WHAT: Grandparents’ Day Bike-A-Thon sponsored by United Jewish Generations: Raise awareness of senior citizens on Grandparents Day. Join either an 8-mile ride in Aventura or a 32-mile ride from Aventura to Boca. There will be a police escort and refreshment booths along the way.

WHERE: Aventura

WHEN: Sunday, September 11, starting at 8 a.m.

COST: Riders must raise $100 to join the 8-mile ride and $500 to join the 32-mile ride

CONTACT: Rabbi Menachem Smith; call 305-770-4540 or e-mail admin@unitedjewishgenerations.com.

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WHAT: College Prep – What Students Need to Know About the Anti-Israel Climate on College Campuses. View a screening of “Crossing the Line 2” (the new face of anti-Semitism on campus) and get the facts.

WHERE: Galbut Family Miami Beach JCC, 4221 Pine Tree Drive, Miami Beach

WHEN: Wednesday, September 14, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. (Registration deadline September 8)

COST: No charge

CONTACT: Carol Brick-Turin; call 786-866-8486 or e-mail communityrelations@gmjf.org.

WHAT: Jewish Heritage Day at Marlins Park: Join the tri-county Jewish community for an afternoon of Jewish pride and great baseball as the Miami Marlins take on the Chicago Cubs in the thirteenth annual Jewish Heritage Day. Kosher food, a really cool baseball cap, Jewish music and other surprises are scheduled for the day. A portion of the proceeds from the event goes to support Jewish education in South Florida.

WHERE: Marlins Park, 501 Marlins Way (NW 16th Avenue), Miami

WHEN: Sunday, June 26, noon to 5 p.m.

CONTACT: Call 561-702-7663 or visit www.JewishHeritageDay.org for more information.

WHAT: Children’s Performance Festival Yachad. The Michael-Ann Russell Jewish Community Center invites everyone to celebrate, through dance, our rich heritage, and connection to the land of Israel. The festival will feature colorful costumes, unique musical arrangements and choreography, dramatic sound and light effects and beautiful scenery.

WHERE: Michael-Ann Russell JCC, 18900 NE 25^th Avenue, North Miami Beach

WHEN: Sunday, June 5, 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.

CONTACT: Call Roger Weiger at 305-932-4200 ext 152 or e-mail rogerw@marjcc.org

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WHAT: Shavuot Scholar-in-Residence (speaking on a variety of subjects throughout the holiday)

WHERE: Chabad of Aventura, 21001 Biscayne Boulevard, Aventura

WHEN: Friday night, June 11

COST: Free of charge

CONTACT: Call 305-933-0770 or email info@chabadfl.or

WHAT: Israel American Council Music and Cultural Festival

WHERE: CB Smith Park, 900 North Flamingo Road, Pembroke Pines

WHEN: Sunday, May 22, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.

CONTACT: Call 786-236-6281 or e-mail denise@israeliamerican.org

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WHAT: RASG Hebrew Academy 2016 Alumni Event (in special recognition of alumni couples)

WHERE: Schwartz-Jacobs Campus, 2400 Pine Tree Drive, Miami Beach

WHEN: Sunday, May 22, starting at 6 pm

COST: $36 couvert

CONTACT: Call 305-532-6421 ext 110 or e-mail developmentoffice@rasg.org

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WHAT: RASG Hebrew Academy Annual Sports Banquet (all 2015-2016 student athletes honored and Hall of Fame induction)

WHERE: 2400 Pine Tree Drive, Miami Beach

WHEN: Monday, May 23, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

CONTACT: Coach Bishop, 305-532-6421 ext 112

WHAT: 6th Annual Step Up for Sharsheret. Lace up your sneakers and join us for a family friendly walk/run. Kosher for Passover refreshments.

WHERE: Turnberry Isle Resort, 19999 W.Country Club Drive, Aventura

WHEN: Thursday, April 28, starting at 9 a.m.

COST: $36 per person – registration required

CONTACT: 866-474-2774 or info@sharsheret.org

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WHAT: Remember the Six Million Jewish Victims of the Holocaust. The entire community is invited to the Holocaust Memorial in Miami Beach to and to honor Holocaust survivors in observance of Yom Ha Shoah, Holocaust Memorial Day.

WHERE: Holocaust Memorial, 1933-1945 Meridian Avenue, Miami Beach

WHEN: Sunday, May 1, 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

COST: No charge

CONTACT: Call Daniel Reed at 305-538-1663 or e-mail dreed@gmjf.org

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WHAT: RASG Hebrew Academy Community Commemoration of Yom Hazikaron (Israel Memorial Day) Followed by a Joyous Celebration of Yom Ha’Atzmaut (Israel Independence Day)

WHERE: RASG Hebrew Academy, 2400 Pine Tree Drive, Miami Beach

WHEN: Wednesday evening, May 11 starting at 6:15

CONTACT: 305-532-6421 ext 207

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WHAT: RASG Hebrew Academy and Lasko Kosher Getaways Present a Passover Casino Night Texas Hold’em Tournament. Valuable prizes; sponsorships are available.

WHERE: Turnberry Isle

WHEN: Sunday, April 24, 9 p.m.

COST: $100 buy-in. The $50 entry fee includes $25 in casino cash, dessert buffet, and open bar.

CONTACT: Rosanne Gibel, 305-532-6421 ext 211

Hebrew University will give its students the day off on Christmas for the first time ever.

There will be no classes on Thursday, Dec. 25, a new vacation day on the university calendar. The students also had off on Sunday for Hanukkah.

The university also has declared a vacation day for and placed on its institutional calendar the Muslim holiday of Id al-Adha, or Feast of the Sacrifice, which will next take place on Sept. 9, 2015.

“This in order to accommodate students of all religions studying at the university and to respect their holidays,” Dov Smith, the university spokesman, said in a statement.

The majority of the university’s students and staff are Jewish and Muslim.

This evening we celebrate Shemini Atzeres and Simchas Torah. In Israel there is only one day of Yom Tov for both. Unless you happen to be a foreigner here.  Which I am. By foreigner I mean that I live outside of Israel and am here only on a visit. So I am required to keep 2 days of Yom Tov instead of one.  The second day is called Yom Tov Sheni Shel Galios.

Simchas Torah is a wonderful time of year. In the evening we celebrate the end of the annual Torah reading cycle with singing and dancing known as Hakafos.  In the morning we do it again. After which we read the last Parsha of Sefer Devorim, V’Zos HaBracha. Usually more than once in order to call up to the Torah (give an Aliyah to) all those present. Even children. We then start Bereishis anew.

I get to do this twice. I do not enjoy the second Simchas Torah at all.

I have this problem every year. After a joyous Simchas Torah celebration with my family on the first day of Yom Tov I find the second day to be an afterthought  and even a burden. Not very much fun to say the least.

For people who live here – it is a weekday. They drive. They listen to music. They use telephones and computers.  All while I am in Shul with a bunch of strangers whose only commonality is that we don’t live here.

The reason we celebrate 2 days is because of something called Sefeika D’Yoma. Before our Jewish lunar calendar was fixed, dates were determined by when the new moon began. This had to be witnessed and attested to in Beis Din. They would then spread the correct date of the new moon throughout Israel. That news would reach all of Israel long before Yom Tov. But it took longer to reach the Diaspora.  Which made the date of Yom Tov uncertain. Since we weren’t sure when Yom Tov actually began – we celebrate two days. (For reasons beyond the scope of the post it can only be off by one day.)

We now have a fixed calendar and there is no longer any doubt about which day Yom Tov begins.  Nevertheless we continue to celebrate two days because that is the custom that Chazal established during an era when it was needed. This is called Minhag Avoseinu B’Yodenu. We cannot change the Minhag.

The problem is that this extra day applies to foreigners (like me) even when we happen to be in Israel for Yom Tov.

But not everyone follows this Minhag. Chabad, for example, only observes one day in the spirit of “When in Rome – do as the Romans do.”  But most of the rest of Orthodox Jewish foreigners in Israel observe two days.

Interestingly, the Chacham Tzvi  didn’t think much of Yom Tov Sheni in Israel either. He wrote in a Responsum that if he had it in his power he would ‘do as the Romans do’ in the matter of Yom Tov Sheni in Israel.

I know that there are other people that also just observe one day of Yom Tov in Israel. But I am not one of them. My family Minhag is to observe two days. But the truth is… I think that the Chacham Tzvi and Chabad got this one right. It makes no sense to me for anyone to observe 2 days of Yom Tov in Israel – even if he is not resident there. But… it’s not my call.

Just thought I’d mention it and get it off my chest. Again.

Chag Sameach

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