Email from Kahal Joseph Congregation

KJ Happenings

18 Heshvan 5783 | 12 November 2022

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In this Issue

Kahal Joseph Schedule
Shabbat Message from Rabbi Halevy
Melodies with Hazzan Jalali
This Shabbat! Speaker, Carole Basri & Luncheon honoring New Members
LA Sephardic Film Festival Gala, Sunday 11/13!
Sephardic Spice Girls Thanksgiving Challah Bake, Mon 11/21
Bat Mitsva Classes this Fall
Condolences, Refua Shlema & Azkarot

KJ Schedule

Erev Shabbat

Friday, November 11th

Candle Lighting 4:34 pm

Shabbat

Saturday, November 12th

Shaharit at KJ 9:00 am

Kids Korner 9:30am

Carole Basri, Speaker

during morning services

Luncheon honoring New Members

Havdallah 5:31 pm

Weekdays

Sunday, November 13th

Shaharit 7:00 am

Talmud Torah 9:45 am

Mon-Fri, November 14th to 18th

Shaharit 6:30 am

November 13th to 20th

SEC's LA Sephardic Film Festival

Gala 11/13 honors Nira Sayegh

KJ Board Member

Membership & Sponsorship

To sponsor an event or become a member contact our office.

Call 310.474.0559, click here to email Sarah, or sign up online below.

Rabbi's Message

Rabbi Natan Halevy

BSD

Shalom U’vracha,

The Zohar comments on this week's parasha, Vayera, and states that from the beginning of creation Hashem imparts strength to the earth to sprout forth vegetation. However, the formation of Adam is what actualizes the growth. When Adam nurtures the land, both literally and spiritually, the land may produce an even greater bounty. We learn from this that humans are a primary cause and factor in creation.

Unfortunately, when Adam sinned, the ground also absorbed his negative actions and energy: in certain ways, it became cursed. However, Abraham’s positive actions repair some of the harm, and cause the blessing of the land to return, once again, to the earth. We see this in how his flocks flourish and multiply. In fact, Abraham repeatedly demonstrates his faith and trust in Hashem, for example through his circumcision, a commitment to healthy, respectful procreation and fruitfulness. Through this act Abraham strengthens the earth’s blessing even further.

In many passages of Vayera, the Torah illustrates Avraham’s numerous acts of kindness and the ways he elevated the world. As we are told: “The stories and events of our forefathers are a sign for their children.” With his great love for Hashem and for all people, Abraham paves a path of kindness in the world.

Read more . . .

Carole Basri

Shabbat Guest Speaker

Carole Basri is a lawyer and award-winning filmmaker. She is a visiting professor at Peking University School of Transnational Law and a visiting professor at Pericles Law School. In 2003, Carole was a member of the U.S. State Department’s “Future of Iraq” Project and a member of the Coalition Provisional Authority with the Iraqi Reconstruction Development Council for Ambassador Bremer in Baghdad.

She is the executive producer of a trilogy of films about Iraq’s Jewish community and history: The Life of Frank Iny (1995/1999), Searching for Baghdad (2002), and The Last Jews of Baghdad (2005). The trilogy screened in over 80 premiere film festivals in the U.S., Canada, Israel, and Europe, and was featured on PBS and JLTV.

Carole received a B.A. from Barnard College, Columbia University and a J.D. from New York University School of Law. With Adriana Davis, she co-directed and produced Saving the Iraqi Jewish Archives (2020), a journey to rescue the identity of Iraqi Jews and preserve their heritage for future generations.

Shabbat Melodies with Hazzan Saeed Jalali

Listen to Hazzan Jalali chanting the first aliya in Vayera and the Haftara .

Kahal Joseph Events

RSVP for Challah Bake

Sephardic Film Fest Tickets

Buy tickets to this wonderful celebration, support the Sephardic Educational Center, and fete Kahal's own longtime Board Member and volunteer, Nina Sayegh who is being honored at the Sephardi Film Festival's Opening Gala with the Maimonides Leadership Award!

Kahal Joseph Community

Condolences to the Family of Rachel Bakhash, z''l

With great sorrow we send our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Rachel Bakhash, Rahel bat Dina v'Daoud, z''l, who passed away on Friday, November 4th 2022, the 10th of Heshvan 5783, two weeks after her 100th birthday. Rachel is the grandmother of Kahal Joseph's Board Member, Mark Darwish.

Rachel was born in Baghdad, Iraq on October 20th 1922. She wedded Reuben Bakhash, and left with her family for Japan in 1962. Subsequently, the family went to Israel where they resided for five years. In 1995, Rachel moved to Los Angeles with her daughter, Arlette Darwish and her family, and she became a beloved participant in the local, Iraqi Jewish community.

Rachel is survived by her adoring grandchildren, longtime members of Kahal: Sandra (Eddy) Sarraf, Mark (Julie) Darwish, Richard (Melissa) Darwish, Darren (Michele) Darwish; her great-grandchildren; her extended family and friends.

Funeral services were held on Sunday, November 6th in Los Angeles. Rachel was predeceased by her husband, Reuben Bakhash z''l, and her children, Maurice Bakhash z''l, Arlette Darwish z''l, and Sammy Bakhash z''l.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Rachel's loved ones. May they be comforted together with all the mourners of Tsion. Min hashamayim tenuhamu.

Refuah Shelema

We wish complete healing of body, mind, and soul to all those who are suffering with illness in our community, including:

Joseph Tizabi / Yosef ben Yehezkiel

Sophie Elias / Sophie bat Victoria

Evelyn Salem / Evelyn bat Mazal

Modi ben Yvonne

Zvi Moalim

Ariella Rivka bat Tziporah

Rylla Elias / Rahel bat Mazal

Ben Elias / Benyamin ben Yohevet

Latif ben Chanina

Alexander ben Yehezkiel and Chana Hai Reiza

Shimon ben Yosef v'Leah / Simon Saul

Shmuel ben Yaacov v'Tova / William McAbian

Tal ben Alona Basha

Meir Iny / Meir ben Sabiha

Ezra ben Farha

Sassoon Ezra

Sylvia Cohen

Mehry bat Miriam Hakimipour

Yvonne Moalim

Florice Newberry

Aliza bat Rahel

Aliza bat Victoria

Chaya Chana bat Batya

Miriam bat Yetta

Miryam bat Malka

Chaya Rachel bat Simcha Ruhama

Karen bat Chana Meir

Eti Esther bat Fortuna

Ezra ben Rahel

Albert Nissan ben Victoria

Reuven Halevi ben Batsheva

David ben Tova

Fouad Salem / Hayeem ben Naima

Noach Yaakov ben Tzipporah

Ori ben Nuphar Chaia

In Memoriam

We remember these azkaraot, or yahrzeit anniversaries from November 12 to 19, 2022 (18 to 25 Heshvan 5783). We light memorial candles, donate tsedaka, and attend Shabbat services in honor of the memory of our loved ones.

18 Heshvan / Shabbat, November 12th

Yeshaiah ben Yaacov Shalom

Hazan Gabriel Solomon Gavriel ben Shlomo

20 Heshvan / Monday, November 14th

Victoria Zeubaida Nissan Victoria Zeubaida bat Lulu

Esther Robbins Esther bat Matana

Naji Harkham Nagi ben Hacham Mordechai David

21 Heshvan / Tuesday, November 15th

Joshua Moses Yehoshua ben Ephraim Moshe

22 Heshvan / Wednesday, November 16th

Khuzna Levi Khuzna bat Esther HaLevi

23 Heshvan / Thursday, November 17th

Heshmatolah Mizrahi Yehazghel ben Shlomo

24 Heshvan / Friday, November 18th

Suleiman Elghanian

Joseph Ezrapour Yoseph ben Ezra

Jacob Elias Yaacov Moshe ben Eliyahu

25 Heshvan / Shabbat, November 19th

Charles A. Lelah Salah ben Aharon

Maximus Jonah

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KAHAL JOSEPH CONGREGATION

Rabbi Natan Halevy

Saeed Jalali, Hazzan

Sasson Ezra, Sr. Hazzan

Yvette Dabby, President

Orly Kattan, Sr. Vice President

Sarah Bouchoucha, Administrator

Penina Meghnagi Solomon, Administrative Assistant

Dafna Young, Editor

Click here to contact us at KJ Happenings