CONGREGATIONAGUDASACHIM NEWS

Michael Arsers – Rabbi Leonard Kaufman – Religious Affairs Vice-President Linda Schwabacher – Treasurer Edwin Kach – Secretary

Candle Lighting Times

August

August 7 – 7:47 p.m.

August 14 – 7:38 p.m.

August 21 – 7:28 p.m.

August 28 – 7:18 p.m.

Candle Lighting Times

September

September 4 – 7:07 p.m.

September 11 – 6:55 p.m.

September 18 – 6:43 p.m.

September 25 – 6:31 p.m.

Calendar of eventsSaturday, August 1

Rabbi Arsers in attendanceMechitzah

Saturday, August 8Mechitzah

Saturday, August 15Rabbi Arsers in attendance

Mechitzah

Sunday, August 16Board meeting – 9:30 a.m.

Saturday, August 22Rabbi Arsers in attendance

Mechitzah

Saturday, August 29Rabbi Stein in attendance

Mechitzah

AugustDonavon DorrisDavid Nathan

Debbie MorgensternAnna FavusNorma Math

AugustSandra and Dan SteinbergMarcia and Carl Inselberg

Sue and Sheldon Katz

Issue # 71 5614 North University Street Phone # (309) 692-4848 E-mail – congaa@sbcglobal.netMonthly Peoria, IL 61614 Fax # (844) 273-7542 Web -www.agudasachim.wordpress.com

Av, Elul 5775 August 2015

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From Rabbi Michael ArsersEvery Shabbos at Agudas Achim we read the “Prayer for the Welfare of the Government.” It is our custom to recite the prayer in unison in English. Other congregations say it in Hebrew. But what is this prayer? Is it something that was inserted in the siddur recently? Why do we say a prayer for “the president and the vice-president?” One motivation for the prayer is provided by the prophet Jeremiah who instructed the Jews in exile in Babylonia to “seek the welfare of the city to which I have exiled you and pray to the Lord in its behalf, for in its prosperity you shall prosper.”Another underlying reason is the recognition that civil government is necessary for our basic security. In Pirkei Avot we find the statement, “Pray for the peace of the government, for without the fear of it, one man would swallow another alive.” This sounds a bit like Thomas Hobbes. Throughout most of history, Jews, scattered throughout the civilized world, lived under the auspices and protection of the local monarch. Their very ability to live somewhere depended on his good graces. Hence we see that the motivations for the prayer were not necessarily an expression of patriotism, but an awareness of the reality that all people, but especially Jews, needed government for their basic security and that their success depended in large measure on the surrounding conditions. The prayer that we find in our siddur was composed in the 16th century, most likely by Sephardic Jews who had fled Spain and settled in many lands. By the mid 17th century, the prayer had spread throughout Europe and it passed into Ashkenazic congregations as well. The prayer also traveled across the ocean and it is found in the earliest published liturgies of congregations in America. We have preserved a service from congregation Shearith Israel in New York from 1760. Inserted in it (still recited in Portuguesa) was a prayer for "our Sovereign Lord King George the Second, His Royal Highness, George Prince of Wales, the Princess Dowager of Wales, the Duke, the Princesses, and all the Royal Family.” The rest of the prayer (in Hebrew) was

almost exactly as we have it in our service. When the American Revolution came, changes were, of course, made. Already in July of 1776, the New York convention to the Continental Congress circulated a letter suggesting that prayers for the royal family be eliminated in all American congregations. When we next encounter the prayer in the service for the dedication of congregation Mikveh Israel in Philadelphia in 1782, the royal family has been replaced in the traditional blessing by "His Excellency the President, and Honorable Delegates of the United States of America in Congress Assembled, His Excellency George Washington, Captain General and Commander in Chief of the Federal Army of these States."There are no records of congregation Shearith Israel in New York during the revolutionary war because most of its members had fled to escape the barrage of British fire on the city. When they reconstituted the congregation after the revolution, there were several changes made connected with this prayer. First, the names of those to be blessed were read in English rather than Portuguese; second, instead of mentioning the names of the office holders, only the offices were mentioned (hence our wording “the president, the vice-president and all the constituted officers of government of this land.”) And thirdly, whereas it had been the custom to stand while praying for the royal family, it was now felt that it was more suited to the American environment - more democratic - to sit for the prayer. No longer subservient to or dependent on a king, but now fellow citizens, the prayer took on an aspect of patriotic feeling. The prayer has become an expression of our allegiance to a beneficent country for whose welfare we can pray with a whole heart.

The Board of Directors and members of Congregation Agudas Achim wish to express

their sympathy toThe family of Nochum Matlin

(Sandra and Dan Steinberg’s son-in-law)

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Kiddush Fund DonationsHonor of Helen and Bruce Resler on the engagement of their daughter, Jessica, to Emes Kanoa Wolfe-DoblinCHAI – Marcy and Michael KennellyMemory of Adrianna Krias (Pnina Arsers’ mother)CHAI – Marcy and Michael Kennelly

Torah Fund DonationsMemory of the yahrzeit of our dear, beloved parents, Ben and Goldye Schwartz2 X CHAI – Elaine and Cary SchwartzMemory of the yahrzeit of our dear, beloved brother and father, Walter GrimingerRuth SeasonCHAI+ – Stella and Larry GrimingerMemory of the yahrzeit of our dear, beloved mother, Dolores GrimingerCHAI+ – Stella and Larry GrimingerMemory of the yahrzeit of my dear, beloved husband, Irving SchonbrunCHAI – Delores SchonbrunMemory of the yahrzeit of my dear, beloved husband, Bob CongressCHAI – Betty CongressMemory of the yahrzeit of my dear, beloved father, Martin Harris2 X CHAI – Judith SontagMemory of the yahrzeit of my dear, beloved father, Rev. Anshel ShulewitzCHAI – Barbara Lichter

Charity FundHonor of Leonard Kaufman’s birthday2 X CHAI – Carolyn and Herb Weinstein

Memory of Eleanor GoodmanJoan and Tom HalperinMemory of Nochum Matlin (Sandra and Dan Steinberg’s son-in-law)Joan and Tom Halperin

Freyda Fredman Hospitality FundHonor of the recovery of Dan Steinberg2 X CHAI – Herb CohenHonor of Yos Fredman on the birth of his great-granddaughter, Ruth FriedlanderDebbie and Harry MorgensternDoris ShashaMemory of Nochum Matlin (Sandra and Dan Steinberg’s son-in-law)Debbie and Harry MorgensternDoris ShashaCHAI – Yos Fredman

Mazel Tov To:Yos Fredman on the birth of his

great-granddaughter, Ruth Friedlander. Congratulations to the grandparents,

Rena and Marty Friedlander, and to the proud parents, Hallel and Zvi Friedlander

Place your Order of Lulav and EsrogWe are placing our order for lulav and esrog for Sukkot festival. If you wish to order a set, please call the synagogue office (692-4848) or email conga@sbcglobal.net. Deadline is September 11. Thank you!

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High Holidays PassParking pass for the high holidays is free and it is enclosed, but for security reasons must be presented to a parking lot attendant as you enter the lot. Failure to have your passes will likely make you very upset and delay your ability to get into the service, and members of your party will be asked for identification.If you need more passes for family members driving different vehicles, please contact Gladys in the synagogue office.Please display the parking pass on the dashboard of your car as you enter the synagogue parking lot for all High Holiday services, and leave it on the dashboard while at the synagogue.

Thank you!

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CONGREGATIONAGUDASACHIM NEWS

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