Shmooze Blog

03 May 2025 - 05 Iyar 5785
Shabbat Candle Lighting – 7:36 pm
Shabbat Ends – 8:40 pm
According to  myzmanim.com

Shabbat - Parshat Tazria-Metzora
Mincha and Kabbalat Shabbat - 7:00 pm
Shabbat Morning Services followed by Lunch and Learn with Dr. Joseph Schraibman – 9:00 am
Mincha, Seudah Shelishit and Maariv - 7:21 pm 

Upcoming Events (click on the images to visit the website)

Join us for a Latin American Lunch and Learn with Dr. Joseph Schraibman THIS Shabbat, May 3rd. Sign up here (or by clicking on the image below) so we have an accurate head count. 

Thank you to Dr. Michael & Roberta Gutwein for their generous support of this lunch and learn.

New Class! Perek in the Park with Rabbi Finkelstein on Shabbat Afternoons

Bais Abe Celebration and Rabbinic Installation

Mark your calendar now for a celebration of Bais Abe's past, present, and future, as well as the installation of Rabbi Eliezer Finkelstein! Join us on Tuesday, June 17; stay tuned for more information! 

Learning Opportunities with Rabbi Finkelstein

Pirkei Avot in the Park
Shabbat afternoons at 4:30pm at Lewis Park (if raining at 4:20 pm, meet at Bais Abe)

Join Rabbi Finkelstein for a Shabbat afternoon study of Pirkei Avot, using Rabbi Dr. Binyamin Lau's, The Sages, as a guide.

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 more here.

Bais Abe Community News

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 19 (Note: third week of the month)
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.

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 join here. 

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.   

Opportunities to Support Bais Abe

Let Your Old Car Benefit Bais Abe! 
Do you have an old car that you thinking about donating? Let your donation benefit Bais Abe! Contact Ruth in the office or visit the website, https://careasy.org/bais-abraham-congregation, to find out more information.

• 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.

St. Louis Jewish Community News and Messages

The Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry Needs Our Help 
Please help the Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry by donating money or donating food. Below are some suggestions for food items the pantry needs:
 

• Canned Tuna Fish and Canned Chicken
• Healthy Cereals (please avoid sugary cereal)
• Kosher Non-Perishable Foods
• Any Kind of Canned Vegetables (e.g. corn, green beans, peas, and carrots)
• Macaroni and Cheese
• Boxed Side Dishes – Potatoes, Rice, and Noodles
• Peanut Butter (creamy or crunchy)
• Personal care items such as: Dish Washing Liquid, Kleenex, and Diapers

 
Currently, the need is great so please help in any way you can. Thank you.
For further information, please contact Louise Levine, 314 368 5902.

Opportunity to Learn Mesechet Sukkot
Rabbi Avi Kilmnick, founder of the KO, started Mesechet Sukkot last Sunday, April 27th for anyone who wishes to join in the learning. Each episode is 25 minutes, 5 times a week. He plans to cover between 2 and a half to 3
blatt a week and the plan is to finish just in time for Sukkot this year.
The KO is starting its third year - and Rabbi Kilimnick is very excited to share
this learning with more of Am Yisrael. For more information here is a link to our website. The easiest access to the podcast is on spotify. It's also on Apple and
Amazon.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4JJgwWxcN4ySx4Sb2L3qH9?si=cAXX5fGuR_GKQa8cjpfC6g

Now Hiring:  Office Assistant/Bookkeeper
Chesed Shel Emeth Society is seeking a part-time Office Assistant/Bookkeeper (25-30 hrs/week).
Duties include:
Basic bookkeeping, payroll, data entry, financial reporting, and general office tasks.
Requirements:
QuickBooks & Microsoft Office experience, strong organizational skills, and ability to work independently. Good phone/email manners a must.
Flexible hours, no weekends or major holidays.
Wage based on experience.
Email resumes to: info@chesedshelemeth.org.

SHEIMOS Notice Regarding Spring 2025 Issue of Jewish Action
We are reaching out to share an important halachic notice regarding the Spring 2025 issue of Jewish Action. Page 27 of this issue contains Hashem's name, and we respectfully ask that this be taken into account when disposing of the magazine.
 
What to Do When Disposing of the Magazine:
• Physical copies: Please remove page 27 and place it in genizah or bring it to your shul for proper disposal.
• The rest of the magazine may be discarded respectfully, either by:
• Double-wrapping it before disposal, or
• Placing it in a recycling bin.

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.

שבת שלום
Submit articles and announcements for publication by Tuesday morning to   shmooze@baisabe.com . Advertise in the Shmooze Classified section and on Bais Abraham’s website for two weeks for $18.  For further news and general information about our shul please check out our website at  www.baisabe.com. The Shmooze© is a community publication of Bais Abraham Congregation.