This Week

NO SHIURUM

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COMMUNAL KIDDUSH

If you are celebrating a birthday, anniversary or

any other Simcha and would like to join in with the next 

Communal Kiddush

please contact the Office.

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This week's Communal Kiddush is

sponsored by

 Frances Bookatz on her granddaughter's wedding 

 and on her grandson's Barmitzvah 

 Maureen Bodlander, Selma Bodlander 

 and Michael Appleby on their birthdays 

 Paul Jackson on his parents' 

 65th Wedding Anniversary  

and

 Susan Gordon on her parents'  

 67th Wedding Anniversary 

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Forthcoming Stone Settings

(at Rainham unless specified)

11-Oct-26 - 1:15 PM - Tony Rones at Waltham Abbey
18-Oct-26 - 2:45 PM - Doreen Wajchendler
25-Oct-26 - 11:00 PM - Maurice Field
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FORTHCOMING EVENTS

5 September - Communal Kiddush

16 September - The Stanley Bookatz Memorial Lecture

15 November - Annual Quiz (details to follow)

22 November - Whiskey Tasting Evening

PLEASE CALL THE SHUL OFFICE FOR DETAILS AND FOR BOOKING

Weekly Torah Portion
With our thanks to Aish

 
Nitzavim-Vayelech, Deuteronomy 29:9 - 31:30
On the day of Moses’ death he assembles the whole Jewish people and creates a Covenant confirming the Jewish people as the Almighty’s Chosen People for all future generations. Moses makes clear the consequences of rejecting God and His Torah as well as the possibility of repentance. He reiterates that Torah is readily available to everyone. He warns us against idolatry (thinking anything other than God has power) and assures us that eventually the Jewish people will do teshuva (repent) and will be redeemed and brought back to the Land of Israel — and those who hate the Jewish people and pursue us will get their just recompense.

Nitzavim concludes with perhaps the clearest and most powerful statement in the Torah about the purpose of life and the existence of freewill: “I have set before you this day life and good, death and evil […] the blessing and the curse. Therefore, choose life that you may live, you and your descendants.” (Now that's a real Quote of the Week!)

Vayelech begins with Moses passing the torch of leadership to Joshua (Yehoshua). Moses then gives Joshua a command/blessing, which applies to every Jewish leader: “Be strong and brave. Do not be afraid or feel insecure before them. God your Lord is the One who is going with you, and He will not fail you nor forsake you.”

Moses writes the entire Torah and gives it to the Cohanim and Elders. He then commands that in the future at the end of the Shmita (Sabbatical Year) the king should gather all the people during the Sukkot festival and read to them the Torah so “[…] that they will hear and learn and fear the Lord your God and be careful to perform all the words of the Torah.”


The Almighty describes in a short paragraph the course of Jewish history (that’s starting from Deuteronomy 31:16 for the curious). Lastly, before Moses goes to “sleep with his forefathers,” he assembles the people to teach them the song of Ha’azinu, the next weekly Torah portion, to remind them of the consequences of turning against the Almighty.