Midway Jewish Center
56 Years Bold: 1953-2009 !
THE CYBERSHUL

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Syosset, NY 11791
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Shabbat	Vayigash
Parashah	Vayigash
Secular Date	December 26, 2009
Jewish Date	9 Tevet 5770
Shabbat Begins	4:14pm (later than last week, we're trending in the right direction!)
Shabbat Ends	5:16pm
MJCyber Shul Minyan	14013
Last Week’s Minyan	1412
Announcing a Fast	Asarah b’Tevet, or the Tenth of Tevet, a minor fast, is observed on Sunday, December 27. It commemorates the beginning of the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem that lead to the city’s downfall and destruction of the Temple. As a minor fast, we refrain from food and water from sunrise to sunset. Why remember an event that happened so long ago? We remember for we are as connected to Jerusalem’s past as we must be committed to Jerusalem’s future, a future that is free to all people, all religions, and secure under the autonomy of the Jewish people.

TORAH READING

Vayigash

VAYIGASH With brother Benjamin on the verge of incarceration, Joseph waits to see if his brothers are as heartless as they were years ago when they sold him into slavery. But Judah gives an impassioned speech about family, loss, and responsibility, begging Joseph to take him and not Benjamin. The speech so moves Joseph that he blurts out his identity, stunning his brothers. He asks that the brothers return home and bring his father and his father’s household to Egypt. The brothers do return, laden with gifts from Pharaoh and Joseph. A shocked Jacob commits himself to the long trip down to Egypt. Seventy Israelite souls end up in Egypt. Jacob emotionally reunites with Joseph and meets Pharaoh. The famine intensifies and drains the Egyptians of their money, livestock, land, and ultimately, their freedom, as all these were used for the purchase of grain that Joseph had stored.

A SHABBAT THOUGHT

Prayer doesn’t change things.
Prayer changes people
and people change things. . 

~~ Anonymous ~~

WEBS OF THE WEEK

Above is a site you can send an email/postcard directly to Iraq to wish our soldiers a Happy Thanksgiving or Happy Holiday. It only takes a minute. It is sponsored by Xerox.

http://www.youtube.com/user/SFJewishFilmFestival#p/a

This video is already a bit dated, Hanukkah 5770 being a holiday of the past, but the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival may have just presented us with something we can use for many Hanukkahs to come…

AURAL TORAH

I Am Joseph,
Your Brother

Just click on the picture on the left hear this week’s Aural Torah!

The Brightest Minds in America Read the MJCyberShul

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Don’t listen to no fooool…
The CyberShuuuul
Is so cooool! 

(hey--thanks Bob, Hibbing Minnesota's most famous native son, born Robert Zimmerman !!)

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GOTTA QUESTION?
THE CYBER RAV HAS AN ANSWER AND GOOD NEWS--
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SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO rafirank@mjc.org
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DEAR CYBERAV… I’VE GOTTA QUESTION

A Tel Aviv Professor Tells It… Like It Isn’t

Dear Cyber Rav,

I Just finished a book by Shlomo Sand, a professor of history at Tel Aviv University, entitled “The Invention of the Jewish People,” in which he argues that the Jews of today have little connection with the mid-Eastern Jews from whom they claim to be descendants. Rather, he argues, that they are the descendents of the Khazars, a Turkic tribe in Eurasia, that maintained its independence from rival states, namely the Islamic caliphate and the Christian Byzantine empires, by converting to Judaism. These Khazars later moved into Eastern Europe establishing the East European Jewry that has utterly no connection to Palestine. Of course, this has serious implications for any kind of Jewish claim to the land of Israel. We can’t really claim that land if we never really were there.

How serious should we be taking Professor Sand?

Khazars or Khaza-rye?

CYBER RAV ANSWERS

Dear Khazars or Khaza-rye,

Thanks for bringing this question to the CyberShul. It’s important to talk about.

Shlomo Sand's "The Invention of the Jewish People," advances a theory of Jewish history that is wildly at odds with conventional thinking on them matter. The conversion of the Khazars to Judaism, as most historians will tell you, was a fairy tale spun by Jews who would be entertained by such a comic fantasy. Now, it is true that historians have the right, if not the duty, to challenge predominant theories if they are found wanting or deficient in some way. But in this case, Sand is dealing with an empire that no longer exists, with little evidence that it ever existed. Above that one very serious issue, one must ask the question: In the medieval period, who in their right mind—no less an entire nation!—would ever want to become a Jew?! I guess some people can never get enough of surprise taxations, crowded ghettos, and forced exiles. Anyway, I think Jews traditionally found this tale of the Khazars, at best, amusing. Sand taking it seriously would be even more amusing, if we knew that his read on Jewish history wouldn't end up in the hands of virulent anti-semites, which of course it will, and who will undoubtedly use it to Israel’s detriment. I wonder: Is Sand presenting us with history or a political rationale for Israelis to give up even more land to Palestinians than they already have?

Dr. Sand fails to convince, but I believe he will succeed to damage, both Israel and Jews in general.

Rabbi Rafi Rank
CyberRav

Shabbat Shalom Everyone!!

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