Kol Nidrei in the Woods in Front of 3 Red Army Officers

During the Second World War, Zalman Bronstein was drafted into the Russian Red Army and assigned to guard duty in a ditch close to the
German camp. At the end of his shift, he would rest in a bunker that afforded little protection from the Germans, but at least shielded him
from the elements.

After one such shift, a general uncharacteristically entered Zalman’s
bunker. The general began to shave there while singing a Russian folk
song, wholly off-tune.
Zalman, who was musically attuned and exhausted after his shift, was
irritated by the intrusion. “Dear General,” he said. “It is such a nice
song but you are doing it no justice…”
Surprised by Zalman’s frank remark, the general instructed Zalman to
sing the song for him instead. Zalman tried brushing off the request
but the general insisted. Zalman then sang it, leading the general to
comment, “With such a voice, it doesn’t make sense that you are here
on the frontlines. We must transfer you!”
Two days later, while lying in a ditch alongside seventeen soldiers, a
radio message came through, “Singer Bronstein, to the command
center!”

The base was not far from the Germans, and they often picked up each
other’s radio communications. Thus, Zalman knew it was possible he
would be targeted while leaving the ditch. He crawled on the ground,
gun in hand, for half a mile, until the base was in sight.
Covered in mud, he arrived at the command center where a soldier was
waiting for him. He was brought to the general, who smiled at him
warmly and asked, “You haven’t lost your voice since we last saw each
other?” Zalman was then told that he had been inducted into the
official choir of the Red Army.

Zalman joined the large choir alongside forty musicians, soloists and
directors. “I had no interest in music or singing,” he later said, “but
this gave me a chance at surviving the war.”
The first concert he performed was at the Generals’ Club, where he
sang that same Russian folk song that had landed him this position.
After the concert, the musical director pointed out to Zalman that the
generals were arguing over who would claim him for their unit.
It was the first of many concerts performed across the Soviet Union. As
the choir moved through countless towns and cities, he saw the war’s
devastation first-hand. Zalman was a popular soloist, despite being
emotionally detached from his singing.
On one occasion, a concert was scheduled for Yom Kippur, and while
the choir prepared for the event, Zalman knew that he would not
participate. On the morning of the performance, he informed the
musical director that he was unwell and could not perform. The
director tried persuading him, but Zalman was adamant that he would
not join the troupe.
While the choir sang on stage, Zalman remained in his bunk and
prayed as much as he could from memory. As his strength waned
toward the end of the fast, someone knocked at the door. Three high-ranking officers stood in the doorway, and Zalman leaped up to salute
them. He feared that he had been caught in a lie. When asked if he was
Singer Bronstein, he responded affirmatively.
The three sat on a bed and were quiet for a while, until one asked, “Do
you know what today is?”
Zalman responded that he did.

“We came to you,” the commander continued, “because we are Jewish,
and we want to hear a song by which we can remember the holy day as
it was in our parents’ synagogues.”
Zalman explained that he had been given sick leave, and if anyone
heard him singing, he could be punished for his deceit.
The officers suggested going into the forest and singing there. Seeing
that they were emotional and had no ill intentions, Zalman agreed.
They went into the forest, where he sang Kol Nidrei and Unesaneh
Tokef. As the sun set, he sang the words of Shema and Hashem Hu
Ha’elokim, traditionally recited as Yom Kippur ends.
“I felt the words of prayer entering their hearts,” Zalman later said
about those Jews who were only superficially disconnected from their
roots. “Their inner Jewish spark was still alive and revealed.”

Is it your first time at JCS for the Holidays? Here are some of the Basics?

Tickets

1. At JCS everyone is welcome. Tickets are encouraged for security purposes. If you do not have a ticket simply call or txt the office at (561) 624-7004. No one will be turned away 

Parking

1. If the parking lot is full you can park in the empty lot located behind the synagogue at 837 Westwind Dr, North Palm Beach, FL 33408 when parking along the street please be mindful of the neighbors and the people living around the Shul
2. Enter the synagogue from the East side entrance under the canopy

Synagogue

1. Throughout the services feel free to come and go as you please. 
2. Make yourself comfortable wherever you would like. We do not have assigned seating. 
3. When coming in and out of the Sanctuary please do so quietly. Don’t forget to leave your cell phone at home.
4. In the back of the synagogue, there is coffee, soda, water, and snacks. At any time feel free to grab a snack or drink and go outside or downstairs.
5. During the Holidays we do not use the regular blue Prayer book. Instead, we use the red Machzor. We will have them set out on the table when you walk in. Men are encouraged to bring their Tallis. If you do not have one, the synagogue will have one for you.
6. During the Holidays we raffle off the honors to the highest bidder and the proceeds are given to charity
7. Children’s Programs are downstairs.
8. Children are welcome and encouraged to join the services upstairs 
9. Scroll Below to see a detailed schedule.

Security

1. The North Palm Beach Police Department will provide a police car and security throughout the Holidays. Additionally, we have formed our own group in charge of JCS security and special security measures have been put in place to keep everyone safe during the Holidays. If you would like to be part of the security members please call or text Rabbi Leib at (561) 596-0530

Yom Kippur Schedule:

October 4th, 2022:
2:00 pm: Mincha
6:45 pm: Candle Lighting/Fast begins
7:00 pm: Meditation and Kol Nidrei 

October 5th, 2022:
10:00 am: Morning Service
11:00am – 1:00pm Children’s Service
12:30pm: Meditation and Yizkor
2:30pm: Conclusion of Morning Service
– BREAK –
5:30pm: Mincha
6:30pm: Neilah
7:37pm: Shofar/Fast ends,
7:45pm: followed by some well-deserved refreshments

JCA KIDS
Available throughout Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur Services. JCA will provide holiday-appropriate crafts, games, and activities so you can properly enjoy the services.  Jewish Community Synagogue844 Prosperity Farms Road
North Palm Beach, Fl, 33408 Jewishcomunitysynagogue.com(561)-624-7004

Jewlarious Jokes:

THE PASSIONATE ANTI-SEMITE

When we want to say that two people are very different, we commonly say that they are “like fire and water.” In this week’s portion, we read about two people who, on one hand are very similar but on the other hand, are completely different, like fire and water.  

We read about a man named Bil’am who was a prophet for the gentile nations, the only such prophet ever to arise. 

He received messengers from Balak, King of Moav, telling him to go curse the Jews. Bil’am told them to stay the night and he would give them his answer in the morning. That night, G-d came to Bil’am and told him, “Do not go with them. You shall not curse these people for they are blessed.” In the morning, he sent his refusal. 

Then, new messengers come and again he tells them to stay the night to hear what G-d tells him. That night, G-d says to him, “If you want to go, go, but only what I tell you, shall you do.” 

Bil’am awoke in the morning, very happy to go curse the Jews. Along the way, he encounters all kinds of obstacles and he knows with certainty that they are from G-d, but his hate for the Jews was so great that he ignores them and continues on his way. In the end, not only did he not succeed in cursing the Jews, but the blessings that he gave were so lofty and warm that they are now the prayer of “Mah tovu”, “How good are your tents, Jacob, and your dwelling places, Israel!” 

Who was Bil’am and what was his strength? 

THE EQUIVALENT TO MOSES

At the end of the book of Bamidbar, the Torah tells of Moshe’s passing and says, 

“There never arose amongst the Jews a prophet like Moshe.” The sages say, “Among the Jews, there was never a prophet like Moshe but for the nations of the world there was. Who was this prophet like Moshe? Bil’am ben Beor.” 

The Torah is telling us that Bil’am was a prophet in the same category as Moshe! This is astounding. None of the prophets in all the history of the Jews ever reached Moshe’s greatness yet Bil’am does? 

This begs a question. How is it that someone on Moshe’s spiritual plane would want to curse the Jews? How could he want to curse anyone, let alone the Jews? Bil’am himself testifies to the great miracles that happened to them during their exodus from Egypt, when he says “Here is the nation that went out of Egypt.” Even a regular guy would have known that G-d loves the Jews, so how did Bil’am come to such a low? After receiving a clear message from G-d that he would not be able to curse them, he still tries to force G-d to permit him to curse them! How could a prophet want to go against G-d’s wishes? 

There is a story that happened to Bil’am that also happened to Moshe. In this parsha we read that Bil’am arose early in the morning, saddled his donkey and went on his way. Then “The donkey saw an angel of G-d standing in the path with a sword drawn in his hand and the donkey turned off the path.” Bil’am became very angry with the donkey and hit it three times. Then “Bil’am’s eyes were opened and he saw the angel standing in the path with a sword drawn.” 

In this situation, anyone, even someone not on Bil’am’s level, would understand that G-d does not want him to go. The angel even says to him “Had the donkey not turned aside before me, I would also have killed you.” Despite this, Bil’am refuses to hear the message and continues going. 

With Moshe we find a similar story: When Moshe begins his journey to Egypt to free the Jews, we read in Shemos “Moshe took his wife and two children and put them on the donkey…..and it was on the way at the inn that he met G-d who wished to kill him.” Rashi explains that an angel came to punish him “because he did not circumcise his son, Eliezer.” 

So, Moshe too met up with an angel wishing to kill him while he was on a donkey. But there the similarities end. Moshe’s wife, Tzipporah, understood immediately what was going on. She “took a sharp stone and cut off her son’s foreskin” thereby saving her husband’s life. 

So what is the difference between Bil’am and Moshe? Simple. Moshe had a wife to stop him from making a mistake while Bil’am did not! Moshe was married; while with Bil’am, the Torah never references a wife. (In fact the Gemara says that Bil’am had a relationship with his donkey.) 

BE MARRIED

What is the difference between a married person and a single person? There are people who are with their partner for many years yet have no interest in getting married. What deters them? Married life truly is a big commitment. You can no longer do whatever you want; you now have to do whatever she wants. Before marriage, you were free to do anything in the world, without any responsibilities, and this relationship was just to make you feel good and happy. One simple way to put it is that before marriage there was only love, now there is some fear mixed in. A fear of doing something against her will. In other words, you now have to respect her wishes. 

In our relationship with G-d, there are two models: Moshe was ‘married’ to G-d and therefore, in addition to the great love that Moshe had for G-d, there was also a fear of G-d. Therefore, he did what G-d wanted. Bil’am, on the other hand, was not married to G-d and therefore was not obligated in any way. He wasn’t in a committed relationship. He used his relationship with G-d only for his own good and benefit, trying to force G-d to do what he wanted. 

Why did Bil’am try to curse the Jews? A person who has only love and no fear, can reach a point where he will do something against G-d’s will. 

In our personal lives this is true, too. When a person has only love for G-d, that love can drive him to do a mitzvah even when doing so at the wrong time would be going against G-d’s will. For example: A person with great love for the mitzvah of shofar might go so far as to blow it even when Rosh Hashanah falls out on Shabbos; he simply can’t hold back. Or a woman who wasn’t able to light Shabbos candles before sunset on Friday evening, out of her great love for the mitzvah might light them even though it’s too late, because she has no fear of G-d. 

But married life teaches us to do not what we want, but to do what is right.

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