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Shabbat starts on Friday at 5:14pm and ends on Saturday at 6:15pm. The weekly Torah portion is Devarim and it’s Shabbat Chazon.

If moshiach does not come, Tish’a B’Av starts on Saturday night; fast begins at 5:33pm and ends at Sunday 6:03pm.

Mincha continues at 1pm at A-P GF/459 Collins Mon (special meat lunch), Wed, and Thu 1.45pm at L1 Capital using the WhatsApp group to confirm numbers.

Weekly sushi & shiur continues on Wed at 1.10pm (after mincha) at A-P GF/459 Collins – and via zoom. Current topic: law of neighbours. Details here and on the WhatsApp group.

Thought of the Week with thanks to Rafi Goodman.

The weekly portion of Devarim, always read before Tisha B’Av, opens with Moshe Rabbeinu’s rebuke to the Jewish people. However, Chassidus explains it came from deep love and was meant to prepare the people for entry into Israel. So too, the pain of galus (exile) is a preparation for the ultimate geulah (redemption).

In the face of the ongoing war in Israel and growing antisemitism worldwide, it’s easy to feel despair—but Chassidus teaches that these moments of darkness are actually birth pangs of Moshiach.

The mission now is to transform pain into action: increase Torah and mitzvot, strengthen our belief in G-d, and increase in love of your fellow Jews in practical ways—say a kind word, give tzedakah, help someone struggling.

Every act brings light. Through our efforts, we will turn Tisha B’Av into a Yom Tov with the complete redemption, speedily in our days