CKI’S NEW spacious and inviting Sukkah!
October 10, 2011 by RabbiAri
Filed under General Info
CKI’S NEW spacious and inviting Sukkah!
Open to the public for Sukkot
Thanks to a generous grant by Mr. & Mrs. Eitan & Johanna Baron & Mr. Peter Gordenstein and several other’s who contributed, we are excited to announce that Cong. Kol Israel’s new Sukkah (& year-round pergola) and rear backyard patio, will be larger and more beautiful then ever and above all, opened to the public for the duration of sukkot for meals and socializing.
If you would like to arrange access, please contact Rabbi Ari for the combination to the lockbox and other shul instructions.
To DONATE towards the NEW Sukkah fund, please CLICK HERE
Women’s Inner Circle – HEARTY SOUP IN THE SUKKAH & POTTERY
October 10, 2011 by RabbiAri
Filed under Upcoming Events
Dear Friend,
It is with great pleasure I welcome you to the Women’s Inner Circle, a place where Jewish women of all ages and backgrounds can come together to socialize, learn, laugh and recharge. Enjoy great food and a chance to meet new friends.
The Women’s Inner Circle is open to the public. No affiliation is necessary so feel free to stop by any event that may interest you and go home with insights into the role of a Jewish woman.
HEARTY SOUP IN THE SUKKAH
Warm your body and soul, savor the spirit of Sukkot and enjoy a sampling of a variety of delicious homemade soups while creating your very own pottery dish. outdoors in the Sukkah.Monday, October 17, 7:30pm
@ The new Cong. Kol Israel rear patio & Sukkah!
603 St Johns PL. Bet Classon/Franklin Ave.
For more info and to RSVP to ensure your pottery dish, please call Chaya @ 718.877.9217 or email chayatk@gmail.com
There is an $20 cover charge. Sponsor $180Looking forward to seeing you and best wishes for a sweet New Year,
Chaya KirschenbaumJewish Women’s Inner Circle is a project of Chabad Prospect Heights & Fort Greene Jewish Center & Cong. Kol Israel of Prospect Heights.
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The CKI Prospect Heights Sisterhood
Focusing on the unique and vital role of Jewish women in our society, The CKI Sisterhood provides a venue and platform for women to reach out to each other. Through its many innovative programs and events The Sisterhood fuses traditional Torah values with modern life. Its activities are centered on the essential theme of “Love your fellow as yourself.”
The Sisterhood serves as the women’s social arm of CKI, incorporating formal and informal events, ranging from guest speakers to family picnics. Through the Sisterhood, new members receive welcome baskets to embrace them as part of our community, honey is distributed for the High Holy Days, special Shabbatons are held and private get-togethers are arranged. Luncheons and other fundraising events support CKI in an exceptional fashion. Drawing exclusively on volunteers, The Sisterhood offers attractive and creative events and opportunities.
The Sisterhood is led by Chaya Kirschenbaum. For more information contact Chaya at 718.877.9217 or email chayatk@gmail.com
Annual community Sukkot Lunch
October 10, 2011 by RabbiAri
Filed under Upcoming Events
Annual community Sukkot meal
You’re invited to our annual “Sukkot In the Sun” lunch.
Celebrate this beautiful Holiday in style, along with family and friends!
Join us for a delicious full-course meal.
It all takes place at the largest Sukkah in town, at CKI 603 St Johns Pl Bed Bedford/Franklin Ave.
Friday, October 14, at 12:30pm
$18 cover, Sponsors welcome
RSVP: Reply to this email or call 347.787.0864
Looking forward to seeing you there!
Rabbi Ari & Chaya Kirschenbaum
Lulov & Etrog Sets
October 10, 2011 by RabbiAri
Filed under Upcoming Events
Lulov & Etrog Sets
Have Rabbi Ari help you pick out a beautiful Lulav and Etrog set or you can place an order and arrange for a complete set to be delivered directly to building or picked up @ CKI 
Cost: (same price as last year): $50 regular set, $90 Mehudar set
To order your Lulav & Etrog set and for more details, call 347.787.0864.
High Holiday Schedule 2011-5772
September 14, 2011 by RabbiAri
Filed under Upcoming Events
High Holiday Services schedule in Prospect Heights & Fort Greene.
Why an Eruv?
September 13, 2011 by RabbiAri
Filed under General Info
A Community Eruv
Every Friday night at sundown thousands of Jews in Brooklyn, NY and millions throughout the world begin celebrating the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a time of communal prayer, rest, study, and relaxation with family and friends.
CLICK ON ERUV IMAGE TO ENLARGE
One of the Sabbath laws derived from the Bible is a prohibition, as observed by traditional Jews, against performing work on the Sabbath. This prohibition includes the carrying of objects. The recognized exception to the prohibition against carrying is carrying within a private area‑‑defined as an area with set borders surrounded by a wall. In the ancient past, cities and neighborhoods were enclosed by walls, and the entire city or neighborhood was considered as one large private area. Accordingly, carrying was allowed on the Sabbath within these cities or neighborhoods. In the absence of a walled city or neighborhood, many communities throughout the world have established, pursuant to Jewish law, a symbolic wall called an “eruv” to surround the community for the sole purpose of permitting, within the eruv, carrying on the Sabbath.
What is an eruv?
An eruv is a symbolic enclosure that surrounds the Jewish community. Under Jewish law, carrying on the Sabbath is allowed within the eruv because the entire area within the eruv is considered as if a single property. An eruv may consist of natural boundaries such as a river bank or of walls, fences, buildings, or hedges. It can also consist of designated utility poles and wires (electric, telephone and/or cable) or strings, as long as the perimeter of the community eruv is uninterrupted.
Why is an eruv important to the Jewish community?
The celebration of the Sabbath is a communal celebration. Traditional families do not drive, but walk together to synagogue for prayers, and then gather to eat, visit, and study with family and friends.
In the absence of an eruv, children cannot be carried or pushed in stroller to synagogue or other family activities.
People requiring wheelchairs, walkers, crutches or canes cannot use these outside their homes. Those who take medication frequently must stay home because they cannot carry their medication with them.
Without an eruv there is a significant diminution of the enjoyment of the Sabbath for the entire community. Those with disabilities, and families with infants and small children are especially affected.
In communities with an eruv, families are permitted to carry or take their small children in strollers to the synagogue, homes of grandparents and friends, or even to the park for a swing. People with disabilities are able to use their wheelchairs and other devices. Families and people with disabilities can celebrate and enjoy the Sabbath with the community.
An eruv not only enhances the quality of life in the Jewish community, but also makes the community much more attractive to those considering relocating to a new community. For many young couples, the presence of an eruv is key to their decision of where to live and raise a family.
TO DONATE TO THE ERUV FUND PLEASE CLICK HERE AND WRITE ERUV IN THE MEMO
Or mail a check made out to Mesivta Reishis Chochma and mail 765 St Johns Pl #2A Brooklyn, NY 11216 and add ERUV FUND in the memo.
Tisha B’Av Program. Eicha Lamentations & Film Screening
August 4, 2011 by RabbiAri
Filed under Upcoming Events
Join us for our annual evening of the traditional reading of Eicha-Lamentations and our Tisha B’Av program including a special film screening of award winning documentary: PAPER CLIPS (2004) 
This day is when we traditionally mourn the destruction of the Temple and all the subsequent tragedies to befall the Jewish people.
Fast begins 7:59
Evening service 8:30
Eicha Lamentations 8:45
Film Screening 9:30
Fast ends Tuesday August 9, 8:37pm
@ Cong. Kol Israel of Prospect Heights 603 St Johns Pl. bet Classon/franklin ave. Subway 2/3/4/5/ to Franklin Ave.
ABOUT THE FILM PAPER CLIPS.
Whitwell Middle School in rural Tennessee is the setting for this documentary about an extraordinary experiment in Holocaust education. Struggling to grasp the concept of six-million Holocaust victims, the students decide to collect six-million paper clips to better understand the extent of this crime against humanity. The film details how the students met Holocaust survivors from around the world and how the experience transformed them and their community.
To read more about the film and to view the film trailer, click on linkhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GP15cY3f7UA
Height of the Summer Farm Visit Day Led by Adamah Staff and Fellows
June 14, 2011 by RabbiAri
Filed under Upcoming Events
Adamah Farm Days
Height of the Summer Farm Visit Day Led by Adamah Staff and Fellows
Sunday, June 26, 2011
10 am – 5 pm 
Join CKI (Cong. Kol Israel) & Chabad of Prospect Heights & Fort Greene on a community trip and outing for a day of fun and learning for child and adult alike.
Learn about ecological farm design and harvest vegetables on the largest Jewish educational farm in North America. With activities for all agesand our very own hostsAdam & Rikki SaNogueira, you’ll get to meet our goats, harvest a bouquet of greens, bake your own pizza in our outdoor wood-fired oven and relax by the lake or on one of our beautiful hiking trails.
A farm-stand stocked with ADAMAH products and freshly harvested vegetables will be open throughout the day.
To learn more about what your visit will look like, download the schedule from last year’s Summer Farm Day.
Many thanks to our dear friend, shul member and supporter Mr. Yirmi Van-halem & our friends at Great Escapes tours Micheal Shub and Mark Fayer, a charter bus will be provided for, for those wishing to join at no cost. The only fee is a $350 fuel fee which we ask all participants to make a token donation towards covering the costs together.
There is no fee for Height of the Summer Farm Visit Day. A kosher lunch made with our own fresh ingredients will be available for purchase ($10 cash or check).
Time & Location of departure TBA.
Important note: there are limited seat openings on the bus and will be offered on a 1st come 1st serve basis. Of the 50 seats, there are currently 35 left. To RSVP, please email us at info@brooklynyid.com
We hope you can join us on this exciting trip together. Rabbi Ari Kirschenbaum
CKI Shabbos & Holiday Torah reading committee
June 13, 2011 by RabbiAri
Filed under Upcoming Events
In response to our CKI town hall meeting several weeks ago, one of our 1st committees to be established is the Shabbos & Holiday torah reading (Balei Kriah) group in which many of our own, commit to preparing and reading any number of Aliyos of that week’s parsha.
May thanks to Gilad Muth for initiating and undertaking the 1st six month cycle as its project coordinator. You may reach him at: giladmuth@gmail.com for additional info.
There are still other committee openings available for those wishing to undertake and spearhead, such as: Shul maintenance, Kiddush sponsorship & set/clean up, Children’s, etc. please contact me for more details at: rabbiari@brooklynyid.com
Thank you.
Rabbi Ari’s Holiday of Shavuot Comment
June 2, 2011 by RabbiAri
Filed under Featured Essays
Rules:
Dear Friends, 
Before you switch on your laser printer, read this:
A laser is a device that produces an intense beam of light of a very pure single color. This beam can be made potent enough to vaporize a diamond, and precise enough to deposit a dot of ink 1/600th of an inch across in exact juxtaposition with tens of thousands of similar dots to produce your office memo in 12 pt. Times New Roman (captions in 14 pt Arial Narrow). Even more precise (and more expensive) are devices that yield a beam exact enough to perform eye surgery.
A laser beam is a beam of optic light—basically the same light produced by the flashlight you keep in the glove compartment of your car. The difference is that while the excited atoms in your flashlight bulb each emit light independently of each other and in many different wavelengths, a laser device stimulates a great number of atoms to emit their light in a single frequency and in step with each other, thereby producing a light beam of great potency and accuracy.
As a rule, people don’t likes rules. We don’t like being told that a food palatable to our taste buds is unhealthy for our body. We don’t like being told that something desirous to ourselves is hurtful to another person. We don’t like being told a that a convenient habit is damaging to our environment. In other words, We don’t like being told what to do. We don’t like restrictions.
When the Children of Israel came out of Egypt, that were told that, in seven weeks’ time, they would be given the Torah. They were so excited that they literally counted the days. At Mount Sinai, their souls flew from their bodies in ecstasy when they heard G-d proclaim the Ten Commandments.
On the face of it, their joy seems somewhat misplaced. After all, these were a people just emerging from several generations of slavery. The last thing they would want–one assumes–is a set of restrictions on their lives. Basically, that’s what the Torah is. Seven of the Ten Commandments are “Thou Shalt Not”s, as are 365 out of the Torah 613 mitzvot (the rest are “Thou Shall”s).
But the Jews wanted the Torah. The Midrash relates how G-d went to all the nations of the world asking them if they want a copy. “What does the Torah contain?” they asked. “Thou shalt not…” said G-d and was met with a no-thank-you before He could finish the sentence. The Jews, however, understood that this was no ordinary set of rules: this was a life regulator designed by the One who invented life, and knows how it is best applied.
At Sinai, all the peoples of the world were given a choice. Take box A, and you get a life that expends its energies every which way, in whatever color or frequency that strikes your fancy at any given moment. It’ll even be able to do many useful things, like projecting animal shapes on the wall of a darkened room or finding those car keys you dropped in the bushes. Take box B, and you get a life that focuses its energies on the purpose to which it was created.
Many took the flashlight. We opted for the laser.