OCTOBER 5 • 2023 | 41
J
N

SPIRIT

A Special Time 
for Those We Love
W

hen Rachel and I 
were getting mar-
ried, my in-laws 
(the Tesslers) and their friends 
threw a wedding shower based 
on the Jewish holidays. 
Each family gave us a 
wonderful and mean-
ingful present based on 
the theme of the holiday, 
with a poem or a few 
choice words. 
The dear friends who 
got Shemini Atzeret as 
their holiday wrote a 
very funny song with 
the theme: “But why, 
oh, why? What did we 
do? How do we get — 
Shemini Atzeret?” 
It was very funny; 
but, of course, Shemini 
Atzeret is one of the great 
holidays of our tradition and 
does have its own theme, even 
though it might seem to be bur-
ied among the more prominent 
holidays before it. So permit me 
a few words on how excited I 
am to be approaching Shemini 
Atzeret.
Shemini Atzeret contains one 
of the most beautiful midrashim 
about God’s relationship with 
the Jewish people. After busy 
Sukkot, which celebrates all of 
nature, God wants one more 
day to spend just with us. “It is 
so hard for Me to say goodbye!” 
as the Midrash says. God needs 
more time with us — to be able 
to focus just on us. 
The Jewish people certainly 
have a mission of being a light 
onto the nations, engaging in 
tikkun olam; “stranger and 
citizen, they will thrive within 
Jewish society” Leviticus says. 
However, on Shemini Atzeret, 
the focus is on God’s relation-

ship with the Jewish people and 
that deep and personal bond 
based on our Jewish tradition, 
Torah, the culture that we have 
built up over thousands of years 
and the love we have for 
each other as a people, a 
family and a nation. 
But what makes Shemini 
Atzeret special as a 
holiday? How can it teach 
us that God loves us and 
wants to spend time with 
us? In ancient days it was 
reflected in the sacrifices. 
Yet, today, our prophets tell 
us to replace sacrifices with 
words. So I would suggest 
on Shemini Atzeret, today, 
we use our mouths to 
elevate our relationships 
with each other. 
It might start with the “Happy 
Holiday” — Chag Sameach — 
to someone we never talk to or 
a stranger. We should be doing 
this anyway, but on Shemini 
Atzeret let’s do it with kavanah 
— with intention, knowing that 
this Jewish person near us is 
engaged in the same amazing 
relationship with God that we 
are. Let’s get to know each other 
better. 
I hope that on this Shemini 
we use our mouths to celebrate 
the Jewish people, our 4,000-
year relationship with God and 
the love of Jews not only to the 
world, but also within the Jewish 
people themselves. 
Why, oh, why, did we get … 
Shemini Atzeret? Because God 
loves us and wants to show it 
one more time.
Chag sameach from me. 

Rabbi Asher Lopatin is rabbi of 

Kehillat Etz Chaim in Huntington 

Woods and Oak Park and the 

executive director of the JCRC/AJC.

TORAH PORTION

Rabbi Asher 
Lopatin

Parshat 

Shemini 

Atzeret: 

Deuteronomy 

14:22-16:17; 

Numbers 

29:35-30:1; I 

Kings 8:54-

66.

 

Rugiero Promise Foundation along with 
the University of Michigan Medicine Center 
Present the 2023 Casino Royale

Help us find a cure for diabetes!

Oct 14th 

5:30pm

The Icon-
Detroit

200 Walker St. 
Detroit, MI

 

RugieroPromise.org
or
RPromisefund@yahoo.com

We invite you, your family and friends
to join us and participate!
We are Virtual with a Silent Auction,
Raffles, Prizes
and Direct Donations

Although we cannot gather with 500 people as
we have done in the past, we will still do our part
to fight this horrible disease.

This virtual event will be open to everyone and
will benefit our commitment in finding a cure
for Diabetes. Now more than ever families
facing Diabetes need our help. The CDC has
determined people with diabetes that get COVID-
19 do face a higher risk of experiencing seri-
ous complications.

Information on how to connect to the

CASINO ROYALE
VIRTUAL SILENT AUCTION
AND RAFFLE EVENT

will be posted on the Foundation website,
so keep checking back:
http://www.rugieropromise.org
OR
Sign up at rpromisefund@yahoo.com
to receive an invitation for this
exciting-FUN virtual event.

BID HIGH…WIN RAFFLE DRAW…DONATE

 Together we make a difference
supporting Diabetes!

HELP US
FIND A CURE
FOR DIABETES!

Rugiero Promise Foundation along
with the University of Michigan
Medicine Center
Present the

VIRTUAL
2020 CASINO ROYALE

SILENT AUCTION & RAFFLE

October 22-24, 2020

 

RugieroPromise.org
or
RPromisefund@yahoo.com

We invite you, your family and friends
to join us and participate!
We are Virtual with a Silent Auction,
Raffles, Prizes
and Direct Donations

Although we cannot gather with 500 people as
we have done in the past, we will still do our part
to fight this horrible disease.

This virtual event will be open to everyone and
will benefit our commitment in finding a cure
for Diabetes. Now more than ever families
facing Diabetes need our help. The CDC has
determined people with diabetes that get COVID-
19 do face a higher risk of experiencing seri-
ous complications.

Information on how to connect to the

CASINO ROYALE
VIRTUAL SILENT AUCTION
AND RAFFLE EVENT

will be posted on the Foundation website,
so keep checking back:
http://www.rugieropromise.org
OR
Sign up at rpromisefund@yahoo.com
to receive an invitation for this
exciting-FUN virtual event.

BID HIGH…WIN RAFFLE DRAW…DONATE

 Together we make a difference
supporting Diabetes!

HELP US
FIND A CURE
FOR DIABETES!

Rugiero Promise Foundation along
with the University of Michigan
Medicine Center
Present the

VIRTUAL
2020 CASINO ROYALE

SILENT AUCTION & RAFFLE

October 22-24, 2020

 

Thank you to our 

2017 Sponsors

Sponsors as of 9/1/2017

RugieroPromise.org
or
RPromisefund@yahoo.com

We invite you, your family and friends
to join us and participate!
We are Virtual with a Silent Auction,
Raffles, Prizes
and Direct Donations

Although we cannot gather with 500 people as
we have done in the past, we will still do our part
to fight this horrible disease.

This virtual event will be open to everyone and
will benefit our commitment in finding a cure
for Diabetes. Now more than ever families
facing Diabetes need our help. The CDC has
determined people with diabetes that get COVID-
19 do face a higher risk of experiencing seri-
ous complications.

Information on how to connect to the

CASINO ROYALE
VIRTUAL SILENT AUCTION
AND RAFFLE EVENT

will be posted on the Foundation website,
so keep checking back:
http://www.rugieropromise.org
OR
Sign up at rpromisefund@yahoo.com
to receive an invitation for this
exciting-FUN virtual event.

BID HIGH…WIN RAFFLE DRAW…DONATE

 Together we make a difference
supporting Diabetes!

HELP US
FIND A CURE
FOR DIABETES!

Rugiero Promise Foundation along
with the University of Michigan
Medicine Center
Present the

VIRTUAL
2020 CASINO ROYALE

SILENT AUCTION & RAFFLE

October 22-24, 2020

Join This Team of Players!

October 28, 2017

at the Dearborn

Performing

 

Arts Center

RugieroPromise.org
or
RPromisefund@yahoo.com

Be a Victor!

Help us find a cure
for Diabetes

For Sponsorship 
Opportunities
& Tickets Go To:

 

RugieroPromise.org
or
RPromisefund@yahoo.com

We invite you, your family and friends
to join us and participate!
We are Virtual with a Silent Auction,
Raffles, Prizes
and Direct Donations

Although we cannot gather with 500 people as
we have done in the past, we will still do our part
to fight this horrible disease.

This virtual event will be open to everyone and
will benefit our commitment in finding a cure
for Diabetes. Now more than ever families
facing Diabetes need our help. The CDC has
determined people with diabetes that get COVID-
19 do face a higher risk of experiencing seri-
ous complications.

Information on how to connect to the

CASINO ROYALE
VIRTUAL SILENT AUCTION
AND RAFFLE EVENT

will be posted on the Foundation website,
so keep checking back:
http://www.rugieropromise.org
OR
Sign up at rpromisefund@yahoo.com
to receive an invitation for this
exciting-FUN virtual event.

BID HIGH…WIN RAFFLE DRAW…DONATE

 Together we make a difference
supporting Diabetes!

HELP US
FIND A CURE
FOR DIABETES!

Rugiero Promise Foundation along
with the University of Michigan
Medicine Center
Present the

VIRTUAL
2020 CASINO ROYALE

SILENT AUCTION & RAFFLE

October 22-24, 2020

We invite you to join our annual event with a Strolling Supper and Bar, 
Dancing, Entertainment, Live & Silent Auctions, and Prizes

For more info visit www.rugieropromise.org or call Ann at 313-590-7493

CANTOR SAMUEL
GREENBAUM 
— Certified Mohel —

855ABoy@gmail.com

Office: (248) 547-7970

Answering all of your anesthetic 
& aftercare needs.

(248) 417-5632 

Skill, Sensitivity and Tradition 
come together to create your special Bris.

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