August 23, 2025 - 29 Av 5785 Shabbat Candle Lighting– 7:27 pm Shabbat Ends– 8:26 pm According to myzmanim.com Shabbat - Parshat Re'eh Mincha and Kabbalat Shabbat-7:00 pm Shabbat Morning Services followed by Lunch and Learn–9:00 am (see the flyer below for more info) Mincha/Seudah Shelishit/Haftarah Study & Maariv-7:12 pm
Upcoming Events (click on the images to visit the website)
Learning Opportunities with Rabbi Finkelstein - SUMMER SCHEDULE Weekly Haftarah Class Shabbat afternoons at Seudah Shelishit
Join Rabbi Finkelstein for a weekly study of the Haftarah.
*If you would like to study a different topic, or in a smaller group, please feel free to reach out to set up an individual chevruta.*
Bais Abe Community News
Lulav and Etrog Order Form It's time to order your lulav and etrog! You may order on the website or by contacting Ruth in the office.
We must have all orders in by the end of the day on Monday, September 15.
Please be in touch with Ruth with any questions or to speak further.
THANK YOU! - Staenberg Family Foundation Anything Grant Thanks to our generous donors, we have met and surpassed our goal of raising $5000 in just over two weeks! We are so appreciative of everyone's support. The money raised will enable us to do the needed tuckpointing on the shul and receive the grant from the Staenberg Family Foundation. We hope to have the work completed by Rosh HaShanah!
We are pleased to share that Bais Abraham Congregation is the recipient of a 2025 Staenberg Family Foundation Anything Grant for our proposal, "Shoring Up the Shul." The funds from this grant will enable us to complete much needed tuckpointing on our synagogue building. As this is a matching grant, we are tasked with raising $5000 in order to receive the funds and do the work. To contribute towards these efforts to beautify and protect our shul, please visit the website or be in touch with Ruth in the office. We thank the Staenberg Family Foundation for their ongoing support of our initiatives, and thank you, our wonderful community for your generosity as well!
Volunteers Needed! Bais Abe Garden Are you a master gardener? Or a novice to the gardening world who would like to learn more? Either way, we need your help! All you need is an interest in jumping in to help with weeding, trimming, and planting in the Bais Abe garden. No prior experience is necessary, and we can help everyone interested in finding a task that suits them. Please be in touch with Rebecca Swartz or the Bais Abe office if you would like to help!
Cooking: Do you like to cook or bake? Or are you interested in learning more? Come help prep, cook, and bake for Kiddushes and events at shul! Be in touch with Abbyfor more information.
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 remainder of 2025 is: June 14 July 12 August 9 September 13 October 11 November 8 December 13
Security at Bais Abe We are in regular communication with Scott Biondo, Community Security Director at the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, as well as with University City Police and other resources to make sure our security protocols are up to date.
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 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.
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.
Reminders
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.
Blowing the Shofar During the Month of Elul This coming Sunday and Monday are the two days of Rosh Chodesh Elul, the month right before Rosh Hashana. The Tur Shulchan Aruch,Orech Chayim, an early halachik code, composed by Rabbi Yaakov ben Asher (1270–1340), quotes a work ascribed to Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus (80-118 C.E.), a disciple of Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai and teacher of Rabbi Akiva: “On Rosh Chodesh Elul, God told Moses, ‘ascend the mountain to Me (Exodus 24:12),’ and he ascended to receive the second set of tablets, and the shofar was sounded throughout the camp. Therefore, the sages ruled that we should sound the shofar on Rosh Chodesh Elul and on every day of the month, to urge the people of Israel to repent.” Whenever a Rosh Chodesh is two days, the first day is the 30th day of the previous month, in this case, Av, and the second day is the first day of the new month, in this case, Elul. On which of these two days should we begin blowing the shofar? The accepted custom is to start on the second day, which will be this coming Monday. The next question was how many times a day to sound the shofar, and when. The Mishnah Berurah (a work of halakha by Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan, Poland 1838–1933) tells us that the accepted custom is to blow it only once a day, at the end of Shacharit.
Jack Shapiro
St. Louis Jewish Community News and Messages
Vote for Sara Winkelman for Z3 Bridge Builder Award Our dear friend, Sara Winkelman, has been nominated for the Z3 Bridge Builder Award, which recognizes individuals who are working to bridge divides within the Jewish people — between communities, across ideologies, between the Diaspora and Israel and more.
In both her professional role and personal life, Sara seeks opportunities for community and collaboration across lines of denomination, identity, affiliation, age, gender, and geography. Whether as a professional educator, program director, community connector, or gracious Shabbat host, Sara carves out spaces where differences are not just acknowledged, they are engaged with, respected, and transformed into profound relationships.
As stated in her nomination submission, "Sara brings a unique combination of emotional intelligence and strategic insight. Her leadership is not performative, it’s deeply relational. She is trusted because she listens. She is effective because she empowers others. And she is committed because she genuinely believes in the possibility of a more connected, compassionate Jewish future."
Voting is open until August 27th.
Next Week!: A Campaign to Uphold Jewish Burial Traditions Cremation is on the rise among Jews. Yet for millennia, Jewish tradition has held that burial is a sacred mitzvah, honoring the soul and affirming our belief in its eternal journey. On August 26–27, the St. Louis Jewish Burial Foundation will launch a two-day online fundraising campaign to help ensure that the St. Louis Jewish community is educated about the importance of a traditional halachic burial -- a final act of kindness reflecting dignity, and compassion.
We are a volunteer-led nonprofit committed to reversing the trend toward cremation through outreach, advertising, and speaking engagements. Our mission is simple: to preserve the timeless values of Jewish burial and make them accessible to all.
Modest Hospital Gowns Now Available A limited quantity of modest hospital gowns are now available. These gowns are designed to ensure tznius while still allowing hospital staff access for IVs, etc. A small donation is requested, as is a deposit. Please contact Rivka Dushoff-Tobin for more information or to borrow a gown, 314-397-3931.
Important Eruv Update Dear Community, We are pleased to announce that, thanks to the extraordinary dedication of our devoted Eruv team, the full repair and rebuild of the St. Louis Community Eruv is now complete.
This milestone was made possible by you. The overwhelming success of last month's ERUV@30 Campaign, launched in the wake of the May tornado that caused extensive damage, provided the resources to carry out both the emergency repairs in May, and a this repair and rebuild. Your generosity, together with the crucial support of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis and the tireless work of our committed inspectors, ensured that this project was completed quickly and to the highest halachic standards.
While we were able to restore almost the entire Eruv to its original configuration, there is one significant change affecting the Washington University area and nearby streets. This new alignment is expected to be permanent.
Please note that the original Eruv map remains valid for the entire boundary; except for the section shown in the red circle on Map 1. This area, which covers a portion the Washington University vicinity and nearby streets, now follows a permanent new alignment, as shown in Maps 2 and 3.
Map 1: Full Eruv map with red circle showing only area changed.
Map 2: Close-up showing new red boundary line, purple former boundary line, the original black line which remains valid, and the blue shaded area which is now no longer inside the Eruv.
Map 3: Street-level view clarifying boundary changes along Wallace, Wydown, and Big Bend.
Important Boundary Updates • Ellenwood Lane and University Lane – These streets are now outside the Eruv. • Wallace Drive – Inside the Eruv. • Wydown Boulevard – The Eruv follows the black fence along the north side of the street; The street and sidewalks on both sides of Wydown are outside the Eruv. • Big Bend Boulevard: ◦ Approximately 30 feet north of Wydown – The Street and sidewalks on both sides are inside the Eruv. ◦ South of Wydown – The street and east sidewalk are outside the Eruv. The west sidewalk is inside the Eruv and picks up the original boundary line at Oak Knoll Park.
If there any questions, or concerns, or if further clarification is needed, please contact the Eruv Committee at eruv.stl@gmail.com.
Once again, thank you to everyone for your patience, and for your support and encouragement. Our Eruv is a shared zechus, and your support has strengthened both our Shabbos and our community.
With great appreciation,
The St. Louis Community Eruv Committee
Daniel Z. Lefton- President Dr. Stanley Biel- Vice President Robyn Weiss- Treasurer Ephraim Abrams- Secretary
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
