22 March 2025 - 22 Adar 5785 Shabbat Candle Lighting – 6:56 pm Shabbat Ends – 7:56 pm According to myzmanim.com Shabbat - Parshat Vayakhel Mincha and Kabbalat Shabbat - 6:56 pm Shabbat Morning Services followed by Kiddush – 9:00 am Mincha, Seudah Shelishit, and Maariv - 6:41 pm
Bais Abe Community News
*Please note: The Bais Abe office will be closed on Monday-Tuesday, March 24-25.*
Pesach is Coming! The first seder will be on Saturday, April 14. Are you looking for a place for seders? Are you able to host people for seders? Please let us know at office@baisabe.com.
Lost and Found: If you lost a ring recently, please be in touch with the shul office.
Shabbat Services on the First Floor To make Bais Abe's services more accessible to all, Shabbat services will be held downstairs on the second Shabbat of the month. The schedule for the first half of 2025 is:
January 11 February 8 March 8 April 12 May 17 (Note: third week of the month) June 14
Rabbi Finkelstein's Office Hours Rabbi Finkelstein will have open office hours on Mondays from 1-3pm, Wednesdays, from 9am-12pm, and Thursdays from 12-3pm. Come say hi and chat! If you have any questions, or would like to speak further, feel free to reach out, rabbifinkelstein@baisabe.com.
Update Your Info in the Bais Abe Directory Did you know that Bais Abe members have access to an online shul directory? View and edit your listing by singing in to your Bais Abe account; directions can be found here. After you log in, you can click on "My Account" and view and/or edit your directory entry. You can also upload a photo so that everyone can put faces with names. This will also help Rabbi Finkelstein as he gets to know everyone! Please be in touch with Ruth if you have any questions about logging in to your account and making updates.
Sign Up for Perek of the Day WhatsApp Group In the aftermath of the attacks on October 7th, Rabbi Finkelstein started a Psalm of the Day WhatsApp group for his shul in Baltimore, so that people could find a time during the day to focus our minds and hearts into meaningful prayer through the Book of Psalms. The group has now completed Psalms and has transitioned to the Book of Yeshayahu (Isaiah). If you would like to join this group and learn more about Yeshayahu, please joinhere.
Bais Abe Stands With Israel We are brokenhearted and devastated over current events in Israel. We stand with our brothers and sisters during these unprecedented times. We have created a page of some resources on our website. The Jewish Federation of St. Louis also has a comprehensive resource page here.
Please refrain from wearing perfume/cologne in the synagogue because some of our members are highly allergic. If you inadvertently arrive at the shul wearing any scents, please wash them off. Thank you.
Please be sure to close any windows you open before you leave the building.
Join Connect Bais Abe to get the most up-to-date news from Bais Abe and your fellow Bais Abers. To join the conversation, just send an email to connectBaisAbe+subscribe@groups.io.
Upcoming Events (click on the images to visit the website)
Learning Opportunities with Rabbi Finkelstein
Weekly Haftarah Class Shabbat afternoons at Seudah Shelishit
Join Rabbi Finkelstein for a weekly study of the Haftarah.
Jewish History Through Its Great Religious Leaders Sundays at 9:15AM - in person and on Zoom
Every Sunday morning, join Rabbi Finkelstein as we journey through the great religious leaders of Jewish History, and look at how history shaped them, and was shaped by them. We will be learning in installments of four weeks for each figure. Find out more here.
Halachah with Chacham Ovadya Yosef Thursdays at 7:00PM - in person and on Zoom
Every Thursday night, join Rabbi Finkelstein as we learn halacha, Jewish law, by following the framework as set up by Rav Ovadya Yosef in his work of responsa, Yabia Omer. Find out morehere.
Parshat Parah (Reading about the Red Heifer) This Shabbat, you will again see two Torah scrolls out, as we read the third of the Arba Parshiot, the four special Torah readings leading up to Passover, for maftir. It is called Parshat Parah and deals with the sacrifice of the red heifer. The ashes of this sacrifice were used to purify the Jewish people to prepare them for Passover. The author of the Shulchan Aruch, Code of Jewish law, Rav Yoseph Karo (1488-1575), mentions that hearing Parshat Parah read is a biblical commandment, not just a rabbinic one, and therefore people should make an extra effort to hear it read in shul. One proof that reading Parshat Parah is a biblical commandment comes from the verse in the parsha: “And it should be a perpetual statute (chukat olam) for them.” This is interpreted to mean that the sacrifice of the red heifer must always be remembered even after the Temple was destroyed and there were no more sacrifices. The Ramah, Rav Moshe Isserles (1530-1572), the Ashkenazic commentator on the Shulchan Aruch, suggests that those who can’t make it to shul should read Parshat Parah by themselves.
Jack Shapiro
St. Louis Jewish Community News and Messages
The film, "Names not Numbers," worked on by Kadimah high school students, will premiere at the St. Louis Jewish Film Festival on March 30. Click on the image below to visit the website for more information.
Our dear friend, Berta Goldgaber, is selling lovely aprons for Pesach. The cost is $22.00 plus shipping and handling, and for each one sold, Berta will make a donation to Bais Abe. Please email her for more info: fabricart18@aol.com .
Shaimos Collection - March 30 and April 6 The Torah Prep 8th grade boys are once again collecting shaimos ahead of Pesach. Drop off your shaimos at Torah Prep Boys' School March 30 and April 6 from 12:30-1:45pm. The cost is $10 per shopping bag or small box, $15 per medium box, or $20 per garbage bag or large box. For any questions or to arrange an alternate time, contact torahprep8thgradeboys@torahprep.com or Shemaya Bloom, 314-721-8875.
Clean Speech STL Sign up here for Clean Speech STL, which takes place over the course of the month of March. Our communities are torn apart by division and strife. The way we speak is both the problem and the solution. Clean Speech St. Louis is a community-wide education and awareness campaign to unite us in the practice of Jewish mindful speech, to build a more positive, respectful, and peaceful world. Noah Picker did an amazing job representing Bais Abe on Day 17. See the video here!
Free Haggadot - For Anyone Who is Blind or Has Low Vision For over 90 years, JBI Library has helped people who have low vision, are blind, or have a print disability to participate in the most treasured of Jewish rituals, the Passover seder, by providing FREE large print, braille, and audio format Haggadot.
If you or someone you know needs a large print, braille, or audio format Haggadah this year, please visit JBI’s website at www.JBILibrary.org/haggadah or call JBI toll free at 1-800-999-6476 before March 28 and they will be happy to send you your Haggadah, completely free of charge. They have many different versions available—request yours today! MIKVAH CAMPAIGN The mikvah is in significant need of funds and must raise at least $75,000 to cover urgent repair expenses. We are currently a third of the way to our goal. Please consider a tax-deductible donation to help sustain our mikvaot. Online at STLMikvah.org/donate or send a check payable to Taharath Israel of St. Louis, 4 Millstone Campus Drive, 63146.
Bais Abraham Congregation Office Hours: 6910 Delmar Blvd. Monday-Thursday: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm University City, MO 63130 Friday: Closed Phone: 314.721.3030 Email: office@baisabe.com
