NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN OF THE SIXTEENTH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE BETH HAMEDRASH HAGADOL SANDTON UNDER THE NEW CONSTITUTION, CORRESPONDING TO THE 45TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE CONGREGATION, TO BE HELD AT LONGDON ROAD MORNINGSIDE SANDTON IN THE FOYER OF THE SHUL ON TUESDAY, 28TH MAY 2013 AT 7:30PM

AGENDA

1. NOTICE CONVENING THE MEETING

2. ATTENDANCE REGISTER: Present and Apologies

3. a) CONFIRMATION OF THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
b) MATTERS ARISING

4. PRESIDENT’S REPORT

5. FINANCIAL REPORT

6. RABBI’S REPORT

7. With or without amendment, subject to the commitment of specific donations as the existing cash flow does not allow for such expenditure approval is sought of the
following project:

Erection of a building up to 200m² and a covered terrace of up to 100m² for the purpose of:
a. A Youth Centre which will accommodate learning, davening and youth recreation
b. One or two classrooms for the use of the Minnie Bersohn Nursery School, the cost of which will be settled by the South African Board of Jewish Education.

8. ELECTION OF OFFICE BEARERS

9. GENERAL

Copies of the financial accounts will be available at the office seven (7) days prior to the meeting.

Nomination forms available from the office, which need to be completed and returned seven (7) days prior to the meeting.



We worked so hard on Wayne!! For Years …. this guy is… tough… resilient…. unflappable…..impenetrable.. You get the picture. In a moment of weakness Greg Kinross got him at the Brocha……We had reached number 30 Wayne had a few whiskeys and he said” I will do it if I am number 36″- TWICE CHAI….. We did a bit of Juggling.. Slotted him in and as we have seen when WAYNE COMMITS WAYNE COMMITS

Wayne Diner


Now we werent sure what Wayne is standing in front of in the pic but its a good pic. On a serious note Wayne has taken this Haftorah seriously. He has gone to a Rabbi who is teaching him TROP not just OFF BY HEART.. For Weeks Wayne has been seen following the Haftorah and checking that the person is doing it correctly. Wayne we know that you are going to be great!Yasher Koach for being number 36 … Far from being the weakest link you have definitely been “The Toughest Nut to Crack” We will be there on Shabbas rooting for you!!

Awesome Whiskey


Not only has Wayne taken the Haftorah seriously but we hear that the whiskey is Top Division. The word is out that there are going to be whiskeys that we have never even heard of. I am sure you have noted that there is a small mob starting to gather around the Haftorah club Whiskey Table on Shabbas….

A special Guest Rabbi

If all of the above is not enough Wayne organised a a guest speaker for Shabbas. We are are going to have Rabbi Lappin with us for Shabbas. Rabbi Lappin is a world renowned Rabbi and Speaker. Don Miss Him!!

So in conclusion Have a great week, a brilliant Shavuot and whatever you do dont miss this Shabat

Trevor

In Israel, the people are blessed every single day of the year by the Kohanim, who stand before the congregation each morning and act as a conduit for G-d’s blessing to come down. Here in the diaspora we only get an opportunity on Festivals to have the Kohanim stand before the congregation, taleisim covering their heads and hands as they bless us. The blessing that they ask Hashem to grant us is for increasing wealth, long lives, safety and security and spiritual growth. We also have an opportunity to annul bad dreams.

We now have the largest Tallit in the Southern hemisphere to spread over your children during the priestly blessing. Please bring your children on both days of Shavuot Wednesday and Thursday for the Kohanims blessing and on to remember the Bikkurim (First Fruits) Ceremony On Thursday.

In the merit of bringing your children may Hashem bless you all only with good.

Chag Samayach,
Rabbi David Shaw

SHAVUOT DINNER AND ALL NIGHT LEARNING PROGRAMME
Kids under 13 will be having an exciting dinner (during the main dinner) in the Games room, which will be run by our unbelievable youth team.
Kids from 14 and up will be joining the main dinner.
Following the Dinner, there will be an exclusive all night learning programme featuring “The Weakest Link” for all youth between the ages of 11 and 18. (Please see attached poster for details)
Sleeping arrangements for the night can be made, please contact Paige Lewis on 0846525893 for more information.
To book for the dinner please contact Harelle on 0118834210.

ALL NIGHT YOUTH LEARNING PROGRAMME SCHEDULE
23h15 The Weakest Link Round 1
24h00 Perogen & Soup
24h30 The Weakest Link Round 2
01h30 Break (Snacks Provided)
02h00 Interesting Source Based Learning / Debate
02h45 Break
03h15 Boardgames specially designed for Shavuot
04h30 Learning with the Sandton Youth Team
5h30 Early Shacharit
07h30 BED TIME

CHILDREN SERVCES
There will be children services on both days and nights of Shavuot for all the different age groups. Please remember to bring your kids on both days to receive the special priestly blessing! On second day, Thursday 16 May, we will have our annual Bikkurim, fruit basket, presentation as well as our “build har sinai” ice cream party.

Looking forward to a fantastic Shavuout with you and your children!

The Sandton Shul Youth Team

Have you even seen a ………..???

Singing Cat… neither have I and there is a good chance that you wont see one this Shabbas…. but what you will see is….

A Jeff Wapnick…….. What is a Jeff Wapnick you may ask? … A Jeff Wapnick is a guy who walks into Shul on Shabbas..sees a lot lot of guys clapping each other on the back … Yasher Koaching each other and thinks HEY I WANNA DO THIS.

What did he want to do … well of course he wanted to do a Haftorah. Jeff was one of the easiest guys to get on the Bimah. .. He said “give me for 4 months to prepare” and asked what else do I need to do?… I got a bit nervous and said.. “you need to bring 4 bottles of single malt-good quality”. I asked him if he would be ok with that and he said…..” I think I can manage that!”

Word in the alley is that Jeff has been working hard and as they say in the classics——Is Ready to Rock n Roll.

So be there this Shabbas to listen to this cat Sing!!!

Have an awesome week and great Shabbas!!

I believe that the secret to successfully bringing up our children as children who are mindful of their incredible heritage, knowledgeable, respectful and proud of their religion, history and destiny, is to be found in a simple reading of the first paragraph. “You shall love the Lord your G-d with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your resources.” Let these matters that I command you today (The Torah) be upon your heart. Teach them thoroughly to your children, and speak of them” Speak with them. Learn with them. Listen to them and educate them to listen to you. Talk about Torah with your kids, with your family. When? “When you sit in your home, while you walk on the way, when you lie down and when you get up.” In other words consistently, constantly, at every opportunity.
“Let these matters that I command you be on your heart.” Why on and not in your heart? Surely the words should be internalised into our hearts and not merely upon them? The truth is that no one can get into anyone else’s heart.

All we as parents and educators can do is o pile it, layer after layer upon the hearts of out charges. Day after day. Night after night. Hopefully one day the child will open their heart just a little and all that has been piled on top will fall inside, deep within their hearts.

And hopefully deep within our own hearts, one day too.

Rabbi David Shaw

Visit www.iawaken.org to read more about Rabbi David Lapin.

Please call the office on 011 8834210 to ensure that you do not miss out on what we know will be an absolutely awesome experience for your mind and soul.

Sandton Shul – Helene Smith
Tel: 011 8834210
Fax: 011 8834245

I saw a fantastic message in the writing of the Ben Ish Chai, the leader of the Sephardic Jewish world in the early 19th century. He was a master Kabbalist and lived in Bagdad. This week’s Parasha begins with Hashem speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai and instructing him all about the laws of shmitah, leaving the land fallow every seven years, a kind of Shabbat for the Holy land. All our commentators ask what the connection is between G-d speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai and the laws of shmitah in that both are discussed in the juxtaposed verses, at the beginning of the Parasha. What’s the connection between Mount Sinai and a Shabbat for the Land? Each commentator proposes their answer; however, the answer of the Ben Ish Chai really makes good sense to me as and in it he has a good life lesson for us all. Mount Sinai was the smallest of the mountains and for some it was therefore lacking in stature. It was surely not perfect. However it was only because of its lack of grandeur and its modest size that it was chosen as the mountain on which G-d would reveal himself to the children of Israel. Dafka, because it was small! While superficially it would seem to be lacking, in fact it was its most endearing feature. So too with shmitah. One may think that to leave the land fallow would be something negative, something that would cause great loss. However, we know that for the farmers who kept these laws, they received a triple crop, a threefold blessing, in the sixth year.

How often do we look at that which is not quite perfect, something or someone and simply write them off? Frequently it is in that very imperfection that we find something truly praiseworthy.

Hope your Shabbat is blessed.

Rabbi David Shaw