Author Archives: Aaron Weissman
Montana Celebrates Hadassah’s 100th Birthday
Would love to have you join us for our Hadassah Centennial Celebration on Aug. 12. Please pass this invitation on to anyone you think might be interested. We have a wonderful evening planned with food, fun, friends and a stimulating presentation by Bruce Barrett, Northwest Regional AIPAC Director and former Law Professor, about Henrietta Szold, the founding of Hadassah, and its place in Israel’s history. For more information feel free to contact Kay Gersh at gershkmt@gmail.com.
100 YEARS AND STILL GOING STRONG
PLEASE JOIN US FOR A GALA CELEBRATION
AT THE RISING SUN BISTRO
KALISPELL
SUNDAY, AUG 12, 6:30 P.M.
PLEASE R.S.V.P. BY AUG. 1
PATTY SCHNALL forbesave@gmail.com
837-7214
MINIMUM DONATION $36 PER PERSON
PROCEEDS WILL BENEFIT THE NEW HOSPITAL TOWER
IF YOU CANNOT ATTEND BUT WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A
DONATION OF ANY AMOUNT PLEASE SEND CHECKS MADE OUT TO “HADASSAH” TO:
KAY GERSH
PO BOX 487
WHITEFISH MT. 59937
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:
The Aitz Chaim Ram's Horn 