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j.B. NEWALL MEMORIALS
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a 35th 604.327.1312 wvsnv.jbnewall.com
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with a t/equest to the
LxMiis Brier Jewish Aged Foundation
Telephone: 604-261-5550 Fax; 604-261-5565 www.louisbrier.com
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witli a lastiti;,' gift or 1k'(|U('.-1 to The \'aiicouver Talmuci Torali Foundation
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DEATH ANNOUNCEMENTS
ISADORE HARRIS FEB. 6
Candlelighting:
Friday, Feb. 13 5:10 p.m. Yitro Feb. 14, 6.-09 p.m.
Ahavat Olain, Box 19569, Vancouver, VST 4E7. Rabbi David Mivasair, www.ahavat-olam.ca. 604-327-0647.4v
Aish Hatonh (Orthodox) JCC, 3636 Shelboume St., Victoria. Min-, yanim two Shabbatim a month at 9:30 a.m. 250-592-4162. .
BalllnghamEytzCliaiin (Conservative) 2116 Walnut St.,Belling-ham. Every 2nd Sat, 9:30 a.m., alternates with Fri night tisch or Sat night Havdalah. 360-733-5961. 6u
Beth Hamidrash (Sephardic Orthodox) 3231 Heather St. (Enter at rear of building.) Rabbi Acoca. Weekdays, 7 a.m.; Fri, at candle-lifting; Shabbat, 9ajn.;minchah, 45 minutes before svmdown; Sun, 8:30 a.m. 604-872-4222. h-
Beth teaei (Conservative) 4350 Oak St. Rabbi Charles Feinberg, Cantor Steve Levin. Daily, 8 a.m. (public holidays, 9 ajn.) and6pjn.; Fri, 6 p.m.; Sat, 9:15 a.m. and 6 p.m.; Sun, 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. 604-731-4161. 6v
Beth ShakMH Sanctuaiir (Traditional) OJCC, 108 North Glenmore Rd., Kelowna. Shabbat service last Saturday of the month, 9:30 a.m. 250-862-2305.
Belh Tkvah (Conservative) 9711 Geal Rd., Richmond. Rabbi Barry LefF. Fri, 8 p-m. and Sat, 9:30 a.m. 604-271-6262. 6.
The Centra for Judaism (Chassidic) 2351 128 St., Crescent Beach, White Rock. Rabbi Falik Schtroks. Shabbat (and holiday) morning services 10 a.m., followed by kiddush lunch. Kab-balat Shabbat with inspirational singing, 7 p.m., the first Friday of every month. For information on the centre's Hebrew school, classes and summer camp, call 604-541-4111. 6.
Chabad4aba«ttch (Chassidic) 5750 OakStRabbiTitzchakWinebe^. Daily, 7 a.m.; Sat, 10 a.m.; Sun, 9 ajn. 604-266-1313. 6.
Chabad-mdmoad (Chassidic) 200-4775 Blundell Rd. Rabbi Yechiel Baitelman. Sat, 10 a.m.; Sun, 9:30 ajn. 604-277-6427.
Biz Chain (Orthodox) 8080 Francis Rd., Richmond. Rabbi Avraham Fagdstock Daily, 7 ajn.; Fri, 6 pjn.; Sat, 9 ajn.; Sun, 8:30 ajn., followed by breakfast 604-275-0007. 6-
Friday, Feb. 20 5:22 p.m. Mishpatim Feb. 21,6:20 p.m.
I (Conservative) 1461 Blan-shard, Victoria. Thur, 7 a.m.; Sat, 9 a.m. 250-382-0615. 6^
Har-EI (Conservative) 1305 Taylor Way, West Vancouver. Rabbi Shmuel Bimham. Fri, 6 p.m.; Sat, 10 a.m. 604-925-6488.6^
Koiot Mayhn (Reform) Second Fri of eveiy month, services with student rabbi, 7:30 p.m.; Fourth Fri every month is family service, 7 p.m. Victoria JCC. 250-477-7749.
Louis Brier Home (Orthodox) 1055 W. 41st Ave. Fri, 4:15 p.m., ofBdated by S. Haber and choir -A. Selwyn, P. Pelman, M. Moses and R. Rosenberg. Sat, 9 a.m., officiated by D. Komfeld, R. Rosenberg and C. Komfeld. Daily, 4:15 p.m. 604-261-9376. 6u
Ohr Emet (Orthodox) Shabbat: 8900 Foster Rd., Fri, 6 p.m.; Sat, 9 a.m. and 1 hour before sunset. At 4775 Blundell (rear door), Mon-Fri, 7 a.m., 7:30 p.m.; Sun, 8:30 a.m., 7 p.m. 604-689-9228.
OiStekm(Reneuxd) 710 E. 10th Ave. Sat, 10 am.; Wed morning minyan, 8-8:30 a.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat 4th Fri monthly, 6 p.m.; www.or shalom-ca 604-872-1614. 6-
SderalMedc (Orthodox) 3476 Oak St. Rabbi Rosenblatt, Cantor Orzech. Mon and Thur, 7 am.; Tue and Wed, 7:15 am.; weekdays, sunset; Fri, 7:15 am. and sunset Sat, 9 am. and half-hour before sunset; Sun, 8:30 am. 604-736-7607.
Sha'arai MIzrah (Traditional) Conservative-style Shabbat and holiday services, 2860 Dewdncy Trunk Rd.,Coquitlam. 604-552-7221. 6-
ShaareyTefiiah (Union for Traditional Judaism affiliate) 785 W. 16th Ave. Rabbi Ross Singer. Fri, 7:15 a.m. at shul, eve. on Shabbat before Rosh Chodesh (call for time); Sat, Sun and holidays, 9 a.m. 604-873-2700. 6-
Temple Shoiom (Reform) 7190 Oak St. Rabbi Philip Bregman, Can-torial Soloist Arthur Guttman. Morning minyanim; Mon and Wed, 7:15 a.m.; Fri, 8:15 p.m.; Sat, 10 am. 604-266-7190. 6u
ToratHaybn Community (Traditional participatory) 483 Eastcot Rd., West Vancouver. Services led by Jeffrey Milton and Gabriel Milton. Services each Sat, 10:30 a.m., followed by kiddush. 604-984-4168.
White lUici(/Sonth Surrey Jewish Community Centra #32 - 3033 King George Hwy., Surrey. Monthly Friday services, 7:30 p.m. Conducted by community members. 604-541-9995. 6-
M Porti
Religion, nation or both
"Who is a Jew" debate relates to "what is Judaism."
RABBI SHLOMO RISKIN TORAH COLUMNIST
Yitro
Exodus 18:1-20:23 Efiat
This week's Torah reading features one of the most seminal experiences of the Jewish people: the Revelation at Sinai, the foundation of oxir Torah. The Exodus transformed Israel firom a family to a nation-religion, to Am Yisracl. But how do we define am (literally, with, together, collective)? Are we a nation, a religion or both?
From a legal perspective, this question expresses itself in the requirements for conversion, the ramifications of which impinge on who qualifies for automatic Israeli citizenship imdcr the Ri^t of Return. (Israeli law provides automatic citizenship for any "Jew" who desires to live there.) In a far broader way, however, the "who is a Jew" controversy speaks volumes about "what is Judaism."
The sages of the Talmud, as interpreted by Rav Yosef Karo's 16th-century Code of Jewish Law, set down three criteria for male conversion, the latter two applying to female conversion as well: circumcision, immersion in a mikveh (ritual pool) and the ac-. ceptancc of the commandments. The casting off of the foreskin connotes the separation of the Jew firom the licentious practices that characterized the pagan world, ritual immersion symbolizes rebirth and the acceptance of the commandments signalled entry into a faith community bound together by cotnmon adherence to a system of ritual and law. We are a nation and a religion; a nation with a separate language, cultim; and homeland and a religion with a unique code of law defining our prayers, feasts and fasts, lifecycle celebrations and behavior.
The Bible records just such a process of development, a "national conversion," as it were. In the Exodus, the Israelites were separating themselves firom the Egyptians, enslavement and the Egyptian lifestyle. And the Bible suggests that the Jews expressed this removal fnm Egyp-tiandom with circumcision, since the Pascal lamb sacrifice could only be eaten by one who was circumcised.
The Midrash explains that, for the Israelite preparation for the Exodus, each household was commanded to take a lamb on the 10th of Nissan, to guard the lamb until the 14th of Nissan and then to sacrifice it to G-d (their
disavowal of Egyptian idolatry, since the lamb was one of the Egyptian gods) and place its blood on their doorposts. On the ni^t of the 15th, they were to eat the lamb - their first seder - and then leave Egypt. . Asks the Midrash, why take the lamb on the 10th and wait until the 14th to sacrifice it? The Midrash answers that the male Israelites were to have themselves circumcised and by merit of the twofold blood of the sacrifice and tile circumcision would they be foimd worthy by CJ-d to be firecd firom Egypt The ritual immersion of the Israelites took place right before the Revelation at Sinai, either when G-d commanded Moses to see that the people "be sanctified and their clothing be washed" (Exodus 19:10) or when the Israelites jumped into the Reed Sea before it split The acceptance of the commandments came following the Decalogue and the subsequent legal code, as a prerequisite to the confirmation of • the eternal covenant between (j-d and Israel: "And the entire nation responded with one voice... 'all that the Lord has spoken, we shall do and we shall internalize.'" (Exodus 24:3,7) Prior to the acceptance, the Bible also outlined the eventual borders of the land of Israel that the Jews would occupy. QEx-odus 23:20-25) The Israelites were accepting both Jewish nationality and religion.
Does this mean that a Jew can only convert if he/she lives in Israel and is observant of all of the commandments? The rabbis have accepted converts even though they have lived in the Diaspora and many have also ruled that although acceptance of commandments is a necessary prerequisite for conversion, there is no requirement to teach all of the 613 commandments. The Talmud merely requires "several of the more stringent lavra and several of the more lenient lavra," specifically mentioning the laws of the Sabbath, kashrut and tithing. There is nevertheless a general consensus among rabbinic authorities that circumcision for males, ritual immersion and a general acceptance of commandments for males and females are absolute requirements for conversion. And it was these very conditions that the Israelites fidfilled at the dawn of their history.
Shabbat shalom. □
Rabbi Sblomo Biskin is chief rabbi ofEfrat, Israel, and dean of Ohr Torah institutioris in Israel.