BIRTHRIGHT, Jewnity Shabbat, PURIM Carnival, PURIM IN THE WILD WEST, and more!!

Hi,
A few things I really want to say. You see, I figure that these two lines up here are about the limit of what most people read. So I need to use these to get your attention.
Let me put it plainly:
If you are eligible, SIGN UP NOW for a free trip to Israel with Birthright. You’ve got to be nuts to miss out on this. Almost 30 USC students have already reserved their spaces on our trip with Mayanot, and spaces are going fast. For the best time, the fullest experience, and the chance to hang out with the most awesome Rabbi (that would be me!), http://www.mayanotisrael.com/ today.
Secondly, PURIM IS COMING! That means Purim Carnival (this Monday), Purim Shabbat (next Friday), Purim PARTY (next Saturday), and Purim Feast (next Sunday).
And if all that’s not enough – Jewnity Shabbat tomorrow night.

There, I’ve lost your attention again. If you’re bored, or reading this on your Blackberry in the middle of class, or just really interested – please read on! If not, just pay attention to what’s already been said J

Shabbat Shalom!
Dov and Runya

1) Free Trips to Israel – Registration Closing Soon!
2) Jewnity Shabbat
3) Pre-Purim Carnival – volunteer or pre-order your tickets now
4) Mazal Tov and Sheva Brachot
5) Purim and Sinai Scholars Shabbat
6) THE MAIN EVENT – Purim in the Wild West!!!
7) Catered Family Purim Seudah (Banquet)
8) Weekly Learning Opportunities
9) Thought for the Week


1) Free Trips to Israel – Registration Open NOW!
Yes – that’s FREE trips to Israel this summer with Mayanot Birthright. All you need to be is Jewish, 18-26, and have never been on an organized peer trip to Israel before. Eligible? Register now at http://www.mayanotisrael.com/. Not eligible? If you recruit 15 of your friends, you get a free trip back to Israel! And if you end up with less than that, there are other great prizes. www.mayanotisrael.com/recruit
Registration is now open, and is expected to fill up quickly. We’ve been guaranteed that anybody eligible that signs up and sends in their deposit for our trip within the first week of registration will DEFINITELY get a spot. So don’t delay!
Almost 30 USC students already have reserved their spots. AND, Mayanot provides by far the fullest experience, including Friday night at the Kotel, more activities than any other trip, and ALL meals every day catered and FREE to you. Just do it. Now!!

Rabbi Dov will be leading the trip from USC tentatively scheduled to leave from LA on May 28th.

http://www.mayanotisrael.com/


2) Jewnity Shabbat
Join USC’s entire Jewish community for an amazing joint Jewnity Shabbat at Chabad. Co-sponsored by Chabad, Hillel, and the Sig Delt’s (USCs Jewish sorority).
It’s just once a semester. A reminder that though we have several different options for Jewish life at USC, at heart our community is one.
So whether your Friday nights are usually spent at Chabad, at Hillel, or at locations unspecified – this Friday night join us to let you soul sing and soar.

Friday, February 23
Candle Lighting: 5:26 pm
Services: 6:00 pm
Dinner: 7:30 pm

Saturday, February 24
“Temples, Synagogues, and Sanctuaries – What are they for?”: 9:00 am
Services: 10:00 am
Torah Reading: 11:30 pm – we could use YOUR help with a Minyan
Lunch: 12:45 pm
Havdalah: 6:22 pm


3) Pre-Purim Carnival – Volunteer or pre-order your tickets now!
This Monday, February 26th come and celebrate Purim at our annual pre-Purim Carnival.

We have rides, booths, cotton candy, popcorn, BBQ and hot dogs!

Here's what we got:
-Gladiator Joust
-Human Orbitron
-Pie Throwing at the Rabbi
-Pin the Yarmulka on the Rabbi
-Free Hamentashen Baking
-And Much Much More

All proceeds go to The Friendship Circle, an organization that provides for children with special needs, so it's all for a good cause. (For info on the Friendship Circle, click on http://www.friendshipcircle.com/)

Co-sponsored by USC Hillel and USC Philanthropy Board.

For the full flyer, click www.chabadusc.com/carnival.pdf
To RSVP click http://usc.facebook.com/event.php?eid=2245297962&ref=nf

WE NEED MORE VOLUNTEERS TO HELP OUT AT THE CARNIVAL! Please volunteer now by emailing michalco@usc.edu

Also, tickets at the carnival will be for sale for $1 a piece. (1 ticket for popcorn and cotton candy, 2 tickets for rides, 3 tickets for hot dog and drink.) However, if you have a group that wants to get involved in supporting the event, you can pre-order 100 tickets for just $60.00, a 40% discount!!
So whether it’s your fraternity, sorority, floor, club, or whatever, contact us now for this amazing discount at chabad@usc.edu


4) Mazal Tov and Sheva Brachot
Please join us in sharing our best wishes with our dear alumnus Dassy (Sabrina) Mansfield on her marriage this Sunday to Max
May you build together an everlasting Jewish home built on the strong foundations of Torah and Mitzvot, and may your entire lives together be filled with joy and happiness.

Please join us for a Sheva Brachot celebration honoring Dassy and Max at the Chabad House on Monday evening, Feb. 26, at 6:00 pm. RSVP runya@usc.edu


5) Purim and Sinai Scholars Shabbat
The fun never ends. And next weekend, the celebration really doesn’t have to.

It’s Purim Shabbat. That means that the house will already be halfway decorated for the Purim party, and the Purim spirit will be in full force.
And it’s also Sinai Scholars Shabbat, honoring the Sinai Scholars past and present.
There’s no pre-party like this party!

Don’t miss it. Friday, March 2. 6:00 pm.


6) THE MAIN EVENT: Purim in the Wild West!!
Get ready for the biggest Jewish party of the year, WILD WEST style!

(Last time there were almost 1,000 people. We're aiming for 1200 this year!)

Saturday night, March 3.
1st Megillah reading at 8:30 pm.
Party: 9:00 pm – 3:00 am

Live DJ! www.djabesera.com
Masquerade!
Hookahs!
Amazing Free Food!
Raffles!
Full Bar!
Just a dollar a drink all night with valid ID.
Staged duels every hour.

Every themed costume gets a prize.
Every costume gets a free raffle ticket.

It’s all happening at the Chabad Jewish Student Center – 2713 Severance St., just steps off “the Row”.
See the stunning flyer at www.chabadusc.com/purim07.pdf
See pictures of previous Purim bashes at http://www.jewsc.com/
RSVP for the event at http://usc.facebook.com/event.php?eid=2245087547&ref=nf

Most important of all – Be there! With all your friends! And some of your enemies?


7) Catered Family Purim Seudah (Banquet)
This year, we add a new feature to our Purim celebrations. On Sunday, March 4 (the day after the big Party) is Purim itself. It is customary to hear the Megillah again, as well as to partake in a Purim feast.

Join students and their families, alumni, young professionals, and graduate students from USC, UCLA, and CSUN for a festive Purim feast.
Authentic Persian cuisine catered by Sharon's, door prizes, masquerade, and unbelievable fun.

4:30pm Megilla reading.
5:00pm The feast begins

Fee:
Advance Reservations: $36 per person. $54 per couple.
$5- more per person at the door.

Payments can be made using the evite, or by credit card, paypal, or check at the Chabad @ USC website, http://www.chabadusc.com/. Just write Purim meal in the note.
For more info, call 213-748-5884

(Note: This isn't the annual Purim Bash at USC itself. That'll be the night before, Saturday March 3, at Chabad @ USC. This year's theme is Purim in the Wild West. This is a new additional event in the Pico-Robertson area the next evening.)

RSVP at http://www.evite.com/app/publicUrl/chabad@usc.edu/purim


8) Weekly Learning Opportunities
Looking to learn something about your Jewish heritage? Wonder what it means to be Jewish, besides bagels and lox and Jewish mothers? Join one of our weekly discussion group/classes. There’s something for everyone:

Monday
Lunch and Learn at the Dental School – 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Discussion over Dinner at the Chabad House – 6:30 – 8:30 pm
“Origins” – a reading and discussion of the stories of Genesis at Tuscany #426 – 9:15 – 11:30 pm

Tuesday
Once-a-month Lunch and Learn at the Law School – 12:30 – 1:20 pm
Talmud and Tanya – 7:30 – 9:00 pm
Hebrew sound like *&^*@ to you? Learn to understand Hebrew with Runya – 7:45 pm

Wednesday
Twice-a-month Lunch and Learn at the Health Sciences Campus – 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Sinai Scholars – 7:30 – 9:30 pm

Thursday
Pizza and Parsha – 12:15 – 1:45 pm
Discussion Group on Jewish philosophy and open forum in Parkside #631 – 9:30 – 11:00 pm


9) Thought for the Week
Sinai or Sanctuary?

By Yossy Goldman

And in the beginning G-d was homeless and so He asked His People to set Him up with some digs. Where does it say that? Well, nowhere actually. But it does say that G-d instructed Moses to tell the people, They shall make for Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them.

Now the question is, was G-d really homeless? Wasn't He already dwelling with the people? Why it was just the other week that we read of the Revelation at Sinai and the Ten Commandments where G-d came down from heaven to earth? So why suddenly the need for a sanctuary for Him?

The answer is that there is a fundamental difference between Sinai and the Sanctuary. Sinai represents a revelation thrust upon the people from above. G-d initiated and activated that encounter. In this experience the Jewish people were somewhat passive. All the thunder and lightning, physically and spiritually, came at them from On High.

The Sanctuary, however, had to be built by the Jews themselves. They had to take the initiative. From the fundraising campaign to raise and collect the raw materials needed for the sanctuary down to the nuts and bolts of construction, the Mishkan was a man- made edifice.

At Sinai the heavens opened for the greatest sound and light show on earth leaving a nation mesmerized and awe-inspired. But they themselves were passive recipients of this unique, never-to-be-repeated gift from above.

To build a sanctuary took a whole building campaign. Men and women, young and old, everybody rolled up their sleeves. It took weeks, months of hard labor, meaningful contributions by every individual, planning and programming, designing and then actually building a holy house for G-d. We made it happen. And thereby, it was the people who brought G-d down to earth.

Apparently it was important for the Jews to appreciate the value G-d attaches to self-help and to DIY projects of a spiritual nature. It is not good enough to sit around waiting for the extraordinary revelations, those once in a lifetime supernal visits the Good L-rd might bestow upon us. It is necessary for us to create the infrastructure, to take the building blocks in our hands and Make me a Sanctuary.

To put it simply, are we waiting for G-d or is G-d waiting for us? Who makes the next move?

I met a guy not long ago and, as often happens to rabbis, the discussion turned to "Religion." He was pretty blunt about it. "Not for me, rabbi," he said. "If G-d wanted me to be frum, he’d have made sure I was born in Bnei Brak, or at least into a religious family here." I told him he reminded me of the comedian who had a terrible fear of flying and argued that "If G-d intended man to fly, he’d have given him wings - or at least made it easier to get to the airport!" So he says, "If G-d wanted me to be an angel, he'd have given me wings too."

The fact is G-d did give us wings. That's what Sinai was all about. He gave us a dose of revelation, of spiritual shock treatment that has saturated us with an eternal capacity to fly high, to touch the divine. But those were just the tools, now we have to learn to fly. We may have been endowed with the potential to develop our connection to G-dliness, but after Sinai it's up to us to make it happen and to actually bring our innate power to the fore.

True revelation is rare. While there certainly are those special moments when we witness the unmistakable presence of G-d in our lives, we cannot wait for lightning to strike. We need to build our personal sanctuaries for G-d in order to embrace Him and bring Him into our homes and families.

The Rebbe of Kotzk was once asked by his teacher, "Where is G-d?" He answered, "Wherever you let Him in."

Have a great Shabbos!
Dov and Runya


Rabbi Dov Wagner
Chabad Jewish Student Center @ USC
2713 Severance St.
Los Angeles, CA 90007
http://www.chabadusc.com/
Chabad@usc.edu
213-748-5884
310-801-3142 – cell

“Your next act will change the world. Make it a good one!”

Hi,
As you’ll see below – there’s lots of stuff going on. We’d love to see you this Friday night for Persian Shabbat, and please read on about how you can get involved in the exciting Purim festivals and much more.
1) Free Trips to Israel – Registration opening Tomorrow MORNING
2) Pizza and Parsha
3) Persian Shabbat
4) Join a PAC: Purim Action Committee
5) Learning Opportunities
6) Save the dates: Jewnity Shabbat, Purim Shabbat, and Purim Extravaganzas
7) Thought for the Week

1) Free Trips to Israel – Registration Open NOW!
Yes – that’s FREE trips to Israel this summer with Mayanot Birthright. All you need to be is Jewish, 18-26, and have never been on an organized peer trip to Israel before. Eligible? Register now at http://www.mayanotisrael.com/. Not eligible? If you recruit 15 of your friends, you get to go back to Israel for free! And if you end up with less than that, there are other great prizes. www.mayanotisrael.com/recruit
Registration opens today, and is expected to fill up quickly. We’ve been guaranteed that anybody eligible that signs up and sends in their deposit for our trip within the first week of registration will DEFINITELY get a spot. So don’t delay!
Rabbi Dov will be leading the trip from USC tentatively scheduled to leave from LA on May 27th.
http://www.mayanotisrael.com/

2) Pizza and Parsha
You’re on campus. You’re breaking for lunch. What better way could there be to spend the time then join us for some great free Kosher pizza and an inspiring discussion about the day-to-day relevance of the weekly Torah portion?
This Thursday and every Thursday, 12:15 – 1:30 pm. On the grass behind the Chabad table on Trousdale.

3) Persian Shabbat
Jews and Chinese food. I don’t know what it is about those two things that goes together so well, but it’s a historical fact.
Get your fill of delicious Chinese cuisine at this week’s Chinese Shabbat at Chabad House. All the usual favorites of our delicious home-cooked five-course Shabbat dinner, but plenty of catered Chinese to boot.
Friday, February 9
Candle Lighting: 5:13 pm
Services: 6:00 pm
Dinner: 7:00 pm
Saturday, February 10
"Legal and Medical Ethics": 9:00 am
Services: 10:00 am
Torah Reading: 11:30 pm – we could use YOUR help with a Minyan
Lunch: 12:45 pm
Havdalah: 6:10 pm

4) Join a PAC: Purim Action Committee
Purim is just around the corner. Along with Purim come some really exciting events – the biggest Jewish party of the year (last time our crowd was estimated at over 1,000!!), and a huge pre-Purim carnival on campus benefiting "the Friendship Circle".
We need your ideas and your energy. As with all of our events, how these turn out will depend on our student volunteers. YOU can make it happen. A lot of preliminary work has already been done – now we need your help in bringing it to the next level.
Pre-Purim Carnival Committee. The Pre-Purim Carnival will be co-sponsored this year by USC Hillel and (hopefully) by USC Philanthropy Board. The proceeds benefit "The Friendship Circle" – an organization benefiting families of children with special needs. Contact Michal Cohen at michalco@usc.edu to volunteer your help and ideas.
Purim Party Committee. The Purim Party – this year "Purim in the Wild West" – will be held on Saturday, March 3. Contact Orit Hayun at funkydiva@aol.com to volunteer.


5) Learning Opportunities
Looking to learn something about your Jewish heritage? Wonder what it means to be Jewish, besides bagels and lox and Jewish mothers? Join one of our weekly discussion group/classes. There’s something for everyone:
Monday
Lunch and Learn at the Dental School – 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Discussion over Dinner at the Chabad House – 6:30 – 8:30 pm
"Origins" – a reading and discussion of the stories of Genesis at Tuscany #426 – 9:15 – 11:30 pm
Tuesday
Once-a-month Lunch and Learn at the Law School – 12:30 – 1:20 pm
Talmud and Tanya – 7:30 – 9:00 pm
Hebrew sound like *&^*@ to you? Learn to understand Hebrew with Runya – 9:00 pm
Wednesday
Twice-a-month Lunch and Learn at the Health Sciences Campus – 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Sinai Scholars – 7:30 – 9:30 pm
Thursday
Pizza and Parsha – 12:15 – 1:45 pm
Discussion Group on Jewish philosophy and open forum in Parkside #631 – 9:30 – 11:00 pm


6) Save the Dates: Jewnity Shabbat, Purim Shabbat, and Purim Extravaganzas
Schedule these on your calendar now:
Friday, February 23
Jewnity Shabbat at Chabad
Join USC’s entire Jewish community for an amazing joint Jewnity Shabbat at Chabad. Co-sponsored by Chabad, Hillel, and the Sig Delt’s (USCs Jewish sorority).
Monday, February 26
Pre-Purim Carnival
Everybody loves a carnival! Joust, ride the orbitron, bake-a-hamantash, throw a pie at the Rabbi, or much more at the annual pre-Purim Carnival benefiting the Friendship Circle. In Alumni Park.
Friday, March 2
Purim Shabbat
Already in the Purim mindset? Now add Shabbat into the mix. There’s no pre-party like this party. AND we’re also honoring Sinai Scholars past and present this Shabbat. Don’t miss it!
Saturday, March 3
Purim in the Wild West
Watch as the Chabad House is transformed to a saloon straight out of the Wild West as the Purim festivities get under way. One thing’s certain: This is THE party of the year!!


7) Thought for the Week
The Torah portion of Mishpatim contains, as evidenced in its name, a large part of the body of legal rulings issued by the Torah. It deals with the laws of torts and damages, the obligations of a borrower or renter, the prohibitions against theft and fraud, the laws of lost objects, bondage, and much more.
Even in such seemingly dry, legalistic proceedings, though, there are many lessons that talk to a broader outlook on life, and that provide us direction for our spiritual journeys.
Take the following verse:
23:5 If you were to see the donkey of someone you hate crouching under its load, would you refrain from helping it?! Rather, you must help him [unload it].
Seems very straight-forward. An issue of moral and ethical direction. Don't hate your enemy so badly that you make his innocent animal suffer as a result. Definitely something to think about, and to find ways of applying to our lives.
But the Ba'al Shem Tov saw this verse as encompassing a deeper message as well.
In Hebrew, sometimes words with very disparate meanings are written with the very same letters. It implies some relationship between the two, and allows us to derive lessons and directives from the convergences.
Chamor or donkey can also be read as chomer--matter.
Thus, says the Baal Shem Tov, the verse may be read as follows:
If you were to see…: If you properly examine and look into—
the donkey…: —your physical body, your material self--
…of someone you hate…: —you will see that it is your enemy. It's goals and direction are completely opposite that of the soul.
…crouching under its load…: You will also see that it is uncomfortably shifting and complaining beneath the load of Torah and mitzvot that God has placed upon it.
would you refrain from helping it?! Do you imagine that you should refrain from helping your body acclimate itself to its task? Do you intend to break its opposition by weakening it through fasts and punishments? No! This is not the way of the Torah.
rather you must help him: You must strengthen the body both physically and spiritually, and ensure that it, too, participates in Divine service
Until the Ba'al Shem Tov many people believed that one had to choose one of two extreme paths. Either someone was a glutton, giving into--even glorifying--bodily material desires, and allowing the body complete rule. The other option was to be an ascetic, regarding the body as the enemy, and trying in every way possible to break it and subjugate it to the control of the soul.
The Ba'al Shem Tov taught that there is a proper balance. On the one hand we must recognize that crass materialism does stand in the face of spiritual growth. If one doesn't exercise some control over physical desires, they take over and reject other, holier, influences.
On the other hand, however, the goal is not to break away or destroy the body. On the contrary: "Being of healthy and complete body is an aspect of the G-dly path" according to Maimonides. Our purpose is integration of body and spirit, integration of physical and spiritual, ensuring that both together are able to be utilized in a constructive manner attaining the objectives established for us by G-d in His Torah.
Shabbat Shalom,
Dov, Runya, Mushky, Menachem, Shneur, and Moshe

Chinese Shabbat, Birthright Registration, and PURIM!

Hi,
As you’ll see below – there’s lots of stuff going on. We’d love to see you this Friday night for Chinese Shabbat, and please read on about how you can get involved in the exciting Purim festivals and much more.

1) Pizza and Parsha
2) Challahs of Love
3) Chinese Shabbat
4) Join a PAC: Purim Action Committee
5) Learning Opportunities
6) Free Trips to Israel – Registration opening soon
7) Save the dates: Persian Shabbat, Jewnity Shabbat, and Purim Extravaganzas
8) Announcements: Nishmat Rabbi lecture, and David Olesker speaks on Israel advocacy
9) Thought for the Week

1) Pizza and Parsha
You’re on campus. You’re breaking for lunch. What better way could there be to spend the time then join us for some great free Kosher pizza and an inspiring discussion about the day-to-day relevance of the weekly Torah portion?
This Thursday and every Thursday, 12:15 – 1:30 pm. On the grass behind the Chabad table on Trousdale.

2) Challahs of Love
Here’s Challah baking with a new twist. Bake two Challahs – one you enjoy at Shabbat dinner, while the other is donated to a needy family in our LA Jewish community.
So that’s the deal: Spend a delightful couple of hours with Runya, get a delicious treat, and do a Mitzvah – all at the same time!
This Thursday, Feb. 8. 7:30 pm. At the Chabad House.

3) Chinese Shabbat
Jews and Chinese food. I don’t know what it is about those two things that goes together so well, but it’s a historical fact.
Get your fill of delicious Chinese cuisine at this week’s Chinese Shabbat at Chabad House. All the usual favorites of our delicious home-cooked five-course Shabbat dinner, but plenty of catered Chinese to boot.

Friday, February 9
Candle Lighting: 5:13 pm
Services: 6:00 pm
Dinner: 7:00 pm

Saturday, February 10
“Understanding the Ten Commandments” : 9:00 am
Services: 10:00 am
Torah Reading of the Ten Commandments: 11:30 pm – we need a Minyan for this one, so don’t miss it
Lunch: 12:45 pm
Havdalah: 6:10 pm

4) Join a PAC: Purim Action Committee
Purim is just around the corner. Along with Purim come some really exciting events – the biggest Jewish party of the year (last time our crowd was estimated at over 1,000!!), and a huge pre-Purim carnival on campus benefiting “the Friendship Circle”.
We need your ideas and your energy. As with all of our events, how these turn out will depend on our student volunteers. YOU can make it happen. A lot of preliminary work has already been done – now we need your help in bringing it to the next level.
This Sunday, the Purim Action Committees will be meeting to plan and distribute volunteer jobs. Please join us and make your voice heard.

Sunday, Feb. 11
3:00 – 4:00 pm. Meeting for Pre-Purim Carnival Committee. The Pre-Purim Carnival will be co-sponsored this year by USC Hillel and (hopefully) by USC Philanthropy Board. The proceeds benefit “The Friendship Circle” – an organization benefiting families of children with special needs.
4:00 – 5:00 pm. Meeting for Purim Party Committee. The Purim Party – this year “Purim in the Wild West” – will be held on Saturday, March 3.

Both meetings at the Chabad House. Refreshments will be served.

5) Learning Opportunities
Looking to learn something about your Jewish heritage? Wonder what it means to be Jewish, besides bagels and lox and Jewish mothers? Join one of our weekly discussion group/classes. There’s something for everyone:

Monday
Lunch and Learn at the Dental School – 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Discussion over Dinner at the Chabad House – 6:30 – 8:30 pm
“Origins” – a reading and discussion of the stories of Genesis at Tuscany #426 – 9:15 – 11:30 pm

Tuesday
Once-a-month Lunch and Learn at the Law School – 12:30 – 1:20 pm
Talmud and Tanya – 7:30 – 9:00 pm

Wednesday
Twice-a-month Lunch and Learn at the Health Sciences Campus – 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Sinai Scholars – 7:30 – 9:30 pm

Thursday
Pizza and Parsha – 12:15 – 1:45 pm
Discussion Group on Jewish philosophy and open forum in Parkside #631 – 9:30 – 11:00 pm

6) Free Trips to Israel – Registration Opening Soon
Yes – that’s FREE trips to Israel this summer with Mayanot Birthright. All you need to be is Jewish, 18-26, and have never been on an organized peer trip to Israel before. Eligible? Pre-register now at http://www.mayanotisrael.com/. Not eligible? If you recruit 15 of your friends, you can go again as a staff member. And if you end up with less than that, there are other great prizes. www.mayanotisrael.com/recruit
Registration opens Feb. 15, and is expected to fill up quickly. We’ve been guaranteed that anybody eligible that signs up and sends in their deposit for our trip within the first week of registration will DEFINITELY get a spot. So don’t delay!

Rabbi Dov will be leading the trip from USC tentatively scheduled to leave from LA on May 27th.

http://www.mayanotisrael.com/

7) Save the Dates: Persian Shabbat, Jewnity Shabbat, and Purim Extravaganzas
Schedule these on your calendar now:

Friday, February 16
Persian Shabbat
Once a year in honor of the approaching Purim holiday we pull out the Persian food. Kabob, ghormo sabzi, Persian rice, and much much more. You don’t want to miss this one.

Friday, February 23
Jewnity Shabbat at Chabad
Join USC’s entire Jewish community for an amazing joint Jewnity Shabbat at Chabad. Co-sponsored by Chabad, Hillel, and the Sig Delt’s (USCs Jewish sorority).

Monday, February 26
Pre-Purim Carnival
Everybody loves a carnival! Joust, ride the orbitron, bake-a-hamantash, throw a pie at the Rabbi, or much more at the annual pre-Purim Carnival benefiting the Friendship Circle. In Alumni Park.

Saturday, March 3
Purim in the Wild West
Watch as the Chabad House is transformed to a saloon straight out of the Wild West as the Purim festivities get under way. One thing’s certain: This is THE party of the year!!

8) Announcements: Nishmat Rabbi lecture, and David Olesker speaks on Israel advocacy
TONIGHT: Hear Rabbi Tzvi Leshem of Nishmat Institute in Jerusalem talk about “Moshe’s kiss and Miriam’s well: Models of Masculine and Feminine Divine Service”. It’s happening tonight – Wednesday, February 7 – at Hillel at 6:45 pm. Desserts will be served. This is definitely worth your time.

Next Week: Hear David Olesker talk about “Five Basic Skills for Effective Israel Advocacy”. Tuesday, Feb. 13 at 6:00 pm. It’s happening at USC Hillel, as a joint project of Caravan for Demcoracy, SC Students for Israel, Chabad, Hillel, and the Trojan Israel Public Affairs Committee.


9) Thought for the Week
The Torah portion of Yitro contains what is probably the most momentous and defining moment in the history of the Jewish people to date: The Giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai.

It's got all the makings of a major spiritual event. The sound effects were there--"there was thunder and lightning, a heavy cloud on the mountain, and an extremely loud blast of the ram's horn." The visual effects have yet to be outdone by Hollywood--"The whole of Mount Sinai was in smoke because G-d had descended upon it in Fire. Its smoke rose up like the smoke of a lime kiln..." There were even a couple of special "reality" effects thrown in--"the entire mountain quaked violently."

You've got the sounds and sights, you've got Divine revelation, you've everything a spiritualist could possibly want.

But what does G-d actually speak about?

The people are witnessing all of the Divine levels and degrees that the mystics can only study about and ponder. Are they told the mystical secrets of creation? Does G-d impart the ingredients for successful meditation, or the path to inner peace?

"I am the L-rd your G-d...Remember the Sabbath Day...Do not murder...Do not steal..." etc.

Simple, practical--one might even argue obvious--statements.

The mystical was seen and felt tangibly. But G-d chose to impart a lesson. Judaism is about doing what G-d wants us to do. It may sometimes not feel so spiritual; there may be times when it doesn't "turn us on." And, on the other hand, there may be times when we consider these things to make sense for purely rationalistic reasoning--no need for any Divine element at all.

At the Giving of the Torah G-d chose to remind us of two important factors:

a) Moral rights and wrongs without a Divine element or consciousness are completely unreliable--to the point of being almost meaningless. If we choose to refrain from murder because that's what makes sense to our moral sensitivities, what guarantee do we have that we will not stray--that our moral sensitivities will not come to accept that which we once thought repugnant. Look through any century in the history of mankind, and you will find acceptance of that which was once rejected and rejection of that which was once considered acceptable. Look at Nazi Germany: A nation that prided itself on its scientific and ethical standards, that chose to consider mass murder of any race but their own an ethical and moral imperative. It is only when we are conscious of the objective right and wrong, of the Divine element and commandment behind our actions, that we can hope to be sure of being morally grounded.

b) It is doing what G-d wants that counts. We are finite human beings. If we try to connect spiritually based on our own emotional sway, we are severely limited in our ability for connection. But when we follow G-d's commandments, even those that don't seem spiritually uplifting or exciting at any given moment, we are not attempting to connect on our terms, but rather on His, infinite and unlimited as only He can be.

One more short--but powerfully important--message:

As the preparation for the Giving of the Torah, the Jewish people arrived at Mount Sinai six days earlier. Says the Torah: Israel encamped there facing the mountain. The word used for encamped--vayichan--is used in the singular, prompting our Sages to explain: "They encamped there as one man with one heart. Every other encampment included the natural petty jealousies or arguments, but in this one instance, the entire Jewish people was truly united."

Again, the preparation was not primarily focused on mystical and spiritual purifications or incantations. It was peace. "The entire Torah was given," says Maimonides, "to make peace in this world." That is the nature of Torah. It creates peace and love between G-d, His people, and His world. And ultimately, it is also the tool through which all of the Jewish people--and ultimately all of mankind--can unite once more as one, ushering in a better world for all eternity.

Shabbat Shalom,

Dov, Runya, Mushky, Menachem, Shneur, and Moshe