Weekly News and Updates, June 1, 2011
Taddy Blecher & Annie Falk of South Africa to visit Beth Shalom for Shabbat Services 7:50 p.m., Friday Evening, June 3 (Sivan 1)
Service will begin at 7:50 p.m. at Beth Shalom on Friday, June 3. Dr. Taddy (Adam Paul) Blecher and Annie Falk are getting married on 2 June, and will join us the next day at Beth Shalom for services on Shabbat. Many people know Taddy as the CEO of Maharishi Institute, in South Africa.
David Matt will lead the shabbat service, Marc Berkowitz will read some beautiful passages on the Jewish concept of stages of marriage. Taddy and Annie will speak a bit on bashert (a Yiddish word, meaning a person’s soulmate, considered as predestined or ideal) and how they found each other as soul mates. A kiddush will follow. Taddy had an orthodox background and his family from all over the world will be here. Please join us for this special Shabbat Service!
Shabbat Candle Lighting Times for Fairfield
Shabbat (candle lighting) begins at 8:17 p.m. on Friday, June 3. Shabbat ends (Havdalah begins) Saturday, 9:26 p.m. in Fairfield.
Yizkor Service Thursday, June 9 for 2nd Day of Shavuot, at 1:10 p.m.
There will be a Yizkor Service at Beth Shalom on Thursday, June 9 for 2nd Day of Shavuot, at 1:10 p.m.
Yizkor, a special memorial prayer for the departed, is recited in the synagogue four times a year, following the Torah reading on the last day of Passover, on the second day of Shavuot, on Shemini Atzeret and on Yom Kippur.
Yizkor, in Hebrew, means “Remember.” It is not only the first word of the prayer, it also represents its overall theme. In this prayer, we implore G-d to remember the souls of our relatives and friends that have passed on.
When we recite Yizkor, we renew and strengthen the connection between us and our loved one, bringing merit to the departed souls, elevating them in their celestial homes.
The main component of Yizkor is our private pledge to give charity following the holiday in honor of the deceased. By giving charity, we are performing a positive physical deed in this world, something that the departed can no longer do.
The soul gains additional merit if the memory of its good deeds spur their loved ones to improve their ways.