Eruv Tavshilin. No that is not an autocorrect error or a typo. Eruv Tavshilin is a ritual that, if not obscure, comes up very infrequently. While prohibited on Shabbat, cooking is permitted on Yom Tov/Festivals like Sukkot, Shavuot and of course Passover. Normally, somebody is only allowed to cook those meals necessary for the holiday but what about when the holiday starts on a weekday and is immediately followed by Shabbat? Are you really supposed to cook your Shabbat meals days in advance?
Of course not! In a Talmudic answer that helps explain the glut of Jewish lawyers in the world, particularly at Morrison Foerster’s Tokyo office, the rabbis decided that if you set aside a cooked item (ie hardboiled egg) and a baked item (ie matza) for Shabbat on the afternoon before the holiday starts, well technically that means you’ve begun preparing for Shabbat already and thus any incidental cooking and baking you do on the holiday is a mere continuation of a process you’ve already started.
Loophole? You betcha. But in a religion often associated more with thou shalt nots than thou shalts, Eruv Tavshilin is a chance to participate in a millenia old ritual that was created specifically to permit an activity that would otherwise be forbidden. Your bubbie probably made one and if not, for sure the bubbie before her in whatever shtetl your family originated. Let’s help those bubbies shep a little Pesach naches wherever they are and make an Eruv Tavshilin this Thursday (4/21) afternoon.
Services
Passover – Day Eight with Yizkor
Thank You to David Tropp for leading services and Todd Walzer for leyning
Saturday, April 23rd
Services: 10:00am
Family Shabbat
Friday, May 13th
Services: 6:00pm
Dinner with Reservation: 7:00pm
Shabbat Parshat Emor
Saturday, May 14th
Kiddush open for Sponsorship
Services: 10:00am
Kiddush: 12:00pm
Shabbat Parshat Behar
Sophie Leviton’s Bat Mitzvah – Mazal Tov!
Saturday, May 21st
Services: 10:00am
Shabbat Parshat Bechukotai
Saturday, May 28th
Kiddush open for sponsorship
Services: 10:00am
Kiddush: 12:00pm
Events
Yom HaShoah Commemoration with Beit Shalom Choir
Wednesday, April 27th at 7:00pm
Location: JCC Sanctuary
NPO Kokoro Yom HaShoah Commemoration led by Fumiko-san
Streamed Live on Zoom
Tuesday, May 2nd at 4:00pm
Event Page and Sign-up
Lehrhaus Lecture Series presented by Jack Halpern
The Adventures of a 12-Language Polyglot — the joys and pains of learning a new language —
Jack Halpern serves as the Founder of the CJK Dictionary Institute and Director of the Japan Yiddish Club
Date: June 9th
Venue: In-Person at the JCC
If you have an idea for an event or a topic you would like to share with others, please reach out to Events Chair Sherry Greenfield at sherry@greenfield.net
Announcements
The JCC Passover Seders were incredible. Thank you to Ozawa-san, Izaki-san, Kyoko-san, Arie and Tal for putting it all together. On night one, we were honored to welcome Professor Dr. Drew Weissman, mRNA vaccine pioneer and Japan Prize winner, Mary Ellen Weissman and Lab Director Sharon Taffet. On night two, we were honored to welcome Ambassador Rahm Emanuel and Amy Rule. Thank you to the community for being so warm and hospitable to our guests and each other. Same time next year, we pray in Jerusalem.
We will be hosting a large youth group from the LDS Church on Sunday, April 24th at 2:30pm. If you can assist with the event, please reply to this e-mail. We’ve gotten a bunch of responses but could still use help.
Yiddish Club with Jack Halpern: Meetings have started monthly in-person at the JCJ. Please contact Jack at jack@cjki.org if you are interested to join. All levels are welcome, from beginner to advanced. Much more than just language, the club enjoys exploring Yiddish culture as well.
Passover Second Days
Candle Lighting Day 1: 6:01pm
Candle Lighting Day 2: 6:01pm
Havdala: 7:01pm