Author Archives:
SCHEDULE CHANGE: Adult Discussion and Milchig Potluck Dinner Saturday, 5/5, 5:30 P.M. at the Bethel
The best laid plans …
Ah well. We had planned for a Lag B’Omer bonfire and celebration this weekend. However, if you take a look at the weather forecast, it just wasn’t to be. Saturday’s weather is supposed to be a high of about 50 with lots and lots of rain.
Therefore, we are going to go back to our original plans for Adult Discussion on Saturday evening. We will have a milchig potluck dinner, 5:30 p.m. at the Bethel. Hope to see you there!
Mazel Tov to Rabbi Reice!!
Hot off the press! Hebrew Union College has announced that our own Student Rabbi, Rebecca Reice, has won two awards in her final year of rabbinical school. Rabbi Reice has been honored with the Samson H. Levey Price for Outstanding Student in Rabbinic Literature and the Lorraine Helman Rubin Memorial Prize in Scholarly Writing!
Mazel Tov Rabbi Rebecca! This weekend will be bittersweet!
Reminder: Scout Shabbat commemorated at Aitz Chaim Services this Friday!
Question: What is the only Jewish celebration that involves lighting campfires (bonfires) and shooting bows and arrows? Answer: Lag B’Omer! The holiday, a “break” in the solemnity involved in the counting of the Omer, is celebrated with bonfires, torches, song, shooting bows and arrows and feasting.
Fires may commemorate the revelation of the Zohar and bows and arrows may signify the rainbow (the sign given by Hashem to signify G-d’s promise to never again destroy the Earth with flood).
On a holiday marked by campfires and shooting arrows, we thought that it would be appropriate to also associate a more recent occassion with our Lag B’Omer celebration weekend. At services this coming Friday night (7:30 p.m. at the Bethel, 1009 18th Ave SW), we will mark the occasion of Scout Shabbat. Any Scout or Scouter attending in uniform will be able to wear the Scout Shabbat patch on their uniform. Patches will be available at services.
The 12th point of the Scout Law confirms that a Scout is Reverent. Part of the way that Scouts show their Reverence is to annually attend a Scout Sunday or Scout Shabbat observance.
The Scout Shabbat program is organized by the National Jewish Committee on Scouting. Aitz Chaim congregant Diane Sherick is our local Montana chapter chair of the National Jewish Committee on Scouting. More information can be found at jewishscouting.org.
Related articles
- Scout Sunday and Scout Shabbat (lcdistrictcommittee.wordpress.com)
- Lag B’Omer: A Jewish Holiday with No Food (aitzchaim.com)
- Scout Sunday and Scout Shabbat (aitzchaim.com)
- Israeli Lag Ba’Omer Bar-B-Que (ronit18.wordpress.com)
- May 4-6 Week End Schedule (aitzchaim.com)
REMINDER: Ofer Goren performance on May 3 at 7 p.m.
The hilarious Israeli mime Ofer Goren is returning to Great Falls for a return performance on May 3 at 7 p.m. at the Bethel, 1009 18th Ave SW! Many thanks to the Israeli Outreach group Soultrain for making this performance possible.
You do not want to miss this hilarious and free program! We hope to see you there!
Mazel Tov!
Mazel tov to the Semple and Mathison families on the birth of Yosef ben Elisheva, aka, Joseph Kenneth Mathison, born 4/15/12 at 6:20 p.m. in Old Hickory, TN! Yosef was born at 9 lbs. 8 oz., 22″ long.
The Mathison family held a brit milan for Joseph on 4/22/2012. Aitz Chaim wishes the Semple and Mathison families many nachas and nothing but simchas!
Who Knows 10? An in depth look at the 10 Commandments with Rabbi Chaim Bruk
With the beginning of Spring, Aitz Chaim is beginning to sponsor many activities and classes!
In addition to the performance by Ofer Goren on Thursday, May 3 and the full schedule of services on the weekend of May 4-6, Chabad Lubavitch Rabbi Chaim Bruk will come to Great Falls on Thursday, April 26 at 7 p.m. to teach a class on the 10 Commandments!
What: Who Knows 10, an in depth look at the 10 Commandments with Rabbi Bruk
When: 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 26
Where: Conference Room on the first floor of 1015 1st Ave N in Great Falls
Mark Your Calendar for Ofer Goren’s Performance in Great Falls on May 3 at the Bethel!
By Stephen Boyd
On May 3rd Ofer Goren is coming to great falls to put a free program on for us!
Ofer Goren is a professional Israeli Mime. He does single person mime shows. They involve situation comedies based on stories from the Bible and on everyday life.
The last time we had him in great falls was in 2010. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but he was hilarious!
He doesn’t speak very much English, basically none at all, but he understands it fairly well and he has no problem communicating back by pantomiming! His program is largely audience participation, and calls on the audience to help him with his acts. The really fun thing is, you get exactly what he is doing and then “mime” along!
I really hope to see many, many people there this performance. He is always a lot of fun. He will be performing at the Bethel at 7PM. Hope to see you there!
P.S. Due to an unexpected house guest, I will be unable to house him for the night and need another host. Does anyone else have a room available that night? He is an extremely gracious guest.
Related articles
- Aitz Chaim TO HOST MIME ARTIST OFER GOREN … DATE AND TIME TBA (aitzchaim.com)
So, when is Pesach next year?
Beware! This post has math.
The Wired Science blog has a great post up today on how to calculate the first day of Passover given the Julian date and the Hebrew year. You can read the post here.
The formula to calculate the civil/Julian date for Passover, given any particular Hebrew year Y, is below:
Beth Shalom Summer Camp for Older Youth
Shalom!
It’s that time of year again – planning summer for your kids. This year, we are pleased to announce that Congregation Beth Shalom will again be hosting a summer camp for youth 11-18. Please forward this email on to other parents I might have missed.
August 13-17 is for young people 11-18 and is open to youths all over Montana. Jenny Rassaby is coordinating this camp, which is designed for an older group of Jewish kids, providing them with an enriching opportunity to meet with peers, learn more about their Jewish culture, heritage and traditions and have fun! Participants from outside Bozeman will stay with their Beth Shalom peers and their families. For more information, and to register, contact Jenny Rassaby at rassabies@gmail.com, or phone 406 579 3846.
The camp is $175 for the week, including food and other costs.
Registration forms are attached. Forms are due to Beth Shalom by July 1.
Camp Signup form: BSyouthcamp_signup_form_2012
