The tragic, untimely passing of Lisa Marie Presley, may her memory be for a blessing, provides us a moment to reflect on the enduring legacy of the Presley Family and their relationship with the Jewish Community of Memphis.
Those who have paid homage to the King at Graceland, and if you haven’t you really should, may have noticed an interesting item tucked away under a display case just past the Jungle Room. On faded canary yellow cardstock with the JCC of Memphis logo, it reads ‘Elvis Presley – Member’. Not even the ol’ Hound Dog himself could attend his weekly racquetball game without first showing his membership card at the front desk. When tapped for a $1,000 donation, Elvis pulled out his checkbook for a cool $150,000 to support Jewish life in Memphis. Maybe think about that next Yom Kippur Appeal.
Whether this generosity emerged from Elvis’s supposed Jewish heritage via his mother, we’ll never know. What is beyond dispute is that he served as the Shabbos Goy for the family of Rabbi Alfred Fruchter of Beth El Emeth, only recently merged with the historic Baron Hirsch congregation. At one time the largest orthodox synagogue in America, Baron Hirsch served as the venue for JCC member Jim Fink’s Bar Mitzvah. Jim, the loud and proud Tennessean especially when his alma mater beats Alabama, shared with me a certain pride in how Elvis’s Memphis Mafia included Jewish members like Alan Fortas, Marty Lacker, Larry Geller and of course DJ George Klein who went through a different, less fortunate, Jewish lifecycle event later in life when he played Jailhouse Rock serving 60 days in federal prison for mail fraud.
Although not explicitly named after Elvis, those who lived in Japan in the early 2010s may remember kosher restaurant King Falafel whose return we pray for speedily in our days as we do kosher chicken and beef at National Azabu from that majestic era. Should you feel Lonesome Tonight, you can find us at the JCC where we will hopefully not be found Crying in the Chapel.
Services
Kabbalat Shabbat
Friday, February 3rd
Services: 6:00pm
Dinner with reservation: 7:00pm
Shabbat Shirah/Parshat Beshalach
Kiddush Sponsored by JACK (JCJ Appreciation-of-baseball Committee on Kiddushes) in honor of Pitchers and Catchers reporting to Spring Training in the coming weeks. Go Go Swallows!
Saturday, February 4th
Services: 10:00am
Kiddush: 12:00pm
Kabbalat Shabbat
Friday, February 10th
Services: 6:00pm
Dinner with reservation: 7:00pm
Kabbalat Shabbat
Friday, February 17th
Services: 6:00pm
Dinner with reservation: 7:00pm
Shabbat Shekalim/Parshat Mishpatim
Kiddush sponsored by the Pike-Forster Family for the warm welcome during our visit and the joy that comes with knowing that our Jewish community in Japan is thriving
Saturday, February 18th
Services: 10:00am
Kiddush: 12:00pm
Kabbalat Shabbat
Friday, February 24th
Services: 6:00pm
Dinner with reservation: 7:00pm
Kabbalat Shabbat
Friday, March 3rd
Services: 6:00pm
Dinner with reservation: 7:00pm
Shabbat Zachor/Parshat Tetzaveh
Kiddush Sponsored by the McCormack Family in honor of Yokota’s Jewish Community
Saturday, March 4th
Services: 10:00am
Kiddush: 12:00pm
Kabbalat Shabbat
Friday, March 10th
Services: 6:00pm
Dinner with reservation: 7:00pm
Events
An Evening with Ambassador Gilad Cohen of the Israeli Embassy
Thursday, February 16th
JCC Sanctuary
Time: 7:30pm
Registration Details
Purim with Japanese Klezmer
Festivities open for sponsorship
Monday, March 6th
Megillah Reading in the JCC Sanctuary
Time: 7:00pm
Cost: 1,000 yen
If you have an idea for an event or a topic you would like to share with others, please visit our website.
Announcements
Condolences to the Perel Family on the loss of patriarch Solomon, whose story inspired the film Europa Europa. Solly’s tale takes him from his Jewish upbringing to hiding as a supposed ethnic German in a Hitler Youth boarding school and working as German-Russian interpreter in the interrogation of Stalin’s captured son Yakov. Solly made it his mission to educate German youth about the Shoah. His irreplaceable dedication to peace and international understanding will be sorely missed.
Because the JCJ is the best community in the world, or at least the one that brings in Shabbat the earliest, we are already HALFWAY towards our fundraising goal for Purim. If you prefer a 6-piece klezmer band over a 3-piece klezmer band, then dig deep like Elvis and let’s make it happen.
Kiddush sponsorship offers came rolling in this week. Thanks to the above-mentioned families for getting us through February and early March. From March through June we’ve got seven B’nai Mitzvah so absent maybe 1-2 Shabbatot depending on Passover we should be ok for awhile. Yashar Koach!
Yiddish Club with Jack Halpern: Monthly meetings have been taking place for quite some time in-person at the JCJ. Please contact Jack at jack@cjki.org if you are interested. All levels are welcome, from beginner to advanced. Much more than just language, the club enjoys exploring Yiddish culture as well.
Shabbat Parshat Beshalach
Candle Lighting: 4:52pm
Havdala: 5:51pm