The first of our nightly lightings of the Diane Kaplan Memorial Civic Center Menorah will be 5:30 pm on Saturday, December 8. See you there!
Author Archives: Aaron Weissman
Matzah in Great Falls?
So far, we have been unsuccessful in finding any retailer in Great Falls that is carrying kosher-for-Passover products. Has anyone else had any luck finding any matzah?
Make your Reservations for the Community Passover Seder NOW!
Traditional arrangement of symbolic foods on a Passover Seder Plate (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Our community Passover seder is coming up in only two weeks! The seder will be held on the evening of Tuesday, March 26 at the meeting room at Clark and Lewie’s restaurant, 7th Street and 1st Ave South.
We need your RSVP as soon as possible! You can make your reservation on our website, by visiting https://aitzchaim.com/pesach-seder-reservations/, by sending Laura Weiss an email at president@aitzchaim.com or by calling her at 452-8621.
Memorial Service for the Four Chaplains, February 10 at 4pm
On February 10, 2013 at 4 p.m. (doors open at 3:30 p.m.), American Legion Post 341 will be honoring the service and sacrifice of the Four Chaplains at a memorial service at the First Congregational United Church, 2900 9th Avenue South.
Aitz Chaim board member and retired Air Force airman Stephen Boyd will represent the Great Falls Jewish Community at the service.
On February 3, 1943 at 12:55 a.m., the US Army Transport Ship USAT Dorchester was struck by a torpedo from a German U-Boat while traveling to Greenland. Aboard were 902 servicemen, merchant seamen and civilians.
Through the pandemonium, according to those present, four Army chaplains brought hope in despair and light in darkness. Those chaplains were Lt. George L. Fox, Methodist; Lt. Alexander D. Goode, Jewish; Lt. John P. Washington, Roman Catholic; and Lt. Clark V. Poling, Dutch Reformed.
Quickly and quietly, the four chaplains spread out among the soldiers. There they tried to calm the frightened, tend the wounded and guide the disoriented toward safety.
“Witnesses of that terrible night remember hearing the four men offer prayers for the dying and encouragement for those who would live,” says Wyatt R. Fox, son of Reverend Fox.
One witness, Private William B. Bednar, found himself floating in oil-smeared water surrounded by dead bodies and debris. “I could hear men crying, pleading, praying,” Bednar recalls. “I could also hear the chaplains preaching courage. Their voices were the only thing that kept me going.”
Another sailor, Petty Officer John J. Mahoney, tried to reenter his cabin but Rabbi Goode stopped him. Mahoney, concerned about the cold Arctic air, explained he had forgotten his gloves.
“Never mind,” Goode responded. “I have two pairs.” The rabbi then gave the petty officer his own gloves. In retrospect, Mahoney realized that Rabbi Goode was not conveniently carrying two pairs of gloves, and that the rabbi had decided not to leave the Dorchester.
By this time, most of the men were topside, and the chaplains opened a storage locker and began distributing life jackets. It was then that Engineer Grady Clark witnessed an astonishing sight.
When there were no more lifejackets in the storage room, the chaplains removed theirs and gave them to four frightened young men.
When giving their life jackets, Rabbi Goode did not call out for a Jew; Father Washington did not call out for a Catholic; nor did the Reverends Fox and Poling call out for a Protestant. They simply gave their life jackets to the next man in line.
As the ship went down, survivors in nearby rafts could see the four chaplains–arms linked and braced against the slanting deck. Their voices could also be heard offering prayers.
Of the 902 men aboard the USAT Dorchester, 672 died, leaving 230 survivors. When the news reached American shores, the nation was stunned by the magnitude of the tragedy and heroic conduct of the four chaplains.
information and text on the Four Chaplains can be found at http://www.fourchaplains.org/
Four Chaplains stamp, 1948 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Stained glass window, U. S. Pentagon, honoring the Four Chaplains, USAT Dorchester, 1943 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Related articles
- Jacksonville Beach ceremony honors four chaplains slain in WWII (jacksonville.com)
- The Bravery of Four Chaplains (americanlegionpost3louisiana.com)
- Jacksonville Beach ceremony honors four chaplains slain in WWII (members.jacksonville.com)
- Real heroes: four died so others might live (cnn.com)
- Jacksonville Beach ceremony honors 4 chaplains slain in WWII (members.jacksonville.com)
- Four Chaplains hailed as heroes (indeonline.com)
MAJCO Communities to Light Menorot Together at Capitol, 12 Noon, Monday, Dec 10, 2012
From: Joshua Burnim
Date: December 3, 2012, 4:41:53 PM MST
Dear Montana Jews:
For the fourth year in a row, the Montana Association of Jewish Communities (MAJCO) is sponsoring a Chanukah Menorot Lighting event with Lt. Governor Bohlinger. We hope to again have all nine communities of MAJCO light a Menorah (one each). This will be our last year lighting the candles with Lt. Governor Bohlinger as a new administration takes over in January. Let’s use this opportunity to come together as Montana Jews and celebrate the light that we all share.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS: Monday, December 10
12:00 p.m. Lighting Ceremony with Lt. Governor Bohlinger; Please arrive at 11:30 a.m. to set up.
The State Capitol in Helena; the Rotunda Room which is below the Large Dome of the Capitol
Photo of State Capitol: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/205168
Parking: Park in the lot that is on the north side of the capitol or park on the streets all around the capitol. There should be plenty of parking, but please allow time to find a space and walk to the Rotunda. 1301 East 6th Avenue, Helena, MT
The nine communities of MAJCO, listed from East to West based on town/city of location, are:
- Congregation Beth Aaron, Billings
- Chabad Lubavitch of Montana
- Congregation Beth Shalom, Bozeman
- Congregation Aitz Chaim, Great Falls
- The Jewish Community of Helena
- Congregation B’nei Israel, Butte
- Congregation Har Shalom, Missoula
- Congregation Bet Harim, Kalispell
- Synagogue of the Northern Rockies, Whitefish
At 11:30 a.m., we will meet to setup tables, tablecloths, Menorot, signs, and any info you bring about your community. Each community should bring their own Menorah and candles. MAJCO will provide extra candles and Menorot if needed, small signs for each community, and a program that includes contact information for each community. Communities are welcome to bring Chanukah foods to share.
MAJCO President, Josh Burnim, will welcome the crowd and introduce the Lt. Governor and the Rabbis. Rabbis Barbara Block, Chaim Bruk and Ed Stafman will speak on Chanukah. (Rabbi Allen Secher is not able to attend.) Lt. Governor Bohlinger will address the crowd. Then, we will all light our Menorot together and sing the blessings and Maoz Tzur. After the ceremony, we will share Sufganiyot and other Chanukah treats. The ceremony should only take 30 minutes, but we encourage all to spend some time before and afterwards with each other.
At 1:00 p.m., MAJCO Officers and Delegates will meet upstairs for a business meeting. All are welcome to attend.
I hope many of you, and at least one representative from each MAJCO community, will make the trip to Helena to share in this statewide Jewish event, building ties with Jews from across the state. Please share this email with other members of your Congregations and Communities.
Shalom,
Josh Burnim
MAJCO President
Yom Kippur Food Donation Results
Helen Cherry led us in a great program this Yom Kippur; to make a donation of the food we did not eat while fasting.
Well, the results are in. Over Kol Nidre and Yom Kippur, our congregants donated 65 pounds of food, which was all delivered to the Great Falls Food Bank.
Todah Robah to all for your generosity!
Cemetery Needs Assessment Visit
In 1916, the newly-formed Great Falls Hebrew Association purchased a plot of land South of Great Falls on Eaton Road from the Butte Land and Investment Co. for use as a cemetery. Today, about a dozen graves are on-site, with the most recent burial there this past Spring. A prairie cemetery for a prairie town, this property is rugged and surrounded by natural grasses.
Unfortunately, a 1980s era fence our congregation erected at the cemetery is now falling down, many of the gravestones are crumbling and the entrance to the cemetery is inaccessible, especially in inclement weather.
Can you join us for a “Needs Assessment” visit at the cemetery on Saturday afternoon, September 15? For those of you that have never been there, we plan on meeting at the parking lot at 1015 1st Ave North just after noon and caravanning up to the cemetery. Please bring your own lunch.
A map to the cemetery follows, courtesy of Google. If you cannot access this map, please click on “View Larger Map”.
Congratulations to Bridge Club Members
Today’s Great Falls Tribune (page M1, August 7) reports on the recent Big Sky Duplicate Bridge Club tournament. Congratulations to congregants Don and Helen Cherry and Arleen Heintzelman and Henry Nemec for their results in this tournament!
The Aitz Chaim Ram's Horn 