The Stanton Street Weekly Newsletter: Parshat Re'eh
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Parshat Re'eh/Shabbat Mevarchim Week of August 22, 2025 28 Av 5785 Wishing you and your family Shabbat Shalom!
Friday, August 22, 2025 • 28 Av 5785
Candle lighting at 7:26 pm
Shabbat, August 23, 2025 • 29 Av 5785
Shacharit services in shul will begin promptly at 9:30 am. Services will be followed by Kiddush at 12:00pm. Everyone is welcome!
We now have security for all services from 9:30 AM to 1:00 PM.
Havdalah at 8:26 PM.
PSA: Rosh Chodesh Elul falls out on 8/24 and 8/25.
Torah Inspiration with Rabbi Birkeland
We are currently in a period known as the Shiva D’Nechemta or the Seven Weeks of Consolation. The name nods to the ancient practice that on each Shabbos, during the seven weeks between Tisha B’Av and Rosh HaShanah, we recite special haftoros from the book of Isaiah. These haftoros contain prophesies which seek to comfort the Jewish people after the destruction of the Temple and which look towards the future redemption, in which all that was broken will be made whole and God’s presence will again be manifest as in days of old.
Tisha B’Av marks a significant rupture in the unique relationship forged between the Omnipresent and our forbears. It is a time when we reflect on the ways in which we have turned from God and the ways in which God has seemingly turned from us. We put a lot of energy into getting into the proper emotional headspace and, for a moment, we do wallow in the sorrow and brokenness that Tisha B’Av proclaims; but only for a moment. The same prophets who prophesied the doom and gloom which befell us, also prophesied the restoration and reconciliation that lies in wait. We have seen all the calamity they foretold and so can trust their promises of future rejoicing.
These seven weeks embody this tension and reversal, and even play them out in the micro. We reach the sorrow of Tisha B’Av, reflecting on how we got here and what is keeping us here. Once Tisha B’Av has passed, however, the work of healing begins. We focus again on the future and our thoughts turn towards teshuvah - reconciliation with ourselves, reconciliation with each other, and reconciliation with the Ribon Kol HaOlamim. At the end of the Jewish year, during the mysterious calm and hot breezes of late summer, these haftoros remind us that all is not lost. Despite the rupture, and despite the real distance that has developed, the covenant remains eternal and there is a promise that the best is yet to come. This gives us the strength to work up to Rosh HaShanah which, at its core, is a yearly renewal of our relationship with the Divine even in the face of a broken world.
Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Ben Birkeland
Happy belated birthday to Brina Chu! (August 14)
A big yasher koach to our new and returning Board members:
Ethan Ellenberg Marc Schwartzberg Mona Klaber Michael Gordon Lina Morales David Deutsch Judy Josephs
Honorary Trustees: Barry Feldman Alvin Goldstein
Misheberachs: Chaim Tzvi ben Leah Israel Yakov ben Esther Yisroel ben Edlah Shoshana bat Esther שושנה בת אסתר Liba Miriam bat Channah Devorah ליבה מרים בת חנה דבורה Rachel Devorah bat Elke Cecile Cohen זיאסל מלכה בת אסתר Manny Kaplan מאיר ראובן בן לאה Chana Mera bat Fruma Henna Gitche bat Honcha Ella bat Leah Chaya Malka bat Esther Leia Nolan Rhodes נתן צבי בן פרידה Ashlynn Elizabeth Helen Coffman Moshe Asher Ben Esther Sarah Reuven ben Rochel Rivka bat Miriam Sara Eliyahu Natan ben Shayndel Shayna bat Chana Kayla Yitzhak Calev ben Leetza Tzvia Chaim Yonah ben Dubrah Efraim Ben Sore Shimon Sumer HaLevi Ben Malka Jim Lee Leah Zahava Bat Elka Barry Feldman Yaacov Ben Chaya Gitza Rochel Ben Chaya Gitza
We pray that all who are sick may have a full recovery. We are especially sending prayers to those who are wounded and in need of healing.
We daven for the safe return of those who are still being held hostage. We strongly support the message: BRING THEM HOME NOW! הַמָּקוֹם יְרַחֵם עֲלֵיהֶם, וְיוֹצִיאֵם מִצָּרָה לִרְוָחָה, וּמֵאֲפֵלָה לְאוֹרָה, וּמִשִּׁעְבּוּד לִגְאֻלָּה, הַשְׁתָּא בַּעֲגָלָא וּבִזְמַן קָרִיב To add a name to our communal misheberach prayer list,email us. If you have a Yahrtzeit, birthday, anniversary or other milestone coming up, please reach out! We'd like to update our Yahrtzeit database. Pleasesend us your yahrzeit details. If you don't know the exact Hebrew date, just let us know the date of passing, and we will figure it out and add it to the Shul Cloud calendar.
For those of you who have not yet renewed your membership with us, kindly pay your dues online or mail a check to: The Stanton Street Shul P.O. Box 1008 NY, NY 10002
We Are Hiring!
Calling all job seekers: We are hiring for a new Shul Administrator! If you or anyone in your network is interested, please see the job description for details!
ONLINE ARCHIVES
If you missed services this past Shabbos, or arrived too late to hear the drasha, you can go to our archives and read a copy! Click here for an archive of shiurim Clickherefor an archive of drashot Clickhere to go to our YouTube Channel for an archive of all of our ZOOM classes
