FAMILY AND LIGHT

Dear Family,

I hope that everyone is well.

Mazal Tov to Meyer and Malky Sarfati, for the wedding of Esther, which is today! Esther and choson should build a binyan adei ad - an everlasting home beYisrael, together!

Mazal Tov to Joy Camaroff on her birthday next week. Sorry we missed you on your trip to London Joy, but wishing you a happy and healthy year.

Mazal Tov to Talya Davidoff on her birthday next week. Hope all going well with you Talya and wishing you a year of much achievement and happiness.

Mazal Tov to Mendel Levy on his birthday next week. Hope that you had a wonderful trip in EY Mendel, and wishing you a year of much success in both gashmius and ruchnius. Still have good memories of your barmitzvah in EY!

Mazal Tov to Mussia on her birthday next week. Wishing you a happy year with giving much nachas to your parents!

FAMILY

One of the highlights of this week was meeting with Tracy Pollock and her daughter Lyss while on their trip to London.

Tracy is one of the daughters of Shirley Isaacson (ne Davidoff) who is in turn a daughter of Uncle Morris ah.

In conversation we worked out that the last time that I would have seen Tracy would have been in SA when she was maximum 9 years old. From the restaurant table where we met, I was also able to speak to Shirley, where we have not seen each other or spoken, for 30 years!

Welcome Tracy to our weekly email Family Group, and please forward this email on to your husband Avrohom, and to Lyss, as I don't have their email addresses.

It is a source of great delight to re-connect with Family, and thanks for giving us the opportunity for this to have happened. We see resemblances in the faces, the natures, the interests etc etc.

Just some snippets from our meeting - Lyss has been in EY for the last 6 years, 3 years of which were in the Israeli army helping to defend our People, and 3 years studying. She has now come to Birmingham University for a year to continue her studies in ..neuro science? Tracy was a Dental Hygienist, and Avrohom is a neuro radiologist. One of Tracy's boys (cant remember which one) cycled from Alaska all the way down to somewhere in S America! Etc etc

Whenever we get a new Family onto the group I have this urge to have a summarized Family tree, just relating to the current group ie not too extensive, to use as an introduction tool for everyone to know who is who on the group. Any volunteers to make this?

It has been a great pleasure to hear about your Family Shirley, and in real, to meet Tracy and Lyss. I am sure you can be proud of them.

LIGHT

The main theme from this week spiritually, that came to my attention, was LIGHT. This came up many times as follows:

• Rabbi Aryeh Citron

It is customary, in the month of Elul to recite Psalm 27 twice each day, by Shacharis and Minchah. It starts with the words "LeDavid, Hashem Ori." To David, G-d is my LIGHT...

• According to the Chida, saying this Psalm slowly and with full concentration at this time of the year, is an assistance for long life.
• ".my Light" according to Medrash, refers to Rosh Hashanah, and G-d shines a positive light on our judgement on that day, by applying His Attribute of Mercy.
• On Rosh Hashanah, Hashem brings forth a brand new light, to inspire every Jew to do Teshuvah and brighten his path.
• Light is a metaphor for rejoicing, and we rejoice on Rosh Hashanah, knowing that G-d will miraculously judge us positively

• Hayom Yom of 6th of Elul

The Baal Shem Tov cherished LIGHT exceedingly. He declared, "The word light in Hebrew is or, which is numerically equal to raz, which in Hebrew means 'secret'. A person who knows the secret within any entity can diffuse light."

• Tanya from this week (letter 12)

In the upper worlds, Hashem, through His INFINITE LIGHT, makes peace between opposites - between water and fire, and between the angels Michael and Gavriel.

The arousal of this great illumination and immense diffusion of light, to bring about this peace, is effected from below by our acts of charity, from one, to another who has nothing of his own, and thereby reviving the spirit of the lowly, and arousing the heart of the downcast.

Wishing all a Gut Shabbos, and a kesivah vechasimah tovah, for a year of much light, goodness and sweetness.