabaduptown.org/lagshabbat
A Chilling Fire
Lag Ba'omer is coming and we have two exciting and safe events planned for the YJP and general community! Thurs. April 29, 8 pm - YJP Lag Ba'Omer Grill, Chill & Drum Circle - www.yjphouston.org/lagchill Save the Date for Other Upcoming Events: We wish a hearty Mazel tov to Yocheved Schwarzman on the birth of a grandson in Germany! PARSHA: Is It Wrong to Like a Lot of Stuff? SHABBOS PARSHAS TAZRIA-METZORA Shabbos, 5 Iyar - April 17
Good Times. Artisan BBQ. Join YJP Houston for an outdoor evening of Lag Ba’Omer and professionally led drum circle around the fire!
Fri. April 30, 6 pm - Lag Ba'Omer Shabbos Shots & Hors D'oeuvres - www.chabaduptown.org/lagshabbat
Pre-Shabbat Community Get Together with Eats and Drinks
Is it OK to enjoy a good shopping spree and to delight in yet another Amazon box at your doorstep? more…
Friday, 4 Iyar - April 16
Evening Services at 7:30 pm
Light Shabbat candles at 7:32 pm
Omer Count
Chassidus at 9 am
Shacharis at 10:00 am
Mincha at 7:30 pm
Ethics of Our Fathers, Ch. 2
Maariv, Omer Count, Havdalla & Shabbos Ends at 8:27 pm
Living Torah
the final exodus, is now
Right before Pesach, Education and Sharing Day was observed across the nation, including Texas, in recognition of the crucial importance of teaching our young people the values of a moral life and giving to others, a cause championed by the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, of righteous memory, the most influential rabbi in modern history. Governor Greg Abbott proclaimed March 24, 2021 to be “Education and Sharing Day, Texas''. Both chambers of the Texas Legislature passed resolutions (HR 313 and SR 186), as well as a number of Texas city leaders, including Mayor Sylvester Turner in Houston, Mayor Becky Ames of Beaumont, Mayor Joe Zimmerman of Sugar Land. In observance of this statewide day of reflection, on Wednesday, March 24 every desk in the chamber of the Texas House of Representatives featured an iconic giving box, known as an “ARK”, sponsored by the over thirty-five Chabad Lubavitch Centers of Texas. During the session House resolution sponsor Speaker Pro Temp. Joe Moody of El Paso discussed the significance of daily giving and its central role in building a more just and empathetic society. Senator José Menéndez of San Antonio, the Senate resolution sponsor, presented the same in the chamber of the Texas Senate. A virtual event was also held in advance of the day. You can watch the replay here. This Shabbos marks 28 Nissan. On the eve of Nissan 28, 5751 (April 11, 1991), the Lubavitcher Rebbe issued an emotional call to his followers, and to the world Jewish community, to increase their efforts to bring Moshiach and the ultimate redemption. Spoken in an anguished voice and couched in uncharacteristically personal terms, the Rebbe's words deeply shocked the Chassidim present in the Rebbe's synagogue and reverberated worldwide. "How is it that the Redemption has not yet been attained?" the Rebbe cried. "That despite all that has transpired and all that has been done, Moshiach has still not come? What more can I do? I have done all I can to bring the world to truly demand and clamor for the Redemption...The only thing that remains for me to do is to give over the matter to you. Do all that is in your power to achieve this thing--a most sublime and transcendent light that needs to be brought down into our world with pragmatic tools... I have done all I can. I give it over to you. Do all that you can to bring the righteous redeemer, immediately! I have done my part. From this point on, all is in your hands..." Links: Transmission, Moshiach: an Anthology, Moshiach and the Future Redemption. This Shabbos afternoon after Mincha, in preparation for Shavuos, we will study the first of the six chapters of the Talmud's Ethics of the Fathers ("Pirkei Avos"). They will be studied on the afternoon of each of the six Shabbatot between Pesach and Shavuos; this week, being the first Shabbat after Passover, we study Chapter One. (In many communities -- and such is the Chabad custom -- the study cycle is repeated through the summer, until the Shabbat before Rosh Hashanah.) Link: Ethics of the Fathers, Chapter 1. SHABBOS MEVARCHIM IYAR, PARSHAS SHEMINI Shabbos, 28 Nissan - April 10 Monday, 30 Nissan, Rosh Chodesh Iyar Day 1 - April 12 Monday, Rosh Chodesh Iyar Day 2 - April 13
We hope your Pesach was meaningful and the air of freedom has permeated all of our collective consciousness. We consider freedom from our personal exiles, more importantly an end to our final exile with Moshiach. One of the ways, is through education and sharing with others.
Friday, 27 Nissan - April 9
Light Shabbat candles & Mincha at 7:27 pm
Evening Services at 7:30 pm
Omer Count
Shabbos Mevarchim Tehillim at 8:30 am
Shacharis at 10:00 am
Mincha at 7:30 pm
Ethics of Our Fathers, Ch. 1
Maariv, Omer Count, Havdalla & Shabbos Ends at 8:22 pm
Living Torah
Shacharis at 6:45 am
Shacharis at 6:45 am
BREAKING: Our Final Days
Due to realities beyond our control, we must report that this weekend will be our final days of Pesach at Chabad of Uptown. 😉
We hope you are having a wonderful holiday. We have had a beautiful Yom Tov as well, with wonderful seders outdoors under the sky and well attended minyanim throughout the chag, with covid-safe protocols of course.
Speaking of covid, any adult of any age in Houston who wants to get the vaccine can get the vaccine. For those of you looking, anyone we know that have closely followed the leads in this Facebook group have got their vaccine within a few days. https://www.facebook.com/groups/vaccinatehouston/
Now we are heading into the final days of Pesach, here are some highlights:
- First Fridays Pesach Edition - What is different this First Fridays from all other First Fridays? It's Pesach! Join Young Jewish Professionals Pesach Shabbat, of course with crunchy matzah and choice wine / grape juice with Young Jewish Professionals, ages 21-39, over a physically distanced and individually served outdoor Shabbat Dinner on the Uptown Plaza. 7:23 pm - Candle Lighting, 7:30 pm – Masked Friday Night Services, 8:15 pm – Outdoor Pesach Shabbat Dinner. LIMITED SEATING OCCUPANCY. RSVP REQUIRED. Masks required indoors or outdoors within 6 ft outside of your pod $18 until Thursday, $25 after Use promo code: advance. www.yjphouston.org/pesachshabbat
- Night of Learning - It is customary to remain awake on the eve of the Seventh of Passover (i.e., tonight) and spend the entire night in Torah study and joyous celebration of the great miracle of the splitting of the sea.
- "Song of the Sea" Torah Reading - On the Seventh Day of Passover we read how on this day the sea split for the Children of Israel and drowned the pursuing Egyptians, and the "Song at the Sea" sung by the people upon their deliverance.
- Yizkor - Yizkor, the remembrance prayer for departed parents, is recited on Sunday the last day of Pesach, after the morning reading of the Torah. Links: The Yizkor Prayer, Honor Due to Parents, On Breavement and Mourning.
- Moshiach's Meal - The last day of Pesach is particularly associated with Moshiach and the future redemption. The Haftarah for this day is from Isaiah 11, which describes the promised future era of universal peace and divine perfection. Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov instituted the custom of partaking of a "Moshiach's meal" on the afternoon of the last day of Passover; in addition to the matzah eaten at "Moshiach's meal", the Rebbes of Chabad added the custom of drinking four cups of wine, as in the seder held on Passover's first days. Links: Haftarah for 8th of Passover, The Third Seder, Moshiach: an Anthology
FRIDAY, APRIL 2 | DAY 6 EREV SHABBOS
Morning Service at 6:45 am
Candle Lighting at 7:23 pm
Evening Service at 7:25 pm
Omer Count
YJP First Fridays Pesach Edition - www.yjphouston.org/pesachshabbat
SHABBOS, APRIL 3 | DAY 7
Late Night Torah Study (AKA Fri. night) at 12:00 am
Morning Service at 10:00 am
Evening Service at 7:25 pm
Omer Count
Light Candles AFTER 8:18 pm
SUNDAY, APRIL 4 | DAY 8
Morning Service at 10:00 am
Yizkor Memorial Service at approx. 11:45 am
Mincha Service at 5:30 pm
Outdoor Moshiach Meal at 6:00 pm
Evening Service at 8:18 pm
Omer Count
Holiday Ends at 8:18 pm