The Sixth Annual Ariel Avrech ZT’L Yahrtzeit Lecture takes place this weekend Sunday June 21, 2009, at 10 AM at the Young Israel of Century City, followed by a brunch.
Young Israel of Century City
9317 West Pico Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90035
We are pleased to announce that we have engaged Rabbi Steven Pruzansky to present this year’s lecture.
Rabbi Pruzansky is the spiritual leader of Congregation Bnai Yeshurun, a synagogue consisting of nearly 600 families located in Teaneck, New Jersey, and one of the most vibrant centers of Orthodox Jewish life today. He has served since August 1994.
Rabbi Pruzansky graduated from Columbia University in 1978 with a B.A. in history, and received a Juris Doctor degree from the Benjamin Cardozo School of Law in 1981. He practiced law for 13 years as a general practitioner and litigator in New York City until assuming his current pulpit. Rabbi Pruzansky studied in yeshivot in Israel and the United States, and was ordained at Yeshiva Bnei Torah of Far Rockaway, New York under the guidance of Rabbi Yisrael Chait, shlit”a.
He recently served as President of the Rabbinical Board of Bergen County, and currently serves as the Treasurer of the Rabbinical Council of America. He is a trustee of the RCA on the Board of the Beth Din of America, as well as a dayyan on the Beth Din itself. He also served as the American co-spokesman for the International Rabbinic Coalition for Israel. Rabbi Pruzansky served on the Board of Directors of the Jerusalem Reclamation Project, and received their Rabbinic Leadership Award at their 1995 Jerusalem Day banquet.
Rabbi Pruzansky is the author of A Prophet for Today: Contemporary Lessons of the Book of Yehoshua, and Judges for our Time: Contemporary Lessons of the Book of Shoftim.
Rabbi Pruzansky recently entered into the blogosphere with a fine blog appropriately titled: Rabbi Pruzansky’s Blog.
The title of Rabbi Pruzansky’s lecture is: Conformity in Jewish Life: Virtue, Vice or Affectation?
Is conformity a Torah ideal, and should we encourage it in our children and communities ? Or does conformity restrict our creative impulses, diminish our simchat hachaim—joy of life—and potentially impair our service of Hashem ? Is there a value in pretending to conform externally ? This lecture will explore the Torah’s balance between conformity and individuality.
We look forward to seeing all our friends and relatives at the lecture.
Learning Torah was Ariel’s greatest joy. There is no better way of honoring Ariel’s memory than by participating in this lecture series.
May Ariel’s neshama have an aliyah.
You do not have to RSVP to attend. The lecture and brunch are courtesy of the Avrech Family and Friends.
The lecture will be videotaped and posted on Seraphic Secret for the benefit of those who cannot attend in person.
Karen and I wish all our friends and relatives a restful and meaningful Shabbat.
Important Note: Trader Joe’s, all across the United States, are due to be raided by Jew-hating rabble who seek to prevent Israeli products from being sold by removing them from shelves.
This is much like the Nazi boycotts of Jewish businesses during the 30′s.
So, those of you who can, please head on over to your local Trader Joe’s and purchase as many Israeli products as you can. If you’re Jewish do this on Friday—today—so as no violate the Sabbath.
Make sure to let Trader Joe’s know that you appreciate the fact that they carry Israeli products.
Stand up to the thugs who seek to destroy Israel and the Jewish people. They are just old fashioned Jew-haters hiding behind the fashionable mask of anti-Zionism.
These creatures already struck a supermarket in Paris. Naturally, no one called the police or confronted the jihadists. Roll the tape.
H/T Israel Matzav
Ariel Chaim Avrech, ZT'L, May His Righteous Memory be a Blessing.
15 Comments
Karen and I thank all our friends for your kind and generous remarks. Your words afford us a measure of comfort as we continue to live with the loss of our beloved Ariel Chaim ZT’L.
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Robert and Karen,
I hope all goes well, and wish with all my heart that I could be there. Looking forward to watching the video.
Best regards and Robert–Happy Father’s Day. You are a great dad.
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Dear Robert & Karen: I hope the lecture went well. Happy Father’s Day.
A friend of mine pointed out that, while the tape shows the Israeli imports being removed from the shelves, it does not show the imports being destroyed.
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Robert and family:
You are in my thoughts as you mark this important day.
Looking forward to accessing the lecture online.
Sincere best wishes from The Great White North.
Mark
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HaMakom yNachem…
Please mail out the link (at least to me) once the shiur is posted.
The rabbi’s books look very interesting. Davka, that’s the Tanach topic I relate to very much.
I hope that the management of Trader Joe’s doesn’t buckle under pressure.
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I am an evangelical Christian…love your blog. We have shopped regularly at TJs for about 25 years, first in California, now in Ohio. We will be alert for any signs of trying to get Jewish products out of Traders (I might start buying Kosher!)
Shalom,
jb
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thinking of you, ariel a”h and the rest of the family, as always and especially this time of year. i miss him so, and am truly inspired by the way your family has responded to tragedy with growth and giving.
yours truly,
josh and family.
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I’m lost in wonder, what a wonderful variety of products such a tiny country produces (about a third of the size of Scotland, is it?). That came over as more of a promotional – “Shop Israel for all your needs!”
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Robert:
A lot of us will be with you and your family in spirit Sunday.
When I first saw that video from the French store, it was just another reminder that Europe is pretty worthless when it comes to standing up for Israel. There is still the U.S but with Obama in the WH red-lining where Jews can live I’m not sure how strong our country will be for Israel.
And your answer about the importance of the Torah to Christians and muslims is correct. As kids we learned the stories of Adam and Eve, Noah, & Moses before we learned the gospels. And we were taught that the Torah comprised the first 5 books of the Bible. The Jewish roots of our religion are always front and center in our religion classes. The idea that the Jews corrupted the OT was never taught in my 12 years of Catholic schooling.
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I love Trader Joe’s products and buy them regularly. I did not know that some of them were Israeli. It is absurd for anyone to boycott any country by raiding Trader Joe’s (or Whole Foods for that matter). Do you have more information on this?
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Well, I’m feeling pretty good about the imported Israeli feta cheese I just bought at TJ’s today. By the way, it’s kosher and my favorite feta by far. So creamy and tart and excellent.
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Ari:
I’d love to see a few former IDF guys confront these cowardly Jew-haters.
You should go on-line to Trader Joe’s and send them an e-mail letting them know how you feel. Public opinion is the name of the game here.
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Pearl:
Karen and I were overjoyed that you attended the lecture 4 years ago. It was a great opportunity to meet face to face and solidify our cyber relationship.
May we only share simchas together.
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Trader Joes should hire an Israeli security company for their stores this weekend.
I am not sure why TJ’s is being picked on by these thugs but if they stand up to them and continue to sell Israeli products I will give preference to TJ’s when it comes to all my grocery needs.
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Wow…it’s 4 years since I came to L.A. for the Yahrzeit lecture and met you and the Avrech/Singer
family. Hope I can attend again at some point in the future — with my family in tow!
May Ariel’s neshama have an aliyah, and may these annual lectures carry on, enlightening and enriching the intellectual lives of many.
Shabbat Shalom to you all. (Happy Father’s Day)
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