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Page 18 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE December 12, 1986 Synagogue Directory Candle I ighting T ime: 5:1 2 p.m. Ahavath Achim (Conservative), 600 Peachtree Battle Ave.. N.W., 355-5222. Arnold Goodman, rabbi; I)r. Harry H. Epstein, rabbi emeritus; Marvin Richardson, asst, rabbi; Isaac Goodfriend, cantor. Daily services, 7:15 a.m. and 6 p.m.; Fri day, 5:30 p.m. and S: I 5 p.m.; Saturday 8:35 a.m. (followed by k iddush), Minha, 4:45 p.m.; Sunday, 8:30 a.m.. 5:30 p.m. Anshe S'Fard (Orthodox), 1324 North Highland Ave.. N.E., 874-4513. Label Merlin, president; Nathan Katz, rabbi. Satur day, 9 a.m. (followed by kiddush). Atlanta llillel (N on-denominational). Drawer A, Emory Uni versity, Atlanta 30322, 727-6490. Zvi Shapiro, rabbi; Dr. Aaron Shatzman, program director. Friday. 6 p.m. (followed by dinner. Oneg Shabbat). Bet Haverim (Gay and Lesbian) Quaker House. 1384 Fairview Road. 642-3467. Friday night services, first and third Friday of the month. Beth David (Reform), Meeting at 869 Cole Dr.. Lilburn, But ton Gwinnett United Church of Christ. Mailing address. P.O. Box 865. Snellville 30278. 662-4373. Student Rabbi Daniel Schiff. Harry Bloch, cantor. Fridav, 8 p.m.; Call for Sun day Hebrew school hours; bar bat mitzva classes available. Beth Jacob (Orthodox), 1855 LaVista Rd., N.E., 633-0551. Emanuel Feldman, rabbi; Ilan Daniel Feldman, asst, rabbi- educational director. Daily morning minyan. Monday and Thursday, 6:50 a.m.; Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. 7 a.m.; Daily evening minyan, 5:20 p.m. (Class in Halacha nightly between Mincha and Ma'ariv); Friday 5:15 p.m.; Shabbat morning, 8:30 a.m. (followed by kiddush): Shabbat evening. 5 p.m. (Talmud group one hour prior to Minha, followed by Shalosh Seudot); Sunday. 8 a.m. (followed by breakfast). Beth Shalom (Conservative), 3147 Chamblee I ucker Rd.. 458- 0489. Leonard H. Lifshen, rabbi, 451-9414 (h). Friday, 8 p.m.. followed by Oneg; Saturday. 9:30 a.m., (followed by kiddush). Beth Tefillah 5065 High Point Rd.. 843-2464. Rabbi Yossi New. Friday, 6:15 p.m.; Saturday, Torah discussion. 9 a.m.. service 9:30 a.m. Kiddush will follow. B'nai Israel (Reform). P.O. Box 383, Riverdale, 30274. 471- 3586. Meeting at Christ Our Hope Lutheran Church, 2165 Hwy. 138. Riverdale. Student Rabbi Debbi Pipe-Ma/o. Fri day, 8 p.m.; Saturday. 10:30 a.m., services and religious school. Hebrew school, Wednesday. B'nai Torah (Traditional). 700 Mt. Vernon Hwy.. Atlanta, 30328. 257-0537. Juda H. Mint/, rabbi. Morning services, Monday and 1 hursday, 6:50 a.m.; Sunday, 9:30 a.m.; evening services, Tuesday and Wednesday, 6 p.m.; Friday, 8 p.m.; Saturday morning. 8:45 a.m. Kiddush follows Friday and Sat urday services. Shabbat e\ening Minha. Shalosh Seudot. Hav- dalah begin at the candlelighting time ot the week. Etz Chaim (Conservative). 1 190 Indian Hills Pky.. Marietta, 30067, 973-0137. Shalom Lewis, Rabbi. Friday. 6:30 p.m.; Saturday, 9:30 a.m.; Torah studs. 10:15 a.m.; Monday and Thursday, 7 a.m. Jew ish Home 3 I 50 H owell Mill Rd.. N.W.. 351-8410. Nathan Becker, chairman. Religious Committee. Friday. 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, 9:30 a.m. Relatives and friends of residents are welcome. Kehillat Chaim (Reform). Office: 141 W. Wieuca Rd., N.W., Suite 202-A, Atlanta, 30342, 252-4441. Harvey J. Winokur. rabbi. Friday. Northwest Unitarian Congregation. 1025 Mt. Vernon Hwy., 8:15 p.m. Kol F.meth (Reform), P.O. Box 71031. Marietta, 30007-1301, 3822 Roswell Rd.. Suite 6. Marietta. 30062. Steven Lebow, rabbi. Friday, 8 p.m.. Chestnut Ridge Christian Church, 2663 Johnson Ferry Road. For information, call Marsha Fried berg, 973-3533. Or VeShalom (Sephardic), 168 1 North Druid Hills Rd., NT:.. 633-1737. S. Robert Ichay. rabbi. Friday, 6:30 p.m.; Saturday. 8:45 a.m.; Sunday, 8:30 a.m. Reform Jewish Students Committee, Drawer A. Emory Uni versity 30322, 727-6496. Beth Fleet, director. Shabbat service, 6 p.m. Nov. 21 and Dec. 5, Turman. Shearith Israel (Traditional), I 180 University Dr.. N.E.. Atlanta, 30306, 873-1743. Judah Kogen. rabbi. Weekday Minha, Sunday-Thursday, 5:40 p.m.; Weekday mornings, Monday and Thursday, 6:50 a.m.; Tuesday. Wednesday and Friday, 7 a.m.; Friday night. 5:15 p.m., Saturday, 8:30 a.m., 4 p.m. (followed by Minha and Havdalah); Sunday. 9 a.m. Temple Emanu-EI (Reform). 1580 Spalding Dr.. Dunwoody 30338, 395-1340. Barry R. Friedman, rabbi. Fridav, 8 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. Temple Sinai (Reform). 5645 Dupree Dr., N.W., 252-3073. Philip N. Kranz, rabbi; Sid dottier. Cantor. Friday, 8:1 5 p.m. (except November-May, when first Friday ol the month is at 7:30 p.m.); Saturday, 10:30 a.m. The Temple (Reform), 1589 Peachtree Rd., 873-1731. Alvin Sugarman, rabbi; Samuel Weinstein, assoc, rabbi. F riday, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, 10:30 a.m. Yeshiva High (Orthodox). 1745 Peachtree Rd., N.W., K73- 1492. Rabbi Herbert Cohen, dean. Weekday services. 8 a.m. at theAJCC: Minha. 2:10 p.m. Community Beit Midrash meets at Beth Jacob Synagogue Sunday-1 hursday, 8 p.m. United Jewish Congregation of Knckdale-N'ewton ( I radition- al): Services at 7 p.m. Fridav evenings, at Oxford College Chapel. SIILOMO RISKIN Shabbat shalom Vayetz EFRAT, Israel Children of rabbis sometimes tell their fathers, “You never give us enough time, we always come last." We ean yell to high heaven we have a congregation to wrestle with, people to counsel, yeshivas to build and columns to write, but when push comes to shove, we can only blame ourselves. My busy life may be necessary and even justified, but actions have consequences, and who learned this lesson better than Jacob? He stole his brother’s blessing from right under his nose, and even if he might justify it by sav ing that his mother instigated the w hole plot after hearing directly from God that "the elder shall serve the younger"; and even if Esau had sold his birthright to Jacob for a mess of pottage, proving that it had little meaning for him; and yes, even if it was critical to the future of the Jews that Jacob, the wholehearted, righteous and pure, be the flag- bearer of the Jew ish people, and not Esau, the hunter, the hus band of Hittite wives; after all is said and done, Jacob deceived his blind father Isaac and no matter how attractively you wrap the package, a sin has its own special taint which can’t be deo dorized by justifications. It doesn’t take long before Jacob starts suffering the conse quences. First, this stolen “bless ing" he gets from his father pro vokes Esau's wrath to the point w here Jacob is now in danger of being murdered b\ his older brother and has to get out ol the house at all costs. But things aren't so wonderful away from home. He doesn’t yet know' it’s going to take 22 years before he can return. In the meantime, de ception becomes a w ay of life for Jacob, except that he’s become the victim. As the son of Isaac, and the grandson of Abraham, he sports excellent familv credentials and we might have expected to see him arrive bearing enough pre cious gifts so that he wouldn t have to work a day tor his future bride. But because he’s been re duced to a penniless wanderer, he’s no longer in any position to complain about the agreement with his Uncle l.aban to labor seven years for the hand of his first cousin, only to discover the morning after the festivities that his lawfully wedded wife is none other than Feah, substituted by his deceptive father-in-law, Laban. "It’s not our practice to give the younger before the older." Laban says. So why didn’t Laban say something before digging his grip into Jacob’s back lor another seven years of indentured servi tude? Jacob knows his father-in- law’s deception is a not-so-subtle reminder to Jacob of his own trickery. In other w ords, my dear nephew, you should be the last person in the world to complain about a deception in which the older is substituted for the younger. Look into your own heart, first. Futhermore, just as Jacob usurped his own father's position by determining who would get the blessing, the apple falls not far from the tree when his son Joseph, acting as the grand vice roy of Egypt, assumes a fatherly role the moment Jacob arrives in Egypt and acts as a one-man ministry of absorption by pro viding for all of his father’s needs. Although Jacob is revived by the discovery that his son is still alive, a father who must depend on his son in his old age for life itself is one more re minder that Jacob once took over his father’s role. When a father leads a child, it's good for the father and good for the child. When a child leads a father, it's a tragedy for the father and a tragedy for the child. Thus the original deception has its practical and, seemingly. cosmic consequences, but there s a catharsis for Jacob in store five Torah readings down the road when he blesses his grandsons, Ephraim and Menashe. Jacob, now blind, is in the same spot his father had been in so many years earlier. But when Joseph brings the two grandchildren near him, and Jacob places his right (that is, the stronger) hand on the younger and the left on the older, Joseph tries to switch the hands. After all, the major blessing should go to the older. Hasn’t papa learned his lesson? Actually, this is the moment when Jacob does learn his lesson, but it’s different than the one Joseph imagined. Now that he, himself, is blind, Jacob knows that it’s hard to deceive a blind man when it comes to blessings, and he realizes that his father Isaac may have, despite the hairy arms and the tasty venison, understood that he was giving his blessing to the more deserving younger son that, in fact, Isaac had never really been deceived. He knew exactly what he was doing! But while Isaac was too frightened to do it openly, Jacob, now referred to in the Bible as Israel, is now in a position to openly bless a deserv ing younger son with his right hand and a less deserving older son with his left hand, simultaneously. The lesson that Jacob's life rewards us with is the simple but crucial understanding that actions have consequences, and that stealing a birthright, even in the name of the highest moral goal, is not something to sweep under the carpet. Maybe in his heart of hearts he had known from the beginning that he would have to undergo certain painful experi ences, mistakes and deceptions before being declared worthy of bestowing his name. Israel, upon the future of the Jewish nation. Congregations Beth Jacob Bazaar Beth Jacob Sisterhood will hold its annual Hanuka Bazaar at 10a.m. Sunday, Dec. 21 at the synagogue. Available at the Bazaar will be various make-your-own Hanuka gifts, personalized jewelry, cards and other arts and crafts items that can be made by children as well as adults. Also featured will be games and vendors selling a variety of items. Hamburgers, hot dogs and potato latkes can be purchased. Auction Beth Jacob will hold its Goods and Services Auction at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21. Admission is free. During the silent auction wine and cheese will be served. The live auction will begin at 7:15 p.m. Among the more than 100 items offered will be: 18 hotel motel accommodations in 10 cities (in cluding New Orleans, San Fran cisco and Orlando), one week in a condo in the Bahamas, a ski vacation in North Carolina, pro fessional serv ices of an allergist, CPAs, lawyers and photographers, and a VCR and other electronics. One night for two at the Omni International Hotel in Atlanta will be given as a door prize. Shearith Israel Consecration Service Congregation Shearith Israel will hold a special consecration service on Saturday, Dec. 13, for children who are beginning for mal Hebrew studies. The I 5 children and their fami lies will participate in the Shab bat serv ice and will be honored at a kiddush follow ing services. Theater and Brunch Congregation Shearith Israel Junior Players will present "Ha nuka Surprise" at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 14. It will be fol lowed by a Hanuka party. Brunch is S3 for adults; $2 tor children. * * * NCSY National Council ol Synagogue Youth will hold its monthlv supper seminar at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. I 7, at the home of Drs. Edward and Judith Fine- berg, 1320 Kittredge Court, N.E. Rabbi Ilan Feldman will dis cuss “Biblical Prophesies Relat ing to Arabs and Jews." Dr. Robert L. DeHaan has been re scheduled for a 1987 date. Cost is S3. The community is invited. For more information, call the Beth Jacob Svnagogue at 633-0551. * * * Shaarei Hayyim Shaarei Hayyim, an Atlanta- based network formed to help people find deeper meaning and richness through conscious Jew ish experience, will celebrate the first night of Hanuka at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 26 at the home of Jacob and Miriam Kabb. The evening will include light meditations, singing, telling sto ries and eating potato latkes. 1 here is a $5 donation for food. For more information, call 634-3740.